A once in a generation opportunity for London

London faces the most important three years for a generation. Over consecutive elections Londoners will elect their Council, MEPs, MP, the Prime Minister, London Assembly Members and the Mayor of London. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to radically change the political direction of London and improve the lives of Londoners for the better.

It’s a gruelling but exciting challenge for Labour London. Next May, for the first time,we have all-out elections for the 32 Londonboroughs’, 4 directly elected Mayor’s and European elections on the same day. With a lower turnout than 2010, we are aiming to hold onto the 15 Councils we currently run in the capital and our two MEPs, Claude Moraes and Mary Honeyball. We are running a targeted campaign – with organisers in place, candidates selected in all our target boroughs and a great team of European candidates.

Then, less than 12 months later, London holds the keys to Downing Street for Ed Miliband. We have selected a fantastic set of PPCs in most of our 12 target seats; including Catherine West, Tulip Siddiq, Neil Coyle, Sarah Jones, Vicky Foxcroft, Sarah Sackman, Will Martindale, Joan Ryan and Andrew Dismore. Our target borough’s have been coordinated with the parliamentary constituencies we need to win in 2015 and by the time of the general election our organisers will have been in place for over two years – a huge advantage.

And it doesn’t stop there. In 2016 we have the London Assembly Mayoral elections. This is our chance to make the last 8 years an anomaly and ensure Londoners elect the Labour Mayor they need and deserve.

Having consecutive elections gives us a unique opportunity to articulate a coherent vision of the London we want to build across every level of government. For the first time we will have a tailored policy offer for London’s specific challenges that is coordinated across Labour Councils, a Labour Government and a Labour Mayor. All three levels will be working together towards building a better and shared future for London. We will be able to achieve more than ever before.

As Shadow London Minister, I am working with our Council Leaders, directly elected mayors Sir Robin Wales, Jules Pipe and Steve Bullock, London Assembly Members and Jon Cruddas (it’s great to have a Londoner running the policy review!) to agree our coordinated policy platform. I met with London Councils earlier today, led by the brilliant Jules Pipe, to discuss how we can synchronise our manifestos for the 2014 and 2015 elections. A common approach will really bear fruits on the key issues facing London; the cost-of-living crisis, the housing crisis, transport affordability and capacity and the constitutional settlement between the different levels of London Government.

Take for example the cost-of-living crisis, which is even more acute in London than in the rest of the country.

If we get our policies and organisation right and work hard over the next three years, Londoners will have a Labour Council creating thousands of new jobs, paying and fighting for the Living Wage and building more affordable housing. They will have a Labour Government reintroducing the 10p tax band, making energy companies give customers a better deal and tackling rip-off rail fares. And they will have a Labour Mayor making the tube and bus more affordable, creating more jobs, and ensuring Thames Water get their bills under control. With every part of London Government working together we could really tackle the crisis in the capital– and ensure that a Labour London is a better London.

It’s an exciting prospect. The blood, sweat and tears we all face over the next three years will be more than worth it.

Sadiq Khan is Shadow London Minister