In a speech to members of London Young Labour – party activists aged 27 and under, from London constituencies – on Sunday, Ken spoke about the ‘housing horror stories’ he has been regularly hearing  and asked for their help in gathering evidence on the rental experiences of young Londoners. He has committed to taking action on the persistent problems tenants in the private rented sector face, if elected as Mayor next May.

Ken is inviting Londoners to share their experiences of renting a home or room in London via his website (kenlivingstone.com/housing-horrors), on facebook (facebook.com/ken4london) or on twitter (using #housinghorrors).

Ken Livingstone said:

"I am determined to stand up for the hundreds of thousands of ordinary Londoners living in the private rented sector. Too many people are being hit by  high and rapidly rising rents, unfair fees, or accommodation which simply isn’t up to scratch.

Housing has become too much of a problem for too many people in London- and it has been exacerbated by the financial crisis and the chronic undersupply of homes in London.

People I meet all over London have been telling me their housing horror stories of rogue landlords, rip-off agencies and unsafe buildings, and I know that they are not alone. 

In the coming months I want to set out a plan to improve the private rented sector which will be shaped by the experiences of Londoners.

I’m urging people to get in touch and tell me about their housing experiences so that if elected I can take action to improve housing for all.”

RENTING IN LONDON – THE FACTS:

• 697,000 London households currently rent in the private sector – 23% of all households in London. This is a much higher proportion than England as a whole, where only 15.6% of homes privately rent (English Housing Survey 2009/10).
• The average private rent for a two bedroom home in London is £1,360 per month – that’s £16,320 per year. The most expensive borough to rent in is Kensington and Chelsea, where the average rent is £2,714 – £32,568 per year (Shelter Private Rent Watch: Analysis of local rent levels and affordability, October 2011).
• 26 of the 30 most expensive boroughs for private rents in the country are in London (Shelter Private Rent Watch: Analysis of local rent levels and affordability, October 2011).
• In 22 (69% of) London boroughs, private rents for a 2 bedroom home are over 50% of average take home pay, and they’re over 40% in the rest. In Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Brent and Hackney the average private rent for a two bedroom home is over 70% of average take home pay (Shelter Private Rent Watch: Analysis of local rent levels and affordability, October 2011).
• Even a 1 bedroom flat is beyond the reach of people in many parts of London. In 23 London boroughs, the average private rent for a 1 bedroom flat is over 40% of average take home pay. In Brent, Camden, Westminster, Hackney, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea and Tower Hamlets – it costs more than 50% of average take home pay to rent a 1 bed flat. (Shelter Private Rent Watch: Analysis of local rent levels and affordability, October 2011).
• Home ownership is even less affordable. In the second quarter of 2011, the average cost of a first time buyer property in London was £302,933 and the average house price was £395, 548 (Regulated Mortgage Survey data as reported in DCLG Housing Live Table 504).
• Private rental sector is a growing sector – there are 252,000 more people renting privately in London than there were in 2000, up from 15.3% in 2000 to 23% in 2010.

London’s public buildings are responsible for 10 per cent of the capital’s carbon emissions. Retrofitting these buildings with energy reduction measures will not only cut fuel bills and emissions, it is also a valuable investment opportunity estimated to be worth billions to the London economy, which will create jobs and help develop skills.

Flexible finance available from the fund will pay for measures including efficient lighting systems, ventilation and boiler upgrades, smart meters and solar panels. Returns on initial investments are made through resulting energy savings. The Mayor also revealed that a team of experts will be available to help speed public buildings through retrofitting programmes.

This is part of the Mayor’s overall plan to retrofit London’s buildings which are responsible for 80 per cent of carbon emissions. Retrofitting is a win-win for Londoners as it delivers value for money through the more efficient use of energy resulting in reduced energy costs and it significantly contributes to the Mayor’s ambitious carbon reduction targets.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘Retrofitting London is a priority as not only will it cut carbon and energy costs, but also inject billions of pounds into the city’s economy, and create tens of thousands of jobs.

‘This multi-million pound fund will assist in improving the efficiency of the capital’s public buildings. It is a great example of the type of innovative thinking that will stimulate green economic growth for the capital while also saving taxpayers’ money on energy bills.’

