Boris Johnson failing London, says Green Assembly Member
05 August 2008
London's progress in dealing with social and environmental issues is slowing down and looks set to go into reverse, according to Darren Johnson, a Green Party Member of the London Assembly.
Darren has published an assessment of the new Mayor's record during his first 100 days in power.
Darren Johnson said:
"The first hundred days of the new Mayor's reign have been dominated by a mixture of backward steps, ill-thought out promises and self-inflicted wounds."
"London is rapidly losing its reputation for being at the cutting edge of dealing with environmental and social problems. Dumping the £25 emissions-based congestion charge, scrapping probably the biggest purchase order for potentially zero emission vehicles in the world and abandoning the 50% affordable housing target are all evidence of a major backtrack. The Mayor's recent budget guidance proposing a massive 15% cut in City Hall spending means many more key programmes are likely to face the axe."
Key announcements in Boris Johnson's first 100 days:
12th May
Mayor drops court case against energy guzzling desalination plant.
Assessment - The letter from Thames Water to the Mayor doesn't change the essentials of an unnecessary scheme which will harm the environment and add to water bills. Need to focus on fixing the leaks, installing water meters and advice on water conservation.
13th May
Mayor claims to save City Hall £2.9 million by closing "Londoner" paper. A percentage of this saving