The amendment to the Mayor’s budget proposed by Darren
Johnson & seconded by Jenny Jones AM would help Londoners facing high
unemployment, falling real incomes, soaring rents and fares, as well as
environmental problems such as dangerous air pollution and cold homes. The
Green alternative budget would tackle these problems head on.
- It would
help low income Londoners, and reduces inequality - It would
protect and improve key services, including safer neighbourhood policing,
public transport and cycling infrastructure - It would
deliver warm energy efficient homes and cleaner air - It would
keep the council tax the same, reduces the fare rise, and raises extra
money from motorists.
Darren Johnson said:
“We will bring down the fare rise below inflation, saving a
typical household about £40 a year. Instead we will raise more from motorists
and introduce a congestion charge zone around the heavily congested and
polluted Heathrow area. Our budget provides funds for a feasibility study of a
fairer “pay-as-you-go” road pricing scheme, which would charge a rate per mile
driven, with higher charges for more congested roads and times of day. This
could provide a significant new income stream of around £1b a year, with cuts
to fares ensuring it will be financially neutral for a typical household, and
substantially less congested roads with cleaner air through out London.”
Our police budget does not change the total amount of money but
it does change priorities. We provide more resources for safer neighbourhood
policing, road safety, and preventative work with young people and gangs. We
are able to achieve this partly through employing (usually cheaper) civilian
staff wherever they can do the work as well or better than a warranted officer.
Success should be measured by results not by uniformed officer numbers.
London’s serious air pollution problem needs radical
measures and proper investment. This is provided by the Green budget, which
will fund the introduction of a Very Low Emission Zone in central London where
only clean vehicles are allowed, replace an additional 100 standard buses with
cleaner hybrid models, and help taxi owners replace polluting vehicles.
Without increasing the council tax, the alternative Green
budget radically recasts priorities to make real progress in tackling some of
London’s most long-standing problems.”