The Mayor has agreed a £50 million contribution from the London Green Fund to set up this new fund, which will be known as the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF). LEEF will be led by Amber Infrastructure Limited, a leading sponsor and manager of social and economic infrastructure projects. Amber has already expanded the fund’s value with upfront commitments for £50 million from RBS and the company is expected to leverage in further amounts over the life of the project. Amber will also work with Arup, that will act as a technical adviser. To further enhance the attractiveness of the LEEF, RBS are currently negotiating a facility with the European Investment Bank which will allow their commitment to be provided at a more beneficial rate.

It is anticipated that many of the projects to be funded will use the Mayor’s RE:FIT programme model, which has already saved one million pounds a year from the energy bills of 42 public buildings in the Greater London Authority group including fire stations, police stations and Transport for London offices. RE:FIT is pioneering and award-winning, and is being adopted across the UK as well as attracting interest from around the world. Buildings that have taken up scheme have seen their energy efficiency improved by as much as 40 per cent. The Mayor’s RE:FIT programme is about to significantly ramp up following the selection of Turner & Townsend, supported by PA Consulting Group as preferred bidder to run a RE:FIT programme delivery unit to support hundreds more organisations through the process including building and carbon assessment, securing funding, procurement and implementation. This team will be in place for three years, predominantly funded through the European Investment Bank managed ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) facility totalling £2.67million.

The London Green Fund is a trailblazing initiative led by the Mayor of London and managed by the European Investment Bank, that combines European Regional Development Funds, public and private finance to invest in environmental infrastructure. Earlier this year the Mayor launched a £70million waste fund under the same scheme. Collectively these funds are set to issue hundreds of millions of pounds of investment for low carbon projects.

The London Green Fund is financed by contributions from the London Development Agency, the London Waste and Recycling Board and the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) initiative that was developed by the European Commission and European Investment Bank.

European Investment Bank Vice President, Simon Brooks, said: ‘We are delighted to have finalised negotiations with Amber as the second “sub-fund” manager for the London Green Fund’s energy efficiency component. In addition, we are also evaluating the possibility of providing EIB low cost funding to RBS which they can on-lend to the fund. Combining funding from the London Green Fund with private sector funding in this way will provide local authorities and other eligible borrowers with cheap funding to green their buildings and contribute to the UK and EU energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets.’

Leo Bedford, Programme Director for Amber, commented: ‘We’re delighted to be working alongside our consortium partners on a project that will be pivotal for London’s 2020 carbon emissions programme. Our unrivalled public sector partnerships and experience in managing a JESSICA fund provides us with a unique platform to ensure both the long-term energy efficiency goals and public saving objectives are met.’

Chris Fallis Head of Public Sector, Structured Finance for RBS, said: ‘RBS are delighted to be supporting Amber Infrastructure with the London Energy Efficiency Fund, which will allow public sector bodies within London to access financing for energy efficiency programmes, facilitating a reduction of the carbon footprint across the capital.

‘RBS has extensive public sector experience and coupled with Amber’s fund and project management experience and Arup’s technical expertise, provides a unique partnership to deliver this vital programme.’

Malcolm Ball, Director at Arup, commented: ‘Arup is proud to be a key advisor for the first energy efficiency fund in the UK. The London Energy Efficiency Fund is an exciting project and one which aligns with Arup’s vision to accelerate building retrofit and contribute to a low carbon economy.’

The London Green Fund forms one of the initiatives the Mayor has introduced to harness the opportunities coming from a low carbon economy – other projects to ‘retrofit London’ are cutting emissions from homes and transport. For example, the Mayor’s RE:NEW programme recently expanded to all boroughs and is set to offer 55,000 homes a carbon makeover by May 2012.

London is well placed to become a world leader in both low carbon financing and in the creation of new jobs, skills and enterprise to cash in on the need to become more energy efficient. An Ernst and Young report commissioned by the Mayor shows that if London can secure just one per cent of forecast global spend on low carbon goods and services, then it could deliver nearly £4 billion annually to our economy through to 2025.

The delegation – which included both of Islington’s Older People’s Champions and Cllr Janet Burges, Islington’s Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care – accompanied Council Leader Catherine West as she gave evidence on Fuel Poverty to Health and Public Services Committee of the London Assembly.

The delegation viewed the Committee’s Meeting and were particularly pleased when Cllr West urged the representatives of EDF Energy and British Gas who were present, to show a “social conscience” when setting their energy bills for the forthcoming year.

