ConservativeHome's Local Government Blog

A Conservative Government should scrap the £3 billion annual subsidy to Transport for London

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson says the recently announced fare rises in the capital are required "having cut costs to the bone" at Transport for London after being "ruthless in finding savings." It is true that the target for efficiency savings for the nine years from this year to 2017-18 has been raised from the £2.4 billion that Boris initially demanded to an extra £2.6 billion - this makes a total of £5 billion or £555 million a year.

But the spending total remains vast. The Transport for London budget this year is £7.7 billion with nearly £3 billion a year in subsidy from central government. The point is not that saving half a billion a year is an unimportant achievement. It is whether more, an awful lot more, could be done.

TfL doesn't even cover its operating costs from its own revenue. Last year its operating revenue (mostly fares) was £3.45 billion. Even this figure is artificially high as it includes the Freedom Pass costs paid by the Borough Councils ("revenue in respect of free travel for elderly and disabled people", £227 million) and this year the income figure is expected to be very slightly lower - £3.44 billion.

Hate preachers should not be defended

Centre for Social Cohesion Research Fellow Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens replies to Andrew Boff on City Hall's links with Islamic extremism.

Yesterday, Conservative Home published my report on our investigation into the Mayor of London’s links with Islamists.  We revealed that, despite pre election promises to move away from Ken Livingstone’s pro Islamist approach, there is still co operation between the Mayor’s office and leading UK Islamists.

Among other things, we highlighted how Boris Johnson’s support for the East London Mosque (ELM) contradicts the tough rhetoric of Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, who at the party conference pledged to take a hard line on groups that broadcast videos of hate preachers.  On New Year’s Day, an event at the ELM called ‘The End of Time’ streamed a video sermon of pro al-Qaeda hate preacher Anwar al Awlaki.

As I sifted through the Conservative Home comments section, I saw a long defence of the Mayor’s office by London Assembly Member Andrew Boff.  Responding to our criticism of Boris’ support for the ELM, Andrew writes:

The Mosque hires out its facilities to all users regardless of faith, creed or colour. The event was organised by an external organisation which discussed the Islamic concepts on Judgement Day and the Afterlife. These concepts are also prevalent in other faiths including the Christian and Jewish faiths. None of the speakers that were involved with the event were banned from entering the UK or are convicted of any hate crimes.

Conservatives take control of London Fire Brigade

The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, one of the GLA functional bodies, met today at City Hall to establish the first Conservative administration in its history. Chairman and Leader of LFEPA Councillor Brian Coleman AM – who is appointed by Boris Johnson – led an Extraordinary Meeting of the Authority where the Conservative Group benefitted from the recent defection of Lambeth councillor Betty Evans-Jacas, giving the Conservatives a working majority of one.

As part of Boris' dynamic team Brian is determined to ensure that this opportunity is used to progress crucial modernisation programmes, some of which have fallen foul of political wrecking tactics by the Lib-Lab pact in recent months. London Fire was the first fire authority to secure an emergency cover contract after government abolished army support and the Green Goddesses, and as the first fire chairman to advocate a pay freeze for members and officers Brian and London Fire were ahead of the curve when David Cameron proposed the same at the recent party conference. Other programmes, such as the modernisation of shift patterns, are now able to be progressed.

The opposition groups each tabled a number of amendments to a Conservative Motion reconstituting the committees of the Authority, and tried appealing to the Mayoral Appointees for support, but were not able to out-vote the new administration. Labour Group Leader Councillor Navin Shah was repeatedly ruled Out-of-Order by the Chairman as he persistently threw personal remarks at Conservative members.

The Motion saw Councillor Maurice Heaster installed as Deputy Leader with responsibility for Finance and Councillor Bertha Joseph appointed as Deputy Chair with responsibility for Community Outreach. Mayoral
Appointee David Cartwright takes responsibility for Health and Safety, Councillor Rebekah Gilbert retains her role as Liaison member for Human Resources and Equality and Councillor Betty Evans-Jacas remains as Liaison Member for Performance Management and Community Safety. Alderman Simon Walsh remains as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Mayor of London's Question Time

I rather agree with the comments made on this site about the London Assembly being a waste of £8 million and that cheaper ways could be found to hold the Mayor of London to account. I suspect most Council leaders in the 32 boroughs would be happy to pitch up to City Hall once a month to ask Boris some challenging questions for free - rather than the present arrangement which costs £250,000 on the Council Tax for each borough.

But some London Assembly members were certainly trying to earn their salaries at the Mayor's Question Time on Wednesday, webcast here.

Brian Coleman asked about diversity officers. TfL employ eight. The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority employ six, the London Development Agency employ seven, the Metropolitan Police Authority six, Greater London Authority directly employs another 11. Coleman said we should be "mainstreaming equalities, leave the 1990s agenda behind and therefore get rid of these posts. Diversity is not delivered by Diversity Officers."

The Mayor responded: "Obviously you are right that we should be trying to mainstream diversity. There have been severe reductions." The trouble is that he then taIked about how he "wouldn't want us to be sending out a signal we don't think these things are important" and added: "I won't do things which compromise the image of this organisation." Coleman responded: "It's not about image it's about delivering services." The session then turned into The Mayor's Questions to Brian Coleman. Boris challenged Brian about why were the six employed at LFEPA, "pro rata" rather a lot given that Brian Coleman is the Chairman. "I can assure you that will be addressed in next year's budget proposals," Coleman replied.

Hands off Veronica

Arts Council Chairman Dame Liz Forgan expressed reservations about Boris Johnson's nomination of Veronica Wadley, the former editor of the Evening Standard to an arts post. In a letter to Mick Elliot, director of culture at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Forgan wrote: “My conclusion is that the mayor’s intended appointment is based on reasons other than selection of the best candidate.” Her comments were quickly made public with the Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw launching an attack on the nomination.

But Shadow Arts Minister Edward Vaizey has stuck up for Veronica. “It is quite clear that the chair of the Arts Council England, London is the Mayor’s appointment," he says. "Veronica Wadley is highly qualified, and Bradshaw has simply stepped in for political reasons. He has brought himself and his office into disrepute.”

Theatre critic Quentin Letts says he sees Veronica at the theatre far more than Dame Liz. But Ken Livingstone's supporters, without any sense of irony, are tutting about cronyism.

A couple of curiosities about Dame Liz's criticisms. One is that before arriving in Quangoland she was a journalist herself (having been Editor of Guardian Women's pages going on to work for the BBC and Channel 4) so if being a journalist is is not good enough for being Chairman of the London Arts Council why is it good enough to be chairman of the body nationally? Also both Veronica and Dame Liz went to Benenden, the prestigious girls boarding school. What about the old girls network?

Boris IS axing western extension of the Congestion Charge zone next year

The Evening Standard splashes today with an exclusive that the Mayor of London Boris Johnson has abandoned his pledge to scrap the Western Extension of the Congestion Charge. It quotes Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor's transport advisor, as saying that ditching the extension was now just an "aspiration."

But City Hall has responded with a robust denial. In a statement Kulveer Ranger says:

"Boris Johnson has promised to abolish the Western Extension of the Congestion Charge and he will do so next year. This was a central part of his manifesto, and is in accordance with the wishes of Londoners as expressed in a detailed consultation last spring. The details for the date of removal are being finalised, but there is absolutely no suggestion that this policy is being dropped."

The denial comes as a relief - not least to my borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Any backsliding would have been a great source of dismay after the consultation showed overwhelming support for the extension to be scrapped. Well I remember the excitement last November standing in Portobello Road market and hearing Boris proclaim:

The people of London have spoken. We have listened. In the words of General de Gaulle 'Je vous ai compris'.

UPDATE

Boris adds in an email:

You may have heard the scurrilous rumour that I have reneged on my promise to remove the Western Extension of the congestion charge.  I am writing now to tell you that is emphatically not true.

When I was elected, I promised to give Londoners the consultation they never got. Londoners expressed the overwhelming view that it should be removed, and I promised to honour that judgement. I maintain that promise today, and to make it absolutely crystal clear; we will be
removing the Western Extension next year.

We have to jump through a number of tedious bureaucratic hoops before the axe can fall, but fall it will. The extended zone will be no more. It will be an ex-zone, the area formerly known as. It will be a dead zone!

Should Conservative London Assembly members criticise Boris in public?

At the last Question Time for the Mayor of London there was quite a bit of criticism of Boris Johnson from Conservative London Assembly members. Brian Coleman thought they we had to plan for some big spending cuts, that would cut services, because of inevitable slashes in Government grants whoever won the General Election. Andrew Boff didn't think money from the London Development Agency should go on sponsoring a City Academy. One of our other Assembly members Roger Evans thinks "perhaps it went to far time" in the latest session. I think Tony Arbour's criticisms are rather good (he's asked at previous meetings why borough councils can't choose the location for bus stops and why so many Diversity Officers are still employed at City Hall) and he gets the tone right.

It so happened I disagreed with some of comments made by Brian and Andrew. I suspect there could be massive cuts in GLA spending without any deterioration of GLA services. For instance there is the chronic overmanning at Transport for London - where perhaps twice as many people are employed as needed for the current level of service. While Brian was right to say huge savings would be needed he sounded too gloomy about the necessary consequences. So far as a City Academy is concerned, if the LDA is to go on spending money on anything it's probably a good idea.

On the other hand I would have liked to see Boris challenged over his misguided support for the Thames Water Super Sewer project.

But we will all have our own views on the particular issues. The point is that these sessions should be about rigour and accountability not trivial partisan point scoring. The Conservatives came across as far more serious than the other parties in this regard. As Roger Evans says if the Conservatives just asked toadying questions it wouldn't really attract voters to our cause (not that terribly many of them watch the proceedings anyway.) On the other hand the tone should be more friendly. Boris is a heroic figure whose achievements are already substantial and accumulate by the week - criticisms should be in that context. Perhaps he should invite the Conservatve London Assembly Members in for drinks more often.

Retention of Ken Livingstone's Diversity Officers at City Hall is NOT a statutory requirement

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has now published his equalities policy Equal Life Chances for All. Plenty of the document is bland and unobjectionable but a close reading also confirms the concerns I detailed last week that the divisive approach of Ken Livingstone's regime have been retained.

Which is unremarkable as most of Livingstone's ideologocal commissars at City Hall have so far been kept in place. When Livingstone lost the election last year he used his leaving party in Covent Garden to ask his supporters not to resign but to attempt to remain in place and they have taken him at his word.

An invitation has been issued to City Hall for a member of Boris's team to respond to last week's post. This hasn't been directly taken up so far. But the Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes took a swipe at me in a podcast with Guardian blogger and Livingstone cheerleader Dave Hill.

Livingstone's pernicious "equality" agenda is still in place at City Hall

I have great admiration for the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on every level - personal, political, journalistic, cultural, aesthetic. I also tend to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty in terms of his achievements - after just one year they have been impressive.

However, one area where greater change is needed is the 'equalities policy' at the GLA today. Nervous about this controversial area, the Conservative administration in City Hall have been shamefully allowing Ken Livingstone's ideology of quotas, interest groups, thought crime and racial separatism to remain largely intact. Conservatives should have the courage to embrace a true equalities policies - a colour blind approach where individuals are judged on merit, not according to race or other arbitrary criteria.

Richard Barnes, the Deputy Mayor, is in charge of equalities policy overall and has led on the development of the new strategy, "Equal Life Chances for All", which will be launched on Thursday at City Hall. The draft has promised a commitment to "eliminating institutional discrimination", which includes "unwitting prejudice." It states that Mayoral appointees will "reflect the diversity of London."  It promises "responsible procurement".  In the past, Barnes got stuck in with great rigour resisting Livingstone's proposal for an Uxbridge Road tram. Has he asked similarly challenging questions over this new subject?

What is the "right level of representation" for ethnic groups in the workforce? What is 'unwitting prejudice' and is this a fair basis for race discrimination cases? Does 'responsible procurement' create a burden for businesses who have to produce race equality assessments etc?

Boris on his "tough week"

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has had some problems. He has dealt with them well - tackling them openly rather than denying their existence or refusing to comment. Here is his email message to supporters:

It's been a tough week this week. I was angry and disappointed to learn that my former deputy had made some very serious errors of judgement when it came to expenses. He rightly stepped down and we must now move on.

I won't gloss over my own issue with expenses. Despite being a fanatical cyclist, I have had to use taxis over the past year to travel to official functions as Mayor. To be honest, I always prefer using the bike, even to very posh functions. However, sometimes using a taxi is unavoidable.

When I was elected, I promised that I would be open and transparent - for good or for bad. Even though the release of information about expenses can be and has created negative media stories, I believe that is a price worth paying for a truly accountable mayoralty. And it is important to focus on our broader efforts to run an open and value for money City Hall. We have made significant savings, such as cutting the media budget by £700,000 and closing down the office in Venezuela, saving £100,000.

We publish all spending over £1,000 and, more importantly, City Hall no longer spends money on narrow political causes. I am pleased to report we have not held any lavish lunches with South American dictators!

All this has enabled us to freeze our share of the council tax for the first time in 8 years.

So, I believe we have a good record when it comes to respecting your money, using it with care and in a transparent manner. I will always be in favour of shining a light into dark corners, and one thing I will promise is that you will never see anything blacked out when it shouldn't be in any document we publish.

Hope you have a good weekend

A year of Boris

After yesterday's analysis by Tim Montgomerie on Conservative Home on Boris Johnson's first year as Mayor of London. Boris produced his first annual report and has made the following comments on the Blue Blog.

This time last year I was pounding the pavements accosting Londoners of all shapes and sizes in a last, frantic attempt to garner that precious commodity that is sought after by politicians the world over - their votes. I had been campaigning since the beginning of time, it seemed. As I pleaded with one reluctant holder of the franchise, it dawned on me that it had it all come down to this. A simple choice to make. Stick or twist.

Boris Johnson launches sports programme

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, alongside the excellent Labour MP Kate Hoey, has unveiled plans to promote sport in London - not least due to one fifth of London children being obese. Money is being redirected from the London Development Agency budget - a notorious source of cronyism and wasteful spending under Ken Livingstone. The full proposals are here but the following caught my attention:

British Judo
In their Whole Sport Plan, British Judo has identified increasing participation in London as a key strategic priority. With only 37 clubs and 1,000 licence holders, they recognise that there is huge scope for growing the sport here. Judo is better suited to inner cities than many other sports, due to the variety of spaces that can be used as a dojo. It is a relatively inexpensive sport to play and judo clubs often subsidise the mat fees for people unable to afford them. British Judo has targeted London as an expansion area. With this in mind, a full time London development manager has recently been appointed. British Judo has a fully developed London strategy and is working with a number of London boroughs to improve coverage and develop clear pathways to keep people active and allow them to progress.

Boris uses the F-word in furious phone call to Keith Vaz

The Evening Standard has a story about the Mayor of London Boris Johnson using the F-word in a telephone conversation with Keith Vaz, the Labour MP and publicity seeking Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. A minute circulated of the conversation says the Mayor used the F-word ten times. He says it was only two or three times.

Among other things, Boris is quoted as saying: "I used to think you were a straight guy. A guy I could do business with. This is f****** ridiculous." The leaking of an account of a private conversation, even if accurate, rather confirms Johnson's accuracy in revising his opinion of Vaz as a straight guy.

Boris saves the Kenbassies

Memento mori, as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson will know, means:"Remember you are mortal." Perhaps he needs to get a sidecar to his bike and hire a slave to mutter this to him. First of all comes the disclosure that Boris didn't pay his hotel bill at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. He didn't do a runner - he left the Council Taxpayer to pick up the bill.

In terms of propriety he could have justified this had he also gone to the Labour and Lib Dem conferences and done the same there leaving the Council Taxpayer to pick up the hotel bills for all three. But, of course, he didn't and a more satisfactory solution would have been for him to have paid his own hotel bill in Birmingham and to have left his courtiers behind. Just to respond that he is following the rules isn't good enough.

Secondly, comes news today that he is saving the Kenbassies, five out of the six International Offices set up around the globe by Ken Livingstone. (The one in Venezuela will close.) The argument has been produced that in a recession "helping" business is all the more important - but so is reducing the Mayor's Council Tax precept which thus far is merely being frozen. After years massive growth during Livingstonian excess the people of London might hope for a cut in money they are forced to hand over, even if it means foreging these "International Offices."

Boris biffs the gloomadon poppers

In his New Year message broadcast to cheering crowds, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson declared:

"Believe it or not folks there were gloomadon poppers who wanted to cancel the fireworks they said 'Mr Mayor we can't afford a fireworks display in the recession.' I said 'Phooey.' I said: 'The people of London will want to show the world not just that this is the best city on earth, the place to come and work and invest but above all that we know how to party and we do."

Boris declined to name the gloomadon poppers on the City Hall payroll who showed such misjudgement. But I think he is on to something. Councils should save money but cancelling events is not generally the best way to go about it. Often it is possible through sponsorship and engaging with voluntary groups to keep costs down. Indeed popular and suitable events held in parks and other public spaces can often provide a useful revenue stream. Farmers markets, funfairs, literary festivals, open air opera, fireworks, ice rinks. There will be never be unanimity among residents about which events are to be welcomed or at what frequency and what safeguards are put in place to protect the grass. There is a large park in my ward so I am familiar with such sensitivities. But often events can be both be widely enjoyed as well as boosting Town Hall coffers.

Humps: Boris says No.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has written to the Boroughs urging them to look for alternatives to road humps. Previously Transport for London has been zealous in demanding more and more humps despite the evidence from Barnet that dehumping has actually reduced accidents.

London Assembly member Brian Coleman has led the battle against humps and is naturally jubilant. He says:

“We have now won the argument. Even Transport for London, the previous bastion of all that was wrong in highways management, has recognised that humps have to go.

“I am delighted that the Mayor shares my view and is directing all of London to adopt the wise approach which I pioneered in Barnet in the teeth of lazy, right-on thinking that failed Londoners in the delivery of safer highways.”

Boris delivers on pledge of free travel for war veterans

A modest enough gesture but welcome nonetheless. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has introduced a new scheme which means war veterans can now travel free on public transport in the capital. All war veterans in receipt of a pension under the War Pensions Scheme or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are eligible for passes. An estimated 3,000 war veterans, war widows and widowers living in and around London are not currently eligible for a freedom pass, because they are too young, and will benefit from the Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme. On average, they are expected to save around £200 each a year.

Boris unveils his transport spending plans

Huge announcement from the Mayor of London Boris Johnson on his transport expansion plans for the next ten years. There are some big changes in priorities from the previous Ken Livingstone plans. Some costly schemes are scrapped including the Thames Gateway Bridge. But there will be air-conditioning on the tube, increased capacity with carriages increased from six to seven, a cycle hire scheme, Cross-Rail, the return of the Routemaster, expansion of river transport with more piers, more charging locations for electric vehicles, measures to improve traffic flow, hydrogen buses, etc, etc. The full thing is here.

Boris said of the Thames Gateway Bridge:

Given the pressures on TfL funding and concerns over local traffic impacts, TfL will no longer be pursuing he proposed Thames Gateway Bridge. It has become clear to me that it is highly unlikely that the scheme will ever truly be acceptable to all those affected and it is right that the £90m we are currently spending on it be redirected.

Other projects that Boris believes have merit (Cross River Tramlink, Croydon Tramlink) have been shelved for the time being because of cost. So there are some tough choices. I suspect Londoners won't mind the odd prestige project being delayed or abandoned if it means they will cease to be treated worse than cattle when using the tube.

Working with Boris

Deputy Mayor of London Ian Clement on the end of City Hall's war with the boroughs.

When Boris Johnson asked me to take up the role of Deputy Mayor for Government Relations I knew exactly what I was taking on. During the months I spent working with him on the campaign trail he'd made no secret of his desire to work more closely with London's Boroughs and to use those closer links to bring about real change for all
Londoners.

Under the previous administration London Councils were often sidelined and the relationship between City Hall and borough leaders was difficult. As Leader of Bexley Council I experienced this first hand particularly when I disagreed at length with Transport for London about the value of the Thames Gateway Bridge. Out on the campaign trail it was exactly this kind of fractious interaction between City Hall and London's councils that Boris Johnson and myself were determined to put an end to.

We both firmly believe that working with, not against, London's boroughs will help us to deliver faster and more effectively on issues which really matter to Londoners. Issues such as affordable housing, a more effective transport network and cleaner, safer streets and neighbourhoods.  We also believe that stronger links between the boroughs and City Hall will make people feel more connected to the decisions that are taken in their name, and encourage them to get more involved in their local politics. Boroughs deliver a lot for Londoners and each borough Leader is a major figure for their community so it only makes sense that we work together.

Opposing the opposition

Roger Evans is the London Assembly Member for Havering & Redbridge and the London Assembly Conservative Spokesman for Budget & Administration. Here he explains how his role has changed since the arrival of Boris Johnson.

The fantastic vote which propelled Boris Johnson into office in May also produced a historic result for Conservatives in London government. Our London Assembly group increased from nine to eleven members – the largest single political group ever elected to City Hall. During the count, as the results became clear, one Labour member sourly remarked ‘You are about to discover that Assembly Members are lower than dirt on the Mayor’s shoes.’

Thanks to a more collegiate approach from Boris, this prediction has not come to pass, however it casts an interesting light on the relationship between the Mayor’s office and the group which shares his politics but has a responsibility to scrutinise the executive – the key question being ‘What is the point of the Conservative Group?’

The most visible element of our role is the monthly Mayor’s Question Time. For two hours the 25 Assembly Members get to pose questions and follow up with carefully planned supplementaries.  The opportunity for detailed discussion is much greater than is afforded by PMQs and the obvious danger for the administration is that they slip into the sort of sycophantic questioning that Labour MPs indulge in every week. ‘Can I congratulate the Mayor on (insert latest statistics)?’ is not going to win us any friends or cast the authority in a good light. Instead, we should use the opportunity to focus on constituency matters. Since the election our postbags have ballooned and Londoners who voted for change are understandably keen to see things improve. Questions provides the chance to get publicity for key issues and to focus the attention of our family members (eg TfL) on the small things that matter to residents.