The Mayor’s Budget for 2024-25

Closed

724 Londoners have responded | 19/12/2023 - 10/01/2024

A white icon of a hand with a pound coin against a pink background

Mayor’s 2024-25 Budget consultation 

User Image for
Added by Talk London

Up vote 0
Care 0

Every year in December, the Mayor publishes his Consultation Budget for the year ahead. 

This document sets out how he intends to deliver his priorities within the funding available to the GLA (Greater London Authority) and its five functional bodies. Together they're called the GLA Group.  

The Mayor’s part of the council tax rates for 2024-25 are set as part of this budget process. They may need to rise by an additional £37.26 for an ‘average’ Band D household. This is the equivalent of around £3.10 a month.

The Mayor’s Budget focuses on a number of priorities, including:  

  • Keeping London safe, by being tough on crime and the causes of crime. 
  • Ensuring the Met and London Fire Brigade both have the resources they need to reform and serve Londoners effectively. 
  • Building more council homes and the homes Londoners can afford.
  • Maintaining a world-class transport network in London. 
  • Continuing to offer free skills training to anyone who is unemployed or in low-paid work.
  • Providing additional support for people during the cost-of-living crisis. 
  • Providing a mentor to all young Londoners in need and positive opportunities to young Londoners at risk of getting caught up in gangs and crime. 
  • Investing in green projects so we can continue to lead the way on tackling air pollution and the climate emergency – from making our buses zero-emission to planting over half a million trees.   

What do you think of these priorities?

Tell us in the discussion below and help inform the final Budget. 

The discussion ran from 19 December 2023 - 10 January 2024

Closed


Want to join our next discussion?

New here? Join Talk London, City Hall's online community where you can have your say on London's biggest issues.

Join Talk London

Already have an account?

Log into your account
Comments (256)

Avatar for - Sea turtle
Up vote 2
Care 0
Report

You need to support Businesses to keep the Economy going to provide jobs / fund social initiatives

Avatar for -
Up vote 1
Care 0
Report

Absolutely zero excuse for rises. there is so much waste due to total overreach, in public campaigns and supporting absurd social engineering. Sadiq Khan was asked the definition of a woman, he replied "an adult girl". The thing is, we...

Show full comment

Absolutely zero excuse for rises. there is so much waste due to total overreach, in public campaigns and supporting absurd social engineering. Sadiq Khan was asked the definition of a woman, he replied "an adult girl". The thing is, we cannot even tell if he was having a laugh and gas-lighting us or if he thought he was being clever. This nonsense has to stop right now - you are not serious people let you effect the lives of milions.

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Sea turtle
Up vote 0
Care 0
Report

Looking at the Mayors priorities

have the resources they need to reform and serve Londoners effectively.

By ensuring the Met and London Fire Brigade both have the resources they need to reform and serve Londoners effectively. Having more...

Show full comment

Looking at the Mayors priorities

have the resources they need to reform and serve Londoners effectively.

By ensuring the Met and London Fire Brigade both have the resources they need to reform and serve Londoners effectively. Having more Bobby's on the Beat  I can't remember the last time I saw a Policeman on patrol in my area.

Having more things for young Londoners to do i.e. Youth Clubs will help tackle some crimes and  more education in schools about gangs and crime

More affordable houses to buy or rent and no more Tower Blocks not only do they isolate people they are an eyesore.

By maintaining and upgrading the current transport systems and make travel affordable and safe more people will use it so less cars on the road 

Get rid of the ULEZ  for outer London he he had planted the half a million trees they would have cut down on pollution  been less expensive as the pollution levels aren't as high as he says. And he introduced it in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis  causing additional expense for those who couldn't afford to upgrade their cars and weren't entitled to the scrappage scheme

Don't increase Council Tax as people are struggling  

Show less of comment

Avatar for -
Up vote 1
Care 1
Report

Without affordable housing and transport none of the other objectives can be achieved because the workforce cannot afford to live in London.

 

There is a lot of talk about green projects to improve the environment.  Given that about 25% of...

Show full comment

Without affordable housing and transport none of the other objectives can be achieved because the workforce cannot afford to live in London.