After the Committee Meeting the pensioners met with London Assembly Members Nicky Gavron and Murad Qureshi who sit on the Committee, as well as Jennette Arnold who represents Islington on the GLA.

All three Assembly Members signed the Pensioners Forum’s petition which calls on the London Mayor to do more to prevent Londoners from falling into fuel poverty.

Cllr Catherine West said:

“I am on the side of local people who are in danger of falling into fuel poverty.  I am delighted that the Pensioners Forum was able to send a delegation to City Hall to attend the Committee Meeting and show the energy companies first hand the impact their price rises have.

It’s also important that the Conservative Mayor of London does more to help tackle fuel poverty in Islington and throughout London with energy efficiency schemes and improvements on data sharing so we can identify those in fuel poverty. I hope he heeds the words of the Pensioners Forum’s petition.

Unfortunately his Conservative chums in the Government are making the situation worse by cutting the Warm Front scheme, which helps several vulnerable families in Islington manage their energy bills”.

George Durack, Chairman of Islington Pensioners Forum, recorded a message at City Hall, explaining what he decided to bring his campaign to the Mayor’s doorstep.

Following the publication of Boris Johnson’s bus, tube, tram and rail fare increases today Ken Livingstone said,

”London already has some of the highest fares in the world, but instead of putting squeezed Londoners first, Boris Johnson is sticking to further stealth-taxes on fares even as he argues for tax cuts for the rich.

“These fare rises are absolutely staggering. Under Boris Johnson the price of a single bus fare will be 56 per cent higher, a huge attack on ordinary Londoners and right across the board fares are soaring.

”Under the Tories, Londoners are less well off with every day that passes.
 
”Fares will be a central choice in next May’s election and in the coming weeks I will set out a fairer fares plan that puts Londoners first.”

Val Shawcross AM said:

“This decision by Boris Johnson to raise fares again is hugely damaging to millions of Londoners and will now be one of the central issues in the election campaign.

‘With Ken, Labour will propose a fairer package and aim to put Londoners first after four Tory years of indiscriminately squeezing the great majority of Londoners, from the suburbs to central London.”

Today’s announcement by Boris Johnson means:

Single bus ticket up 56%
·        was 90p in 2008
·        will be £1.40 in 2012
Costing Londoners £260 a year more

Weekly bus and tram pass up 47%
·        was £13.00 in 2008
·        will be £19.10 in 2012
Costing Londoners £317 a year more

Weekly zone 1-2 Travel Card up 23%
·        Was £24.20 in 2008
·        Will be £29.80 in 2012
Costing Londoners £291 a year more

Weekly zone 1-4 Travel Card up 23%
·        was £34.60 in 2008
·        will be £42.60 in 2012
Costing Londoners  £416 a year more     

Mayor confirms fares increase for 2012 to support unprecedented £12billion investment in London’s transport network

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today confirmed that from January 2012 fares on London’s Tubes, Buses, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Trams will rise by the level set out two years ago in Transport for London’s (TfL) Business Plan. This will maintain essential day to day public transport services and help continue record investment in London’s extensive transport network, which is experiencing surging passenger demand. All free and concessionary travel for older people, students, Veterans and disabled Londoners has been protected in full, which means that 40 per cent of bus passengers will continue to travel free or at a substantial concessionary rate.

From 2 January 2012, fares on TfL’s services will rise by an average of RPI + 2 per cent, the assumption outlined in TfL’s Business Plan in October 2009. Based on July’s RPI figure of 5 per cent, this represents an average 7 per cent fare increase across TfL services and Oyster pay as you go. Within this average there will be some TfL fares that go up less than 7 per cent, and some slightly more either due to small increments in rounding or because they are fares involving National Rail services but every effort has been made to ensure that this is distributed as evenly as possible across individual fares.

Following the Mayor’s successful campaign last year to protect Government contribution to TfL’s funding, unprecedented investment in London’s transport network will continue totalling £12billion over the Mayor’s four year term. This is an increase from £8billion investment from the previous administration.

