The last few months have shown that politics matters. Since Boris Johnson won control of City Hall we have seen fare-rises for Londoners announced, dropping of Labour’s commitment to 50% affordable housing in new developments and Ken Livingstone’s plan to pedestrianise Parliament Square abandoned. The latter is particularly ridiculous because Londoners and tourists will have to take their lives in their hands dodging traffic to get close to the new statue of Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square. For now, there will be no £25 congestion charge on ‘gas-guzzlers’ as Ken Livingstone had proposed (with reductions for less polluting vehicles) and Boris Johnson is consulting on cutting back the Congestion Charge Western Extension.
One of the most worrying proposals is Boris Johnson’s plan for an estimated £195 million real terms cut in funding for the Metropolitan Police. The recent deaths of young people as a result of stabbings have appalled and worried us all. All Londoners want to see something done about it. Boris Johson talked a lot about knife crime during the Mayoral elections and Londoners rightly expect to see some action on this issue. I don’t think that what most Londoners want from the Mayor is a cut in funding to the Metropolitan Police. Not only should the Mayor be doing more to support the police as they fight crime, but he should also do more to tackle the causes of crime. One of the reasons we need more affordable housing is because it will mean fewer teenagers living in overcrowded accommodation without the space they need to live, study and play – and less of anti-social behaviour than would otherwise occur.
London now hangs in the balance between a progressive, inclusive and green future or one where we get more of the Tory policies we have had over the six months. We know that Londoners won’t like Boris’s policies when they feel and hear about their effects. It might feel that Boris Johnson and the Tories are enjoying a rather lengthy honeymoon – but it is not healthy for any politicians to enjoy perpetual political honeymoons without scrutiny. It’s our job in the Labour Party to make sure Boris is held to account and that Londoners know about the damage he is doing. Let's make sure he doesn't get away with it!
Omar Salem is chair of London Young Labour and a member of the Young Labour executive
We will see, since Labour are cutting welfare perhaps more people will not have a home before Long as we will have no jobs or benefits, Labour Tory, Tory Labour whats the difference, not a lot
Posted by: Robert | Friday, October 03, 2008 at 08:35 PM