 

There is a lot of talk about green projects to improve the environment.  Given that about 25% of London's surface area is domestic garden there needs to be a lot more emphasis on the use of that space e.g. restricting hard surfacing , encouraging the replanting of hedges, banning plastic lawns, restricting the use of leaf-blowers, pesticides and weedkillers.  Imagine the green corridor that could be created if every front garden had at least a hedge.  (It would also be highly cost-effective)

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Pangolin
Up vote 0
Care 0
Report

Of the issues which should be managed at local government level, transport is the most important.  The city should tick along like a well oiled machine.  Policing, housing and the like are essentially national government issues - local...

Show full comment

Of the issues which should be managed at local government level, transport is the most important.  The city should tick along like a well oiled machine.  Policing, housing and the like are essentially national government issues - local government cannot compensate for poor national government policy and performance.

Show less of comment

Avatar for -
Up vote 4
Care 1
Report

The Mayor's priorities are ace!

My ask, my plea is to enable, organise, institute and imbed participatory democracy processes in City Hall and London boroughs such as people’s assemblies* and citizens' assemblies. 

Many of us, especially the...

Show full comment

The Mayor's priorities are ace!

My ask, my plea is to enable, organise, institute and imbed participatory democracy processes in City Hall and London boroughs such as people’s assemblies* and citizens' assemblies. 

Many of us, especially the young, feel that Parliament is more detached than ever from the real life experience of the majority, particularly those with specific needs and vulnerabilities and want an opportunity to engage with decision making that affects their lives, directly or indirectly.    

*XR have models, trainings  and material for guidance to set up People's Assemblies. 

Show less of comment

Avatar for -
Up vote 0
Care 0
Report

People's Assemblies are very undemocratic indeed, the last thing we need. I don't vote for a councilor, MP or Party only to have them be influenced by these talking shops. The whole way they are set up and run is anti-democratic.

If you want...

Show full comment

People's Assemblies are very undemocratic indeed, the last thing we need. I don't vote for a councilor, MP or Party only to have them be influenced by these talking shops. The whole way they are set up and run is anti-democratic.

If you want more democracy, and better democracy, then everyone should be pushing for a clean-up of politics, plus electoral reform so we can have proportional representation.  It should be a sacking offence at minimum for a politician in in office to lie to colleagues, to staff or to the general population. Preferably, it should be illegal. Democracy is very badly undermined and weakened when politicians get away with lying, dissembling, being only partially truthful, when they indulge in cronyism, when they in effect take bribes, and when super-powerful lobbies are allowed to have more influence than the voters and people.  

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Gorilla
Up vote 6
Care 5
Report

My number 1 priority for London is to make our roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and to discourage private motor vehicles.

Specific actions I favour include:

  • Widening pavements
  • Increasing the time given to the green man phase at...
Show full comment

My number 1 priority for London is to make our roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and to discourage private motor vehicles.

Specific actions I favour include:

  • Widening pavements
  • Increasing the time given to the green man phase at traffic lights
  • Reducing the time that pedestrians need to wait for the green man phase to start
  • Increasing the number and distance of safe, wide segregated cycle paths
  • Lowering the speed limit to 20mph everywhere
  • Enforcing the speed limit
  • Converting on-street parking places to wider pavements or safe cycle parking places
  • Reducing the number of on-street parking places
  • Increasing the cost of on-street parking
  • Raising the congestion charge to £50 per day, and raising it to £200 per day for SUVs
  • More speed cameras
  • Charge SUVs much higher fees - for example parking and congestion charge - than non-SUVs
Show less of comment

Avatar for -
Up vote 0
Care 0
Report

The problem with simplified headings is that they are all interlinked! You will probably see crime reduce if more facilities are offered to younger people. If you build more and more tower blocks you are removing the space for public...

Show full comment

The problem with simplified headings is that they are all interlinked! You will probably see crime reduce if more facilities are offered to younger people. If you build more and more tower blocks you are removing the space for public leisure or enjoyment. Everyone needs open space. It has value beyond what developers normally see. Transport is really important. I think public transport needs to be encouraged and private vehicle use discouraged in the city. So many trips are made unnecessarily and you cannot keep expanding road infrastructure. The police need to be funded properly and also held to account as a public service. It's rare you see a copper on the street - they are usually hurtling down the road in a car to some unknown destination. I have had experience of being confronted by a man with a zombie knife and the police were unbelievably casual about it as none got slashed! They literally walked to our location, took a statement and then said thanks very much. A theft had occurred and when asked what happens next, the reply was "oh we'll get back to you if we hear anything".

