Labour AMs will vote against Johnson’s police cuts budget

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

The London Assembly will vote on Boris Johnson’s final draft of his £14 billion budget today, which will cut 455 police officers by the end of his first term.

Labour AMs will vote to block those plans, and will instead present an alternative budget that will reduce the Met’s publicity budget. In his manifesto, Boris Johnson promised to reduce the Met’s press staff from 73 to 50 but has actually increased it to 74.

John Biggs, Labour’s budget spokesman, said:

“Boris was elected on a manifesto of leading and protecting the police, but he is planning to cut almost 500 officers and is slashing their funding. These are real, painful cuts for boroughs to absorb and beg the question whether community policing in London is safe in the hands of the Tories. A reduction in the Met’s publicity budget would be enough to reverse the cuts this year.

Labour have also proposed reversing Boris Johnson’s bus fare rises. This would be partly funded by retaining the western extension of the congesiton charge and cutting the bonuses of TfL managers.

Other proposals in Labour’s alternative budget include:

* Additional funding for rape crisis centres by cutting the Mayor’s press office (£200k)

* Investing in skills and employability training during the economic downturn by reviewing the LDA’s priorities.

* Funding the UpRise festival (as a replacement for Rise, previously Europe’s biggest anti-racism festival) by axing Boris Johnson’s USA day.

* Restoring London’s Older People’s Resource Centre (axed by the Mayor to save £174k).

* Reversing Boris Johnson’s road traffic safety cuts.

* Reversing changes to the Met’s human trafficking unit.