THE taxi tycoon at the heart of the new cash-for-access scandal sparked outrage yesterday by blaming cyclists for getting themselves killed on the road.
John Griffin, owner of cab firm Addison Lee and a £250,000 Tory donor, suggested drivers should not be held responsible if they crashed into inexperienced cyclists.
Sixteen bikers were killed in London alone last year, prompting calls for drivers to take more care.
Yet Mr Griffin said it was often their own fault they got hurt by “throwing themselves on to some of the most congested spaces in the world” without proper training.
Writing in the firm’s Add Lib magazine Mr Griffin said: “Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a pothole then he is guilty of failing to anticipate that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss.
"The fact is however alert he is, the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall increase in accidents.”
Mr Griffin, who has urged private hire car drivers to break the law by using bus and cycle lanes, said cyclists should also pay “road tax”.
The outburst by the donor who has given cash to the campaigns of keen cyclists David Cameron and Boris Johnson, sparked a furious backlash.
Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle slammed what she called “these appalling remarks about cyclists made by Tory donor John Griffin”.
Labour’s Ken Livingstone added: “Griffin has incited his staff to break the law, threatening to create anarchy on the roads of London.”
Jenny Jones, the Green Party candidate for London mayor, declared: “I will not use an Addison Lee taxi again.”
The Mirror has revealed Mr Griffin is set to benefit hugely from a decision to slash spending on Government cars .
It followed talks with then Transport Secretary Philip Hammond weeks after his firm gave the Tories two £50,000 donations.
It has also emerged that Mr Griffin gave London Mayor Mr Johnson a £25,000 campaign donation that helped him win office in 2008.
Mr Griffin yesterday admitted his remarks were “inflammatory”.
He said: “Both cyclists and motorists have a responsibility to use the roads safely. At no point did I suggest motorists are never to blame.”