Category: London

  • Grant Shapps – 2022 Statement on TFL Long Term Funding Settlement

    Grant Shapps – 2022 Statement on TFL Long Term Funding Settlement

    The statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 5 September 2022.

    Following my statement to the House on 13 July (2022), I am writing to update the House that today we have agreed a new longer-term funding settlement between Transport for London (TfL) and government. The final extraordinary funding settlement expired on 3 August and I have agreed with the Mayor of London a new settlement until 31 March 2024 or until Transport for London reaches financial sustainability, whichever is the sooner.

    This longer-term settlement includes over £1.1 billion (bn) of additional grant funding until March 2024 for London transport, which will unlock almost £3.6bn worth of critical infrastructure investment, with a number of projects set to revolutionise travel across the capital.

    As a result of our longer-term settlement, major upgrades will be delivered for Londoners, including new Piccadilly line trains and the modernisation of the District, Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City and Circle lines – maintaining the London Underground’s world-class status. Further benefits include: supporting the long-awaited repair of Hammersmith Bridge; vital improvement to Elephant and Castle station and a London Overground extension between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside to service more than 10,000 new homes in east London.

    As part of the settlement, the Mayor will be required to continue work on the introduction of driverless trains on London Underground, in use on the Dockland Light Railway for more than 35 years. At a time when strikes are crippling both the Underground and national rail systems, never has this work been more important.

    Alongside all of this is government’s continued commitment to mitigate TfL’s loss of passenger revenue from the ongoing uncertainty of demand following changes to travel patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic. None of this would have been possible without government funding.

    The settlement letter requires Transport for London to modernise and control its operating costs, to make it a modern, effective, efficient and financially stable operator. It is a settlement that is fair and proportionate to London whilst also taking into account funding provided elsewhere in the country and the cost to the national taxpayer, at a time of great pressure on national finances.

    It comes on top of the over £5bn of funding support the government has already provided to TfL since the beginning of the pandemic and government’s commitment to over £1 billion per year until 2025 for London transport through business rates retention.

    Through all of this, government is continuing to work with the Mayor and TfL to ensure London’s transport system delivers for the public and businesses and contributes to the country’s economy.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on GLA Spending Power

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on GLA Spending Power

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 2 September 2022.

    As a group, the GLA has immense purchasing power and we can harness that to directly support the capital’s small businesses and contribute to making London net zero by 2030. We need to implement bold initiatives to ensure that the decisions we make help to build a better London – a safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all Londoners.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Statement on Universal Free School Meals for All Schoolchildren

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Statement on Universal Free School Meals for All Schoolchildren

    The statement made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 2 September 2022.

    Families are sending their children back to school this week and many will be wondering how they’ll be able to keep putting food on the table as the cost-of-living crisis worsens.

    The Government must act now to introduce universal free school meals for all primary school children. This would help build a better London for everyone, saving families hundreds of pounds a year, ensuring all primary pupils are eating a healthy, nutritious meal at school and also eliminating the stigma associated with being eligible for free school meals, to increase uptake among those who need it most.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Statement on the Sir Tom Winsor Review

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Statement on the Sir Tom Winsor Review

    The statement made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 2 September 2022.

    Londoners will be able to see that this review is clearly biased and ignores the facts. On the former Commissioner’s watch, trust in the police fell to record lows following a litany of terrible scandals. What happened was simple – I lost confidence in the former Commissioner’s ability to make the changes needed and she then chose to stand aside.

    Londoners elected me to hold the Met Commissioner to account and that’s exactly what I have done. I make absolutely no apology for demanding better for London and for putting the interests of the city I love first. I will continue working with the new Commissioner to reduce crime and to rebuild trust and confidence in the police.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Supporting London’s Creative Industries

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Supporting London’s Creative Industries

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 1 September 2022.

    The capital’s world-leading arts, cultural and creative industries help to drive our economy and inspire young people, but the energy crisis is hitting the sector hard and it is vital that it is supported to become more energy efficient, especially as these businesses are not protected by the energy price cap. This latest investment reaffirms my commitment to placing the environment at the centre of our economic recovery and will help workplaces deal with burden of the cost of living crisis and spiralling energy bills as we build back a fairer, greener city for all.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Extending Notice Period for Renters

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Extending Notice Period for Renters

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 30 August 2022.

    Nearly a third of Londoners are private renters, the majority of whom are set to be hit by a devastating combination of rent and bill rises in the coming months, with no sign rampant inflation slowing down.

    That’s why I’m calling on the Government to act urgently give Londoners breathing space by extending notice periods for tenants ahead of landlords taking possession of properties. This will allow them to access support and advice and save, if they can, for a move, before their tenancies end.

    Shorter notice periods disproportionately affect vulnerable households, so I urge whoever becomes the new Prime Minister next month to commit to delivering on this as soon as possible, as well as giving me the power to freeze rents in London for two years until the cost of living crisis subsides.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on the TFL Funding Agreement

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on the TFL Funding Agreement

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 30 August 2022.

    This funding agreement comes after more than a month of tough negotiations because I’ve been determined to stand up for London and to fight for our transport network, which so many Londoners and businesses rely upon.

    The good news is that we have managed to win a number of key concessions from the Government, which mean we will be able to avoid TfL having to make the devastating cuts to vital transport services previously proposed – moving us away from the managed decline of London’s transport network.

    However, I want to be frank with Londoners – this deal is far from ideal. The Government is still leaving TfL with a significant funding gap, meaning we will likely have to increase fares in the future and still proceed with some cuts to bus services. There are also onerous strings attached, such as the Government’s condition requiring TfL to come up with options for reform of TfL’s pension scheme at pace, which could well lead to more industrial action and more disruption for commuters.

    These are things we have had no choice but to accept in order to get the deal over the line to avoid TfL becoming bankrupt, to save the jobs of thousands of transport workers and to keep trains, tubes and buses running across our city.

    The sole cause of TfL’s financial crisis was the impact of the pandemic so it’s simply wrong to punish Londoners and transport workers in this way. Levelling up the country should not be about levelling down London.

    We will now be working flat out to mitigate the impact of the conditions required by the Government so that we can maintain a world-class transport network in our city, which is so crucial as we strive to continue building a greener, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.

  • Grant Shapps – 2022 Letter on Transport for London Funding Agreement

    Grant Shapps – 2022 Letter on Transport for London Funding Agreement

    The letter sent by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 31 August 2022.

    Text of letter (in .pdf format)

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on the Energy Price Cap

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on the Energy Price Cap

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 26 August 2022.

    Ofgem’s announcement that the energy price cap will rise to £3549 in October confirms what many of us have long feared. Despite repeated warnings, the Government has consistently failed to intervene and Ministers must act now to prevent this cost of living crisis becoming a national disaster.

    Without Government support, some Londoners will not only be forced to choose between heating or eating but could struggle to do either. The Government must immediately freeze bills and introduce a Lifeline Tariff to ensure the most vulnerable people in our city receive a basic amount of free energy every day.

    Through transformative initiatives like my Warmer Homes scheme I’m committed to doing all I can to support Londoners through this deepening crisis but, with energy prices soaring and more families struggling to make ends meet, this Government needs to step up and take urgent action now.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments at Start of Notting Hill Carnival

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments at Start of Notting Hill Carnival

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 26 August 2022.

    I’m delighted that Notting Hill Carnival will be returning to the streets of west London this weekend. This community-led celebration of Caribbean history and culture has become one of the world’s biggest street festivals and part of the very fabric of this city. I urge everyone planning to attend Carnival to arrive early to make the most of this wonderful celebration of our capital’s diversity.