Mayor breaks six election pledges in one day

• Backs down on housing, transport, policing and green belt promises

Sadiq Khan backed down on six key election pledges in just two hours during his first Mayor’s Question Time this morning.

The Mayor of London was challenged by Assembly Members on several pledges made in his election manifesto and throughout his campaign.

But when asked to confirm or clarify key policies on housing, transport, policing and the green belt, the Mayor was forced to row back on several of his promises.

Conservative Assembly Member Gareth Bacon said: “Sadiq Khan has been Mayor for less than three weeks and already his election pledges seem to be dropping like flies.

“This morning alone he rowed back on six key election promises he made to Londoners, including his pledge to build 80,000 homes a year.

“He was elected on the basis of these promises. As Mayor he needs to work much harder to keep his word and show he deserves the trust that has been placed in him.

Broken election pledges:

1. Housing: Sadiq Khan pledged on his campaign website to “support housing associations in their plans to ensure a minimum of 80,000 new homes a year”.

• Today he said he was not going to give any commitment on housing numbers.

2. Housing: Sadiq Khan’s manifesto said that he would “fight for the Mayor and London councils to have a greater say in strengthening renters’ rights over tenancy lengths, rent rises, and the quality of accommodation.”

• Today he said that he had no plans to introduce rent control.

3. Transport: On 2^nd February Sadiq Khan promised: "As mayor what I'd do is roll up my sleeves and make sure that I'm talking to everyone who runs public transport to make sure there are zero days of strikes.”

• Today he was asked “if he wished to withdraw that commitment to Londoners?” In response, Sadiq Khan changed his promise to an “aspiration”.

4. Policing: During the Mayoral Election, Sadiq Khan said the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service would be on “probation” if he became Mayor.

• Today he said that he isn’t, and acknowledged he had no power to change the Commissioner.

5. Policing: During the Mayoral campaign, Sadiq Khan supported the previous Safer Neighbourhood Model which had a structure of “1:2:3” – which means it was made up of 1 sergeant, 2 constables and 3 Police and Community Support Officers (PCSOs) – and opposed the Local Policing Model which changed the structure to one PC and one PCSO.

• Today he said, even with his urgent review of neighbourhood, there will be no return to the 1:2:3 structure.

6. Environment: Sadiq Khan pledged in his manifesto to “Oppose building on the Green Belt, which is even more important today than it was when it was created.”

• Today he said that it would be “horses for courses” and that he would not seek to “micro manage” this issue.