The current investment programme includes upgrades to the Tube, now carrying a record 1.1billion passengers a year, delivery of Crossrail, and the maintenance of London’s frequent, extensive, reliable and accessible bus network, which is now carrying almost 2.3billion passengers a year – more than any other time since records began in the 1960’s. Further extensive improvements have also been made on the DLR and London Overground, both of which are also experiencing record ridership. Investment is vital for the transport network to continue to develop and improve and to meet future demand, which is set to grow yet further.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Despite some of the toughest economic times in living memory, I have secured unprecedented levels of investment for London’s transport network totalling £12billion over my four year term of office. Not since the days of our Victorian forefathers has there been improvements of this scale which includes upgrades and capacity increases ahead of 2012 and beyond to Crossrail. At the same time, we are focusing as never before on providing value for public money by committing to find significant savings of £7.6billion at TfL, over two thirds of which have now been secured. 

“Income from fares is vital to ensure the on-going health of London’s transport network, keeping services running for the billions of passengers who rely on them day in, day out. This is a fares package that continues my aim to put Transport for London’s finances on a steady footing, moving us away from the boom and bust approach undertaken by my predecessor when we saw a succession of draconian increases and knee-jerk, unaffordable pre-election freezes.

“This year, as Londoners begin to experience the benefits of that investment through more frequent and reliable journeys, I am also once again able to protect all free and concessionary travel for people who rely on public transport most, including older people, disabled veterans and those on lower incomes.

“I understand that any increase in tough times is difficult. This is a package that has sought to balance the needs of today’s passengers whilst ensuring we continue apace with plans to overhaul London’s transport system in the face of unprecedented demand.”

The significant number of charge points provided by GE will ensure ample power supply, provided by EDF Energy, for the London 2012 fleet of 200 BMW and Mini electric vehicles, helping to create the most sustainable Games ever. After the sporting events, the charge points will become part of Source London, a lasting legacy benefiting electric car drivers in the Capital and especially those living or visiting the regenerated east of the city.

The announcement was made ahead of EcoVelocity, Europe’s largest low carbon motor show running from 8-11 September. The outdoor motoring festival, sponsored by EDF Energy, is being held at Battersea Power Station. Londoners will have the chance to have a hands-on test drive of an electric vehicle, and ask queries and questions answered about electric driving. To coincide with this event, annual membership for Source London, which normally costs £100, will be discounted to just £10 for those who sign up during EcoVelocity. A team from Source London will be at the show throughout to assist in registrations and answer any questions about Source London.

Source London, launched by the Mayor in May 2011, already boasts over 200 charge points making it the Capital’s largest charge point network. By 2013, 1,300 charging points will be installed. Membership of Source London allows for limitless re-charging of its publicly accessible network in locations across the city.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “It is my goal to lengthen London’s lead as the electric vehicle capital of Europe, so it is fitting that this city is hosting the largest motor show dedicated to greener vehicles. I encourage people to come along, have a test drive on the EcoVelocity test track and get a cracking deal on Source London membership to boot.

“As a greater choice of electric cars come onto the market, more and more Londoners will want to buy them. So it is great news that a network of charge points set to support the Olympic electric fleet next year, will go on to bolster Source London, creating a superb legacy for the Capital’s growing army of eco-drivers.”

Source London has a range of public and private sector partners that are committed to introducing charge points which includes: Asda, Capital Shopping Centres, Enterprise, Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Hertz, Ikea, NCP, Nissan, Old Ford Housing Association, Sainsbury’s, Scottish and Southern Energy, Southern Railway, the Whittington NHS Trust and 13 London boroughs.

Electric vehicles deliver a number of benefits including lower carbon emissions and improved air quality.

Leon Daniels, Managing Director for Surface Transport at Transport for London (TfL) said: “Momentum for Source London is building and this on top of the legacy from the 2012 Games will mean we make charge points for electric vehicles more accessible than ever in London.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to the environment TfL recently added another four electric Smith Vans vehicles to its low carbon fleet bring the total number to 16. The vehicles are used by TfL in its work to maintain and improve London’s red route.

During the whole weekend of 10 and 11 September  river operators including Thames Clippers, City Cruises, Crown River Cruises, Turk Launches, Tate to Tate and Parr’s Circular Services are offering 2-for-1 tickets^* to help visitors make the most of this year’s festival.

The festival is a stunning, free celebration of London and its world-famous waterway and is a key highlight in the city’s cultural calendar.  Activities take place all over the weekend on the River Thames, the riverside, walkways, roads, bridges, docks and open spaces from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge and beyond.

