Andrew Dismore

Jessica Learmond- Criqui says that I ‘owe‘  her answers, over police funding and her desire for a referendum on putting up the police Council Tax element by 123%.  What she actually means is that she does not agree with the answers I gave her- though she also  refused to answer the key question I put to her.

Ms Learmond- Criqui still peddles her crackpot idea for wasting c £10 million on a referendum to increase the policing share of the Council Tax. I demonstrated that to  restore  the police funding cuts imposed by the Government, this would need an increase of  a massive 123% on top of the existing precept (not ‘to’ 123% as she misquotes) .This is because of the gearing of  the way the balance between Council Tax v Government  funding is raised.

Anyone who was remotely in touch would know that to propose a tax increase of 123% – more than double the current rate- would be met with a giant public  raspberry swiftly followed by outrage at the misspending of millions on a pointless referendum  which would be better spent on police officers.  I have no intention of wasting the Mayor’s time with such a barmy suggestion when the answer is obvious. The Mayor is already planning an increase of 5.5%, to help fund the police, which is the most he can raise and which the public is prepared to pay.

I asked her, if she did not agree with 123% tax increase, what lesser figure she would like to put to the public. I still do not have that answer but only evasion, suggesting that I should enter some kind of Dutch auction, reducing the figure until she found it acceptable. I would suggest that if she genuinely wanted a referendum, rather than playing a political game, it is incumbent on her to say by how much she proposes tax should go up, and what it would pay for in terms of extra officers.

And I would remind her that a little while  ago when she attempted a crowd funding scheme for extra officers for her ward, it attracted significant publicity for her but very little public support -or even more importantly money- before she quietly dropped the idea. And the amounts involved were far less than123%.

However,  in an effort to be conciliatory, if she can produce a petition to the Mayor signed by  only 250 Camden residents- just 0.1% of the borough’s population – asking for  £10 million to be spent on a  referendum on a police precept increase of 123%, (with recent experience after a  vague national referendum such a precise question is needed)  so as  to show even miniscule popular support for her idea, I would be willing to submit it to Sadiq for his consideration.

 

Andrew Dismore AM

Labour London Assembly Member  for Barnet and Camden