Sadiq Khan has failed to make London more affordable and keep the city safe according to a new analysis of the Mayor’s five years in office. The report, Cost of Khan: 5 Years of Failure, by London-wide Assembly Member Susan Hall evaluates the Mayor’s performance in every area of his remit. It criticises Sadiq Khan for his failure to tackle soaring crime, inability to deliver transport upgrades, sluggish housebuilding record and reckless spending.
Crime: On Sadiq Khan’s watch, homicide rocketed to an 11-year high, knife crime increased by nearly 40 per cent to reach record levels, and neighbourhood crimes like robbery and burglary shot up by 74 and nearly 39 per cent, respectively.
Transport: Crossrail is nearly four years late and £3.9 billion over budget. Khan’s fares freeze lost at least £640 million in revenue for TfL. 21 major transport projects were delayed or cancelled, as the transport network ran out of cash under the Mayor.
Housing: Sadiq Khan has only built 16,744 affordable home despite receiving nearly a £5 billion government grant.
Wasteful spending: Sadiq Khan nearly doubled the size of City Hall’s bureaucracy, increased his press office budget by 33 per cent, and splurged millions of pounds on cultural projects, like bicycle ballets, drag acts and beach parties.
An exclusive YouGov opinion poll for the report revealed that 56 per cent of Londoners think Sadiq Khan has not done enough to make London more affordable. 49 per cent of Londoners said the Mayor has not done enough to keep London safe.
In the report, Susan Hall calls Sadiq Khan “the worst Mayor of London we have ever seen”, accusing him of behaving like a “commentator on our nation’s politics rather than a politician focused on delivering positive changes for the world’s greatest city”. Ms Hall concludes that “the mayoralty has become irrelevant and devalued” under Sadiq Khan. She warns that “whoever succeeds Khan as Mayor will be left with the enormous task of making the office deliver for Londoners again”. Susan Hall AM, Leader of the GLA Conservatives, commented: “As Mayor, Sadiq Khan has had a golden opportunity to deliver for London. He’s had five years to change Londoners’ lives for the better, but shamefully all he’s done is plead poverty, pass blame and avoid responsibility.
“Sadiq Khan’s record as Mayor is awful. He failed to tackle spiralling crime, deliver Crossrail and build the homes Londoners desperately need. And in the process, Khan's reckless spending broke the bank at Transport for London and City Hall.
“It’s no surprise Londoners think the Mayor hasn’t done enough to keep our city safe. When homicide rocketed to an 11-year high and knife crime reached record levels, Sadiq Khan chose to waste money on fripperies instead of recruiting extra police officers. “As Mayor, Sadiq Khan has increased his share of Londoners’ council tax bill by more than 30 per cent; a tax he admits hits the poorest Londoners the hardest. By pushing the bill for his mistakes onto Londoners, Sadiq Khan has made London less affordable.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, Sadiq Khan is the worst Mayor of London we’ve ever seen.”
Comments