The Mayor’s draft budget for the 2013/14 financial year was released last week. It included a cut to Band D council tax of 1.2%, or £3.72 a year – less then a one-day Zone 1-4 Travel-card. From the beginning of January, an annual Zone 1-4 Travel-card will cost Londoners £72.00 more than last year.
The Mayor's GLA Budget includes the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade and Transport for London. The figures revealed last week will take effect from April. London’s emergency services are facing steep cuts and frontline services in Newham will be hit hard:
The Metropolitan Police have lost 2,208 police officers across London and 46 police officers in Newham since May 2010. With a proposed £75.8million reduction in the Police Officer Wage bill next year this number could reduce even more
The Mayor has raised transport fares in London above inflation for the fifth year running. As Chair of Transport for London, Boris Johnson is responsible for setting fare levels for the capital.
Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs said:
“Wages for the majority of workers are barely rising and Londoners are really struggling more then elsewhere in the UK. It is scandalous that Boris has not used his power to curb fare rises, and an insult to hard-working Londoners that he’s claiming credit for saving households 7 pence a week.
“If he’s not there to stand up for Londoners in tough times, then what exactly is he there for? In the past two years TfL have collected £251million more than they were expecting in fares. Last year Londoners paid an average of £782 a year on public transport. It is ludicrous for the Mayor to claim he can’t help Londoners.
“London’s emergency services still face steep cuts and we’ve seen 46 police officers in Newham lost since May 2010. With deeper spending cuts on the way from central government, it is time Boris put London before his own ambitions.”
Ends