Leonie Cooper AM welcomes the Mayor’s Budget that supports every Londoner

Leonie Cooper AM has welcomed the Mayor’s budget that will make a real and noticeable difference to Merton and Wandsworth. Proper funding for the Metropolitan Police, free school meals for every primary school child, cleaner air in schools, building quality new homes, insulating older ones and freezing fares on TfL travel are some highlights.

Londoners will see 500 new police officers on their streets as well the 500 PCSOs, funded since last year’s budget.

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

Leonie Cooper AM 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. 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 stay the same. This is in sharp contrast to national rail fares which are going up by 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 is continuing to tackle the climate crisis.

Leonie Cooper AM, Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth said:

“I ‘m pleased to see the Mayor’s Budget approved. His investments will protect London from the damage caused by the Government's economic mismanagement and ongoing underfunding of public services.

“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, insulating older ones and freezing TfL fares.

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

ENDS