London River Services’ piers will be operating throughout the weekend, helping to provide fast and picturesque journeys along the river, passing the London Eye, The Royal Festival Hall and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre along the way.

London’s river services will operate normally throughout the weekend.

Andy Griffiths, Head of London River Services, said: “With a whole host of activities around the river this weekend for both Londoners and visitors alike, there is never a better time to enjoy the Thames Festival than from a scheduled River Bus or River Tour service. Our special 2-for-1 ticket* offer and clearer passenger information should make it a great time for all.”

Plans in the mayor’s budget reveal a cut of 455 officers by the time London hosts the Olympics in 2012, the first substantial cut in numbers in London since power over policing was devolved in 2000. The mayor’s budget lays out the proposed cuts and says: “Over the three years to 2012-13, the number of police officers is forecast to decrease by 455.”

Scotland Yard have also announced a freeze in recruiting new constables, and in part blamed “the current economic position”.

Figures for the Met are available on the MPA website: http://www.mpa.gov.uk/statistics/police-numbers/

The destruction and looting across London that has spread to other cities in England, although notably not Wales or Scotland yet, has received the wholehearted condemnation of politicians of all colours and below we print a sample of their unabridged statements. Alone amongst the politicians, Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party has called for solutions without seeking to apportion blame. Now London applauds this approach, one from which the other leaders could learn much.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “I was watching the TV news in the Canadian town of Calgary last night as I waited to catch a plane, and as the images of a blazing London filled the screen I felt a series of emotions.

I felt a sickening sense of incredulity that this could really be happening in our city. I felt a blinding anger at the callousness and selfishness of the rioters.

Then I felt something else, as I stood in the gaggle of Canadians and others, a feeling I found hard at first to pin down since I had never felt it before in relation to the city I am proud to represent.

I felt ashamed – ashamed at the actions of a small but significant minority of our fellow Londoners, and the damage they are doing to their own economic prospects and the reputation of London around the planet.

In less than 12 months we will welcome the world to a great summer games in the greatest city on earth – and by then we must all hope that we will look back on these events as a bad dream.

It can be done. But it will be hard, and we will have our work cut out.

To all those who have suffered the destruction of their property, and to all those who have been terrified by rioting youths, I can only say how sorry I am and how heartbroken I am by the losses they have suffered.

People will ask how the police could have allowed things to get so out of control.

There will be questions about police numbers and tactics, to say nothing of the original questions about the circumstances of the shooting of Mark Duggan, which must be thoroughly investigated.

These are legitimate questions that I, and others, will continue to pose. And yet it would be an utter travesty to blame these events on the police.

The police did not riot. The police did not loot or recklessly set fire to property. The police did not attack innocent bystanders.

These were the actions of criminals who took part in premeditated acts of violence and theft. I have read some of the conspiratorial “tweets” and frankly I find them nauseating in their jocular greed and brutality.

Yes, the UK has been going through the worst recession for 50 years, and yes, times have been tough.

But you don’t boost London’s job-generating prospects by smashing London’s shops. You don’t make it easier for small businesses to take on apprentices and interns by torching their premises.

Some people say these riots can be explained by the feeling of the looters that they “have no alternative.”

There is always an alternative to violence. Nothing can conceivably excuse the wanton destruction of property belonging to people who have been responding to the recession in a different way – by working harder, and getting up at 5 am to prepare their shops.

There have already been hundreds of arrests as a result of these events. We can expect more.

The rioters should reflect that they can cause temporary damage to the livelihoods of others, but that they can permanently wreck their own lives.

Together with colleagues I will today be going to some of the worst affected areas and talking to residents. I will have one overriding message: that London can and must come back from this.

We will repair every shop. We will rebuild every damaged area. We will accelerate initiatives already underway to stimulate growth and enterprise in areas such as Croydon and Tottenham.

We will redouble out efforts to deal with the root causes of the alienation of young people. We must tackle the illiteracy of the Under 11s, and through Team London we are recruiting more volunteers to help kids who are falling behind.

We have already helped to sponsor 30,000 apprenticeships. We need to take it up to 100,000. We have recruited 1700 black male mentors for some of the most difficult boys. We need to get up to 3000.

Above all, we need to rebuild trust between the police and the community. Huge progress has been made in the last ten years, but more needs to be done, especially in the recruitment of black and other minority ethnic officers.

We can make that progress, and we can repair the damage that has been done both at home and abroad. But first this madness must stop.”

London Councils Executive Member for Community Safety Cllr Claire Kober said:

“There is simply no justification for the widespread acts of criminality we have seen across the capital over the weekend. These people have attacked their own communities and they need to be brought to justice.

“Councillors across the capital will be working to help support their residents and allow the police and other emergency services to do their jobs.

“In the aftermath of these events, it is important that we do not lose sight of the great strides that have been made through community policing in the capital. This is not the 1980s and we are a much stronger, more resilient city for it.

“All of us in London government must look carefully at our response to these events. We have to focus our efforts on the interventions that we know work – from supporting youth offending teams to community-led initiatives to promote calm.

“We know that Londoners do not condone the actions of this minority and we will do all we can to strengthen and support our communities in responding to these criminal acts.”

Joanne McCartney AM, London Assembly Member for Enfield & Haringey said:

“I am appalled and dismayed by the extreme disturbances over these past few nights – there is no excuse or justification for these actions, and they are rightly comdemned by all of us.

I have visited the scences of wanton destruction in Tottenham and Enfield and have spoken to residents and traders about their utter disbelief and heartbreak – some of our neighbours are homeless, have lost their businesses and their livelihoods. These attacks are against all of us – but our community is resilient and will not allow these mindless looters and criminals to prevent us rebuilding and assisting those directly affected by these criminal acts.

Numbers of police officers have been injured, some seriously, and we must support all our emergency services as they put themselves in the front line and deal with these extraordinarily violent events.

Following the tragic death of Mark Duggan last Thursday his family are waiting for answers about the exact circumstances in which he died.  Mr Duggans’ family have spoken out against this violence. There are questions that need to be answered and it is right that this is independently investigated by the IPCC and that this is done as quickly as possible.

These events are a tragedy for London and pictures of devastation on our streets are being played the over the world – this does not represent the city I know and love.”

Ken Livingtone said: “The first priority must be to restore calm and peace to Tottenham. This is vital for the safety and wellbeing of all Londoners.

“As Tottenham’s Labour MP David Lammy has also said, justice can only follow a thorough investigation of the facts, but to understand those facts, we must have calm.

“People have had their homes and businesses damaged and destroyed – there can be no justification for that.

“While the first priority is to restore peace, to ensure the safety of everyone now and in the future it is also necessary to have a serious discussion about why this has happened.

“I am concerned that there is growing social dislocation in London and a threat that the police will be forced into escalating conflict with some London communities. We do not want to go back to the 1980s.

“The economic stagnation and cuts being imposed by the Tory government inevitably create social division. As when Margaret Thatcher imposed such policies during her recessions this creates the threat of people losing control, acting in completely unacceptable ways that threaten everyone, and culminating in events of the type we saw in Tottenham.

“Tories will issue knee-jerk statements demanding support for the police but they are actually cutting the police. That amounts to pure hypocrisy.

“The events in Tottenham show the need for the Tory Mayor Boris Johnson to cease seeing the job as one centring on trivial self-publicity and instead get a grip of the serious problems facing London. Boris Johnson’s policies of undermining community policing are particularly dangerous to Londoners under the conditions of the unnecessarily deep recession being imposed by the Tory-led government. In a period of cuts and unemployment it would be extreme folly to continue to erode the neighbourhood policing teams that put the Met into direct daily contact with communities and ensure a closer understanding between local people and the Met. The plan to force hundreds of sergeants in local police teams to reapply for their own jobs must be abandoned.

“Similarly at a time when we have seen the return of civil disorder it makes no sense to overstretch the police and make it harder for them to work, as the police cuts of Theresa May and Boris Johnson are doing. These Conservative cuts in police numbers must be halted.”

Now London OPINION PAGE

In the spring, all boroughs were allocated £50,000 by the Mayor to help them decorate and dress their key celebration areas so that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic experience enhances every corner of London. Many have already submitted proposals for how they plan to spread the ‘look and feel’ of London 2012 throughout those areas during the Torch Relay and the Games.

Today the Greater London Authority, GOE and LOCOG have sent London boroughs the official ‘Look Book’ from which they can now choose a range of London 2012 ‘Look’ materials. This will help ensure their corner of the city is part of the celebrations and excitement of probably the greatest event London has ever staged. A website will be launched in the autumn when boroughs can purchase their chosen items.

In addition to flags, banners and bunting, the 2012 Look Book is designed to help boroughs dress their unique public spaces by physically applying the look and feel to its buildings, pathways and streetscapes. This includes the use of artwork, light projections and planting ideas for flower beds.

This is the first part of a major programme that will also see London’s iconic landmarks and popular tourist venues spectacularly dressed to welcome the world to London in 2012.

This is the first part of a major programme that will also see London’s iconic landmarks and popular tourist venues spectacularly dressed to welcome the world to London in 2012.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

“When the world arrives next summer I want every corner of London to demonstrate its pride at hosting the world’s greatest sporting event. That means decorating not just our iconic landmarks and public spaces with the 2012 look, but ensuring every inch of the capital dazzles its visitors and the millions watching around the world. I hope the boroughs will embrace the chance to make their town centres and public spaces stand out during this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said:
“We have listened to what the boroughs and local authorities have said to us and so we are making the Look Book available as early as possible, giving them the time to plan and confirm budgets ahead of the Games next year.  There are options available to suit different budgets – from planting and lighting ideas to the larger more spectacular ways of celebrating London 2012 in their communities.

“We want all local authorities to have the chance to be part of this in whichever way they would like.  In just under a year’s time the eyes of the world will be on London and the UK creating a great opportunity for communities to engage and celebrate with London 2012.”

The decision of London & Partners, a publicly funded private company set up by Boris Johnson, not to take on the pensions of almost 200 current and former tourism staff ended up costing taxpayers £3 million, a London Assembly report has found. Len Duvall, leader of the Labour group on the Assembly, slammed the decision to “dump” the pensions as  “entirely avoidable”.

London & Partners was created in April this year to promote London. It was formed to continue the work of the Mayor’s three now defunct tourism and promotional agencies: Visit London, Study London and Think London. The decision to set up the new company cost London taxpayers a total of £5 million in “unforeseen costs”, according to the by the Assembly’s economy, culture and sport committee.

The new company decided not to take on the pension liabilities of staff transferring to London & Partners from one of the three agencies, Visit London, forcing it into administration and jeopardising the pensions of almost 200 people. But following pressure from the Assembly and an intervention by the pensions regulator, the Mayor agreed to bail out the pension scheme at a cost of £3 million.

The Assembly’s report finds that the £5 million total (£3 million to rescue the pensions and £2 million on start-up costs) “should have been foreseen and formed part of a cost-benefit analysis”2. "Ultimately of course", said Sir Peter Rogers, the Mayor’s economic adviser, "all decisions were taken by the Mayor as recorded in [Mayoral Decision] 658.”3

Deputy chair of the committee and Labour group leader Len Duvall today described the situation as a “costly fiasco” and slammed the Mayor for allowing the pensions to be “dumped”. The committee report concludes that the Mayor “could, and should, have prevented this from happening in the first place”4.

Calling on the Mayor to explain in detail how he intends to prevent a similar situation arising in the future, Len Duvall said: “This was an entirely avoidable situation which has cost London taxpayers millions and put pensioners and staff through needless anxiety. I welcome the fact the pensions will not now be dumped, but it’s clear the Mayor failed to assess the costs and implications of setting up this company.

“I expect the Mayor to take these concerns very seriously and respond to them in detail. I look forward to a meaningful commitment from the Mayor to the idea that, in future, organisations largely funded by the public purse should operate in a way that protects the interests of both London taxpayers and the pensions of any employees being transferred in to their employment.

“I hope the Mayor will reflect on these mistakes and provide the Assembly with further details of the absurd and wasteful situation of London taxpayers paying twice over as London & Partners scramble to buy up the assets that have been frozen by Visit London’s administrators.”

The Mayor originally said that the loss of pension entitlements for Visit London staff was “a decision that could not be avoided”5. It was only after pressure from Assembly members at Mayor’s question time, in committee meetings and following an intervention from the pension regulator that the Mayor agreed to “engage further with all parties to obtain a fair resolution”6. He announced a “scheme rescue”7 to ensure that the Pension Protection Fund did not have to compensate Visit London’s pensioners, as originally intended.