Mayor must rethink “half-baked” budget say City Hall Tories

City Hall Tories will propose a motion in the London Assembly today instructing the Mayor to rethink his "half-baked" budget to save struggling Londoners money and help businesses bounce back.

Sadiq Khan's proposed budget will increase his share of Londoners’ council tax bill by nearly 10%, keep the Congestion Charge at £15 for at least another six months, and extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone to the North and South Circulars. Khan is also considering a daily boundary charge up to £5.50 to drive into Greater London alongside his budget.

City Hall Tories' Leader Susan Hall has branded Sadiq Khan's budget a "half-baked" plan which would grant him a "blank cheque". Unlike previous budgets, the Mayor's latest proposal sets his spending plans around vague missions instead of setting out in detail how the money would be used to deliver for London.

Susan Hall AM, Leader of the GLA Conservatives, commented: "With many people struggling during this pandemic, Londoners will be appalled that Sadiq Khan is demanding they pay more. The Mayor is choosing to protect his wasteful, virtue signalling spending instead of saving Londoners from this unwanted bill.

"Under Khan, City Hall and Transport for London have become bloated and bureaucratic. The Mayor could find millions of pounds of savings to balance his books and deliver for London. Instead, Khan's chosen to hike up London's charges and taxes in the midst of a pandemic.

"London's businesses need the Mayor's help to bounce back, but his tax-hike budget will hurt them. After Covid, few businesses can afford Khan's ULEZ hammer blow. Central London will stay quiet with Khan's extended Congestion Charge hike. And Khan's ludicrous boundary charge will jeopardise Outer London businesses.

"To make matters worse, Sadiq Khan's budget is half-baked. It's impossible to see how Londoners' money will be spent and whether it will be used to deliver on their priorities. By setting out vague missions, the Mayor is writing himself a blank cheque.

"The only thing that's clear in Khan's budget is that Londoners will be paying more."