Darren Johnson, Green Party mayoral candidate and Leader of the Green Party Group in the London Assembly reacted, "Toby Harris’s comment reveals Labour’s true colours when it comes to cycling. They come out with all sorts of rhetoric about supporting cyclists but the reality is that the car-loving Labour Party treats cyclists with contempt. I stand by our proposal to double the cycling budget and slash the road-building budget."
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. The Green budget proposals would bring about massive improvements in the quality of life, whilst cutting rather than increasing council tax. Whereas Mayor Livingstone is proposing an increase of 33p per week for council tax payers, the Green budget would actually result in a reduction of 9p per week.
2. Greens proposed to double spending on pedestrian and cycling schemes, double spending on the bus improvement programme, double spending on homelessness and double the environment budget. Moreover, by slashing spending on road building and propaganda and increasing congestion charging revenue, this budget will achieve that without excessive cost to the taxpayer.
3. The Mayor is currently spending £2.8 million per year on the Londoner newspaper which he sends to every household. Meanwhile, he is spending only £1.3 million on protecting London’s environment, in spite of having legal responsibilities to implement strategies on air quality, waste, biodiversity and noise and to reduce London’s greenhouse gas emissions.
ENDS