Personally I think you do a pretty good job overall considering the government attempts at withholding the budget and taking control of expenditure. We are pathetically supported as a major city compared to other equivalent major cities around the world.

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Staghorn coral
Up vote 0
Care 1
Report

Too much emphasis/expense is being put on reducing air pollution

Avatar for - Sumatran elephant
Up vote 1
Care 0
Report

If you truly want to know what the Mayor is planning read C40 cities agenda- he is the Chair.      -

Show full comment

If you truly want to know what the Mayor is planning read C40 cities agenda- he is the Chair.      -

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Adelie penguin
Up vote 2
Care 0
Report

The mayor is doing NOTHING to green this city.All we see is more and more tower blocks going up.Every bit of space is being built on like the one opposite me.Loads of dangerous cycle lanes being put in places.Allowing cyclist who DO NOT PAY...

Show full comment

The mayor is doing NOTHING to green this city.All we see is more and more tower blocks going up.Every bit of space is being built on like the one opposite me.Loads of dangerous cycle lanes being put in places.Allowing cyclist who DO NOT PAY for the use of the road, clog our public bus routes.Cycle lanes are both dangerous and polluting as they cause the traffic to go slow.Its a crazy idea.

As for the police.WHAT POLICE ??? All I see is them dangerously driving at high speed through Kentish Town.YOU NEVER see them out of their cars.

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Staghorn coral
Up vote 1
Care 2
Report

Agree that cyclists are being given too much priority. They should be taxed and insured as are motorists

Avatar for -
Up vote 2
Care 1
Report

You mean instead of or apposed to encouraging more cars on the roads that diminish the quality and health of people who live near the roads?

 

Show full comment

You mean instead of or apposed to encouraging more cars on the roads that diminish the quality and health of people who live near the roads?

 

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Monarch butterfly
Up vote 3
Care 0
Report

There is no 'otheplease specify' field meaning that you are biasing the results to the topics of your choice. Also what you mean by some of these headings such as 'support for those in financial need' - it's so broad as to be almost...

Show full comment

There is no 'otheplease specify' field meaning that you are biasing the results to the topics of your choice. Also what you mean by some of these headings such as 'support for those in financial need' - it's so broad as to be almost meaningless. 

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Staghorn coral
Up vote 0
Care 0
Report

Seriously can we just start with functionality. London can’t function if it’s got rampant crime. Women can’t safely travel on the underground without sexual harassment. Jews are excluded from central London weekly. Transport needs to work...

Show full comment

Seriously can we just start with functionality. London can’t function if it’s got rampant crime. Women can’t safely travel on the underground without sexual harassment. Jews are excluded from central London weekly. Transport needs to work, streets should be clean. Fire brigade and police need to keep us safe. That incidentally means women and Jews whos safety and security seem to be of little regard to the Mayor and the Met where we get sound bites but no actual improvements.

 


 

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Sea turtle
Up vote 3
Care 4
Report

I do not agree with the limited list of items in the survey.  The most important issue is how to tackle the population crisis.  The infrastructure cannot cope with the demands on it.  The Mayor is ignoring this issue and always will.  We...

Show full comment

I do not agree with the limited list of items in the survey.  The most important issue is how to tackle the population crisis.  The infrastructure cannot cope with the demands on it.  The Mayor is ignoring this issue and always will.  We must stop all immigration and we must take action to reduce the population.

Crime in the capital is the second most important issue.  Knife crime has reached epidemic proportions and the Mayor continues to do nothing about it.

The next most important issue is to tackle the problems arising from multi-culturalism.  We must restore a clear British culture that all citizens must comply with.  Wokeness must be eradicated.

The ULEZ tax must be addressed by removing all ULEZ cameras.

Above all, we must replace the Mayor as soon as possible.   He is simply hopeless.

  

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Adelie penguin
Up vote 1
Care 1
Report

Excellent.I totally agree with everything you have said.

