Don’t let Boris Johnson tell you that the mayor can’t improve Londoners’ lives

Two weeks ago, the Conservative government launched an attack on Londoners’ living standards. Four hundred thousand London pensioners hit by the ‘granny tax’. Two hundred and fifty thousand families in London losing out on tax credits.

London needs a mayor who will stand up to that attack and do what they can to help working Londoners. Instead, all a Conservative mayor has done is lobby to cut tax for people on £150,000 a year – five times what the average working Londoner earns.

Those are the priorities of a Conservative mayor. My priorities are different. Londoners need a mayor who understands the need to ease the squeeze on their standard of living.

On transport, I will cut transport costs for working Londoners through a fares cut. Boris Johnson won’t do anything.

On energy costs, I will pool Londoners’ buying power to cut energy costs for Londoners. Boris Johnson won’t do anything.

On education, I will bring back the EMA for young Londoners. Boris Johnson won’t do anything.

On housing, I will start to tackle rip-off rents and agency fees with a new not-for profit lettings agency. Boris Johnson won’t do anything.

On crime, Boris Johnson has admitted cutting police numbers by 1,700 officers since the peak in 2010, yet many serious crimes are rising. We will re-allocate budgets to restore those cuts. Boris Johnson does not accept there is even a problem.

Don’t let Boris Johnson tell you that the mayor can’t improve Londoners’ lives, just because all he has to show for four years are some over-expensive bikes.

If you have a mayor with the right priorities we can make a difference for Londoners.

My manifesto, published today, will help ease the pressure on Londoners, with key pledges that will make Londoners better off, by £1,000, or more. These are policies for the majority of Londoners whose voices are not being heard. It is an effective and serious plan that will ease the squeeze on the majority and put money back into the London economy.

Labour’s online ‘Better Off’ calculator will help every Londoner understand how they will benefit from a Labour mayor.

With the manifestos now launched we can see very clearly the decisive choice in the London election – which candidate will ensure Londoners are better off. Only Labour will put the majority first.

Ken Livingstone is Labour’s candidate for Mayor of London.