Andrew Dismore

The Mayor of London’s Budget was passed today after receiving the backing of local London Assembly Member, Andrew Dismore AM. The Budget is the last of this Mayoral term and commits millions to tackling violent crime and London’s economic recovery from the pandemic. Mr Dismore said that he was supporting it because of its “huge focus” on supporting businesses, addressing the climate emergency and tackling inequality.

Last week, the Mayor announced an £183m uplift to his Budget expenditure from increased business rates and council tax income. £30m of this extra money is being put towards keeping an extra one thousand police officers on the streets of the capital until 2025. This brings City Hall’s total investment into policing since 2016 to over £1 billion.

To supplement this, a further £8 million has been pledged to support early intervention initiatives as part of the Mayor’s continuing public health approach to violent crime.

£5 million has also been allocated towards attracting Londoners and domestic tourists back into the capital’s struggling retail and hospitality sectors and night-time economy when lockdown comes to an end.

The Budget will also support the implementation of a Green New Deal for London, the delivery of thousands more genuinely affordable homes and a City Hall-led strategy to rejuvenate the capital’s high streets.

Mr Dismore criticised the moves of Conservative, Green, Liberal Democrat and Brexit Alliance Group Assembly Members to reject the Budget accusing them of “empty rhetoric” over tackling violent crime and rebuilding London’s economy.

Mr Dismore, said:

“Rebuilding London’s economy and tackling violent crime should be everybody’s top priority – that’s what the Mayor is doing with this budget and that’s why it’s got my support.

“This Budget puts huge focus on tackling the climate emergency, supporting struggling businesses and addressing the inequalities in our society that have been magnified by the pandemic.

“I’m frustrated that other groups on the Assembly are refusing to back it – quite frankly, this exposes all their rhetoric about wanting to clamp down on violent crime and rebuild London’s economy as empty”.

ENDS

Notes

• More information about the Mayor’s final budget can be found here;
• Andrew Dismore AM is the London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden.