Elly Baker AM welcomes the Mayor’s Budget that supports every Londoner

Elly Baker AM has welcomed the Mayor’s budget that will make a real and noticeable difference to Havering and Redbridge, such as proper funding for the Metropolitan Police, free school meals for every primary school child and cleaner air in schools, building quality new homes and insulating older ones and freezing fares on TfL travel.

Londoners will see 500 new police officers on their streets as well 500 PCSOs, who will continue to receive funding after they were part of last year’s budget.

Sadiq Khan is also providing an additional £48.9 million to policing, as well as £6.5 million towards the Violence Reduction Unit, which helps young people turn away from crime. This comes after the Government failed Londoners safety by cutting capital support, meaning the Mayor had to step up to plug the gap.

Ms Baker is pleased that the budget will recommit to universal free school meals for primary school children across the whole of London. An additional £140 million has been assigned to this, saving families up to £1000 per child over the two years of the programme. Ms Baker says that this funding will allow 10,653 children in Havering and 13,028 children in Redbridge to continue to benefit from free school meals. Giving every primary school child a free school meal removes the stigma of poverty that children may have faced previously.

Under this budget Londoners without children are supported with the cost of living too. The TfL fare freeze means pay as you go prices will stay the same. This is in sharp contrast to national rail fares which are going up 4.9%.  

The Mayor has added a new allocation of £1 million to fund City Hall’s response to recommendations from London’s Climate Resilience Review. This is on top of the £26 million budgeted over the next three years to support urban green projects, tree planting and the implementation of recommendations from the review. Thanks to this budget, London stands strong in tackling the climate crisis.

Elly Baker, Londonwide Assembly Member said:

“I am pleased to see the Mayor’s Budget pass. His investments will protect London from the damage caused by the Government's economic mismanagement and ongoing underfunding of public services that has harmed the rest of the country.

“This budget will make a real and noticeable difference to Londoners, from proper funding for the Metropolitan Police, free school meals for every primary school child, cleaner air in schools, building quality new homes and insulating older ones and frozen fares on TfL.

“I was proud to vote in favour of these progressive policies which will improve life for Londoners.”