Campaigners outside Kentish Town Underground Station which is due to be closed for long escalator works

THERE have now been two weeks of spirited protests outside Kentish Town underground station, which has closed for up to a year due to escalator work.

These have not been held by the residents and commuters who face a long inconvenience finding alternative stations or other means of transport, as frustrating as many will find the lengthy service blackout.

No – the demonstrations have been organised by those who still will not be able to use the tube stop even after the work has been completed. If you think 12 months is a long time without your local tube station, imagine never being able to use it all.

Disabilities campaigners have a strong argument as to why making the station accessible has never seemed like a pressing priority.

It is not just in Kentish Town, as successive Mayors of London and the London Assembly members have also heard repetitive calls for services at Camden Town to be upgraded and made step free.

These changes are not simply something nice to have if we can, but should be considered essential if we truly agree that our city should be inclusive to all.

The same argument will come back to the campaigners and anybody who offers solidarity: it is too expensive.

This response should not be accepted on face value as the be all and end all. What it really means is “this is too expensive for how we want to run things”.

How public spending is divided up is a subjective choice. Local authorities, the London Mayor and the government make decisions every day over what to use funds for.

There is money for the King’s coronation, there is money for the chaotic HS2 rail scheme and, every day, there is money for expensive consultants.

Remember, there was once money for a cable car crossing of the Thames.

But there is never money to allow a disabled traveller to get on a tube train at Kentish Town or Camden Town.

Similarly, it is a subjective choice how money is raised to spend on public services – such as an accessible tube.

It is a conscious choice not to tax more from those who wouldn’t really even notice it was gone – the super rich and the giant conglomerates – in order to help pay to ensure everybody can at least get from A to B.

We can learn over again how expensive a lift might be, but in the end it’s down to whether the London Mayor wants to find the money for it or the government does.

At the moment, both appear to have other priorities and that serves neither with any credit.