You’ve heard me say it before, but it bears repeating – this election comes at a critical time.
We are going through tough economic times, and Londoners are understandably concerned about their jobs and the cost of living. This is why my priorities over the last four years have been cutting waste and bureaucracy at City Hall and ensuring London taxpayer money is put where you want to see it spent.
Every pound of Londoners’ money is precious, and should be spent in a clear, open and honest way on their priorities – creating jobs and making London safer.
When I was elected the entire City Hall budget was in chaos. My determination to end the waste and mismanagement of the previous Mayor has freed up the money to pay for a strong plan for London’s future and we are putting that money where Londoners want to see it spent - in spite of the very difficult financial circumstances.
I want to continue taking London forward, to deliver even greater value and even more transparency for Londoners.
Read the latest chapter of my manifesto, Cutting waste and council tax, now: www.backboris2012.com/cuttingwaste
So I will:
- Cut council tax for every Londoner by at least 10%. This will be phased over the next four years, with a guaranteed cut every year and follows on from me freezing council tax for each of the past three years and cutting it this year.
- Save a further £1.5 billion across the GLA Group in the coming year, bringing total savings since I was elected to £3.5 billion – freeing money for services by cutting waste, including at Transport for London to help me to keep fares low in the long term, without wrecking the urgently needed modernisation of the network.
- Publish an itemised breakdown to show Londoners where the Mayor’s share of council tax is spent.
- Publish all GLA Group spending over £250, and the expenses and register of interests of senior staff, not just advisors, will be itemised online for the the first time, continuing the culture of transparency and openness I have introduced at City Hall.
And every pledge that I have made in this election is also fully costed and fully funded.
Ken Livingstone presided over a discredited regime that squandered taxpayers’ money on self- publicity, his jaunts to Cuba and Venezuela, and accusations of cronyism. This tarnished the reputation of London and resulted in Londoners having little trust in the Mayoralty.
I have worked hard to change this culture, stamping out waste and bringing transparency to spending. I have already cut £2 billion of waste across the GLA Group to free up investment for Londoners’ priorities, including putting 1,000 more police on London’s streets, and creating over 200,000 jobs over the next four years as well as investing in the modernisation of the transport network, and above all, holding down council tax.
And as your council tax bills show, we have made progress despite difficult times. At the Mayoral election on 3rd May this progress is at risk.
The choice at this election is between taking London backwards to the years of waste and division or to go forward with my plan to cut council tax, cut waste, and make sure that every penny of public money is spent on Londoners' priorities to make London the best big city to live in.
So please pledge your support for my 10% council tax cut today: www.backboris2012.com/ctpledge