Avatar for - Staghorn coral
Up vote 2
Care 2
Report

Agree that population should be controlled. New immigrants should be diverted to less populated areas of the UK. London is already overpopulated.

Load more
Avatar for - Vaquita
Up vote 0
Care 0
Report

  • The most significant issues for London are the following
  •  
  • Building more council homes and the homes Londoners can afford.
  • Keeping London safe, by being tough on crime and the causes of crime. 
  • Investing in green projects so we can continue to...
Show full comment
  • The most significant issues for London are the following
  •  
  • Building more council homes and the homes Londoners can afford.
  • Keeping London safe, by being tough on crime and the causes of crime. 
  • Investing in green projects so we can continue to lead the way on tackling air pollution and the climate emergency – from making our buses zero-emission to planting over half a million trees.   

The above are the city's priorities and should inform the budget

Show less of comment

Avatar for - Monarch butterfly
Up vote 1
Care 1
Report

It's all posturing and empty talk.  I work in East London in sports development and it's obvious London is getting worse and worse.  Police don't attend, even for serious crime.  Ambulances don't turn up, even for serious accidents.  We've...

Show full comment

It's all posturing and empty talk.  I work in East London in sports development and it's obvious London is getting worse and worse.  Police don't attend, even for serious crime.  Ambulances don't turn up, even for serious accidents.  We've had bus routes cut to our facility and the endless supposedly green road closures have made the remaining buses too slow to use, stuck in constant traffic.  Many of our suppliers had to scrap their vehicles when the ULEZ came in, so our overheads have soared.

Show less of comment

Avatar for -
Up vote 1
Care 0
Report

Please start from the beginning - what kind of society do we want to create? Then devise policies to get there. It needs to be fairer and it needs to be sustainable. Everyone needs to be housed and fed, the gap between rich and poor...

Show full comment

Please start from the beginning - what kind of society do we want to create? Then devise policies to get there. It needs to be fairer and it needs to be sustainable. Everyone needs to be housed and fed, the gap between rich and poor diminished, education and training are key, and we need to come together to address climate change in a joined up meaningful fashion which sees major polluters such as fossil fuel giants, and serial developers, curbed and no longer given better terms than everyone else. Why are corporations and fossil fuel giants not taxed appropriately? Why do bankers receive large bonuses for doing nought for society while key workers are underpaid? Why do large developers constantly evade the high standards for development imposed on private folks upgrading their own homes; why are we seemingly unable to provide health, mental health, social care support, homes for all and food for all? If all of this was addressed several of your key priorities would not be needed.

Show less of comment

Avatar for -
Up vote 3
Care 0
Report

Building more council homes is critical. The others are great BUT please don't plant trees where tree roots eventually make pavements impassable and dangerous,

Avatar for - Amur leopard
Up vote 1
Care 0
Report

I live in Newham and it is a thieves paradise. Cars are stolen to order with disturbing frequency and the police do nothing. Footage provided by residents on the social media site for locals, Nextdoor, showing the brazen behaviour of car...

Show full comment

I live in Newham and it is a thieves paradise. Cars are stolen to order with disturbing frequency and the police do nothing. Footage provided by residents on the social media site for locals, Nextdoor, showing the brazen behaviour of car thieves, is jaw-dropping. There is an epidemic of mobile phone theft - people waiting at bus-stops have their phones snatched out of their hands by thieves on bikes. I do not feel that either I or my property are safe on the streets of Newham. I haven't been on East Ham High Street for a good couple of years due to reports of pickpocketing gangs operating in the area and I avoid Upton Park station, especially at night. I know that my own property has been marked by burglars as a potential property to target. I do not feel safe inside or outside my house. The sooner I can leave the borough the better. The police are hopelessly under-resourced and the local authority seem to be obsessed with revenue-raising by penalising motorists. I lived here for over twenty years - it was never the best place in London to live but its downhill slide is depressing. 

 

Show less of comment

Avatar for - American pika
Up vote 4
Care 1
Report

I approve of the priorities.  However, I would have put the green projects to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency as the first item at the top of the list, not as the last item at the bottom.

Show full comment

I approve of the priorities.  However, I would have put the green projects to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency as the first item at the top of the list, not as the last item at the bottom.

Show less of comment