Who’re the highest candidates for London mayor and what are their insurance policies?
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged younger individuals to vote on May 2 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
PA Wire
Mayor since 2016, beforehand Labour MP for Tooting. Former lawyer, married with two grownup daughters. Political pugilist who finds it onerous to withstand a verbal punch-up with the Tories. Often deflects criticism of his file by blaming the Government. Seeking to be first London mayor to serve three phrases.
Policy: Free college meals for main college kids
What’s achievable? Introduced as a one-year “emergency” measure to ease the price of residing disaster, free college meals proved so fashionable that Mr Khan desires to make them everlasting. What’s unstated is that he would have confronted a political backlash had he axed them. But the £140 million annual value — presently drawn from City Hall reserves and enterprise charges — might push up council tax payments in future.
Policy: Ruling out pay-per-mile highway charging
What’s achievable? Normally, candidates are judged on what they plan to do. Such is the row whipped up by the Tories across the Ulez and congestion cost probably being changed with a pay-per-mile “smart” system that Mr Khan felt obliged to clarify that it received’t occur on his watch. He claims that the “success” of Ulez means he can hit “net zero” targets by 2030 with out pay-per-mile. But the impression of its enlargement on air high quality is as but unknown, and ditching pay-per-mile weakens his inexperienced credentials.
Policy: Tube and bus fares freeze
What he guarantees: “Freeze TfL fares until at least 2025 and continue to freeze fares for as long as economic conditions allow”.
What’s achievable? Mr Khan has “frozen” fares 5 instances since 2016, however it’s not so good as it sounds. Single pay-as-you-go fares might have remained unchanged, however the day by day and weekly “cap” on a number of journeys and the price of Travelcards has stored rising — which means passengers who make a number of journeys pay extra. His first four-year fares freeze disadvantaged TfL of £640 million and the most recent freeze — till subsequent March — requires £123 million of City Hall funds to plug the hole in TfL’s price range.
Policy: Ending homelessness and cleansing up the Thames
What he guarantees: “I will set London on a course to end rough sleeping by 2030… I will launch an ambitious plan to make rivers in London swimmable within 10 years.”
What’s achievable? The variety of individuals residing on the streets has risen by 71 per cent since 2016. At the final depend, 4,389 individuals have been sleeping tough. As for making the Thames swimmable, a large clean-up can be wanted: it suffered 1,180 sewage spills final yr.
Susan Hall, Conservative candidate for Mayor of London
Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
London Assembly member, former Harrow council chief, grandmother, lapsed Twitter addict. Self-imposed alcohol ban till after May 2. “Most dangerous mayoral candidate I’ve faced,” says Mr Khan.
Policy: Scrap the Ulez enlargement
What’s achievable? If elected, Ms Hall will be capable to cease TfL charging drivers of non-compliant autos. But the Ulez extension has generated about £150 million for TfL since final August — she has not defined how she’ll substitute this, or whether or not fines issued as much as polling day shall be enforced.
Policy: 1,500 extra Met police and return to borough policing
What she guarantees: “I will recruit 1,500 new police officers…. as part of a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Met Police.”
What’s achievable? A yr in the past the Met had 34,500 officers. It’s fallen to 34,000 because it struggles to recruit and retain. The value of opening two police “bases” per borough is unknown. An estimated 36 police stations have shut throughout London. Returning to borough policing can be more likely to value extra, however might enhance responses and neighborhood relations.
Policy: Extend the Night Tube
What she guarantees: “I will expand the Night Tube to the Hammersmith and City line. I will aim to expand it further to the Circle, District and Metropolitan lines when feasible.”
What’s achievable? The Night Tube provides an affordable and principally secure strategy to get dwelling at weekends. Extending it to the District line can be extra helpful than the Hammersmith and City. But Mr Khan favored the concept a lot he pledged to do likewise.
Policy: Women’s commissioner; concentrating on sexual harassment on the Tube
What she guarantees: “I will appoint a women’s commissioner, whose sole focus will be implementing a strategy to make our city safer for women.”
What’s achievable? Great concept, particularly in gentle of the Sarah Everard homicide. Could deliver a unique perspective to many selections on policing and transport.
Bridging the hole: Zoe Garbett, inexperienced candidate
Supplied
Young, modern, energetic Green councillor in Hackney. NHS administrator. Renter. Articulate, considerate but surprisingly cautious on highway charging. Break-out star of mayoral marketing campaign.
Policy: Free bus journey for below 22s
What she guarantees: “Immediately freeze bus fares, with free bus travel for under-22s and asylum seekers.”
What’s achievable? At £1.75, London bus fares are already the bottom within the nation. Mr Khan has intentionally stored them low, realizing that poorer Londoners depend on buses reasonably than the Tube. But bus passenger numbers are in decline, largely due to buses getting caught in visitors jams.
Policy: Flat fares on Tube and rail
What she guarantees: “Work towards one single, low fare for all public transport
What’s achievable? The aim is to make journeys cheaper in outer London. The danger is that the opposite could happen, as TfL is required to break even on a day-to-day basis. Without fares income, TfL would struggle to find the billions needed to maintain the Tube. The idea would be trialled on the DLR.
What she promises: “Demand rent control powers for London, and bring in a two-year freeze when we get them.”
What’s achievable? This is fantasy. The Mayor doesn’t have the ability to regulate rents within the personal sector. Government laws can be wanted. Would be more likely to push up rents as many buy-to-let landlords would depart the sector, decreasing the availability of houses.
Policy Free meals for secondary pupils; Hammersmith bridge just for cyclists and pedestrians
What she guarantees: “Extend universal free school meals. Permanently designate Hammersmith Bridge for walking, wheeling and cycling.”
What’s achievable? Extending free college meals to secondary pupils would value at the very least one other £140million a yr — however can be cheaper and simpler than reopening Hammersmith Bridge to automobiles.
Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat
Lib Dem mayoral candidate Rob Blackie
Andrew King Photography
Adviser to tech start-up corporations. Spent two years in Africa on elephant conservation initiatives. Father of two. Cancer survivor.
Policy: Fix the Metropolitan police
What he guarantees: “I will get the Met focused on convicting violent offenders and rapists.”
What’s achievable? The Met’s clear-up fee for sexual offences has fallen from 18 per cent in 2015/16 to 9 by 2022/23. Mr Blackie would set up a sexual offences unit, release 6,000 “back-office” police and enhance using expertise.
Policy: ‘London passport’ for EU residents
What he guarantees: That he would “help EU citizens by providing legal support for their right to remain in the UK.”
What’s achievable? City Hall doesn’t have the ability to challenge passports. Likely to be of marginal profit however recognises expertise shortages since Brexit.
Policy: Hail-and-ride buses
What he guarantees: “Running a trial to make buses hail-and-ride after 10pm, allowing you to flag down the next bus… improving safety.”
What’s achievable? Would or not it’s secure for passengers to step on or off the bus at random places?
Policy: Solar panels for £500
What he guarantees: “Londoners are paid up to £500 to install solar panels, paid back by allowing London government to sell this electricity back to the grid.”
What’s achievable: A earlier City Hall scheme suffered a number of issues.