The pandemic has wreaked havoc upon the city, with millions of residents directly impacted by the pandemic. Thousands of businesses have closed, with more on the brink of collapse and a new wave of job losses feared to sweep through before summer. The patient residents of London cannot continue to jump in and out of lockdown. Real leadership is required to guide the city through this turmoil and repair the damage before it becomes irreversible.

London deserves a committed leader with a plan to get the city moving, to create jobs and to urgently drive full-scale economic recovery. Less than 12 months ago, London had a daytime population of nearly 9.3 million people. As the country’s largest city, London generated an annual gross product of nearly £487 billion based on latest figures. The night time economy alone was worth £26 billion a year. As the capital city of what is now the world’ 5th largest economy, London continues to be a leading global economic and cultural centre, receiving 21 million visitors in 2019.

The spread of knife crime and gang violence is a scourge on our community and must be eliminated. I will strengthen our police, ensuring that 6,000 more officers and special constables are on the beat. I will ensure that they are suitably equipped to detect knives and drugs. I will improve the working conditions of our legendary police, improving their pay and benefits and providing private medical care, so they can continue to dedicate their lives to keep us out of harm’s way.

The core issues behind youth violence will be tackled head on by my administration by listening to and working with the members of our community fighting for a brighter future. I am passionate about empowering London’s youth and will introduce initiatives to give them purpose, through education and training, or music or on the sports field. My vision is to provide the pathway for the troubled young people of our city to become the next generation of all stars, representing our country all over the world. The pride of London.

For longer term projects it is critical we simplify planning rules and increase the development of private and public sector projects, including brownfield sites. I want to see a London where people can build their lives and own a home. By delivering intelligent buying schemes, where the government can assist with home loans, we will empower a new generation of homeowners. I will actively work with developers to build thousands of homes across London, specifically for the residents of London, not foreign investors.

I also understand that for many living in our capital, the need for a helping hand is urgent and cannot wait. This is particularly true for young people, many of whom will suffer most from the economic consequences of COVID – 19. That’s why, when elected, I will commit to council tax reform, and seek an exemption for tenants aged under 25. Tenants will see new protections, no more discrimination from Estate Agents to tenants on benefits, and a Zero deposit scheme protected by insurance will be mandatory to offer tenants. Together we can make London affordable by exposing those that exploit the housing market and by supporting the vast majority of landlords who responsibly manage their properties.
Affordability can come in other ways. We will help parents by providing laptops to school age children in communities of need. The fares for our public transport will be totally revised to lower the costs and increase patronage. Congestion charges will be overhauled and minimised. These initiatives will combine to make London a fairer, user friendly affordable city for its residents.