Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched the manifesto that will underpin his bid for another term in office.
A number of pledges come as part of the manifesto, including measures to support further council housing, free school meals, and the freezing of fares across Transport for London services. The driving forces behind these pledges is to ensure that London is made fairer, safer, greener, and more prosperous.
Speaking about his time as the Mayor of London, Khan said:
“Leading our nation’s capital continues to be one of the greatest privileges of my life. Undoubtedly, the best part of the job is having the opportunity to meet and serve Londoners across our city. Our communities are a constant source of inspiration – a reminder that our city is a place of energetic, caring, and creative people with boundless promise.”
The first pledge that Khan will look to introduce, should he be elected into a third term as London Mayor, is to make universal free school meals permanent for all state primary school children. This is a measure that has become increasingly more important as living costs remain high. Further support for young people is planned through more planned investment in youth clubs, which will work to create 250,000 positive opportunities for the city’s youth and keep them away from gangs and crime.
Housing is also set to be addressed, as the Mayor has pledged that he will ensure the construction of 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade. Alongside this, Londoners will be ‘empowered’ to take their landlords on, as the Mayor will provide a New Deal for Renters, as well as delivering new, more affordable ‘rent control homes.’ Should the Labour Party win the general election, a pledge has also been made that rough sleeping will be ended for good by 2030.
Crime and violence will be tackled through work to put a further 1,300 neighbourhood police officers and police community support officers onto the streets of London. This will be accompanied by a further redoubling of efforts to reduce violence against women and girls, achieved through investment that will look to stop reoffending and offering victims of sexual abuse free legal advice.
Measures will be introduced to address transport within the city, as Khan announced that he would continue to freeze Transport for London fares until at least 2025, and as long as economic conditions will allow. Improvements to the decarbonisation of transport will also be made, with measures ranging from making all buses zero-emission, to the introduction of air pollution filters in all primary schools.
A new London Growth Plan is also to be delivered, which will support Londoners into work through the creation of more than 150,000 good new jobs.
The Mayor also commented on the opportunity that this manifesto offers Londoners, saying:
“This is a once in a generation moment – a chance to change people’s lives for good and for better. We can finally turn the tide on the housing crisis, invest in our public services once again and provide all young Londoners with the opportunities they need to thrive. We can embrace the massive potential of the green economy to cut energy bills, create jobs and safeguard the future of our planet. And we can finish the job of reforming the Met and ensure London stands proud as the safest and most diverse global city in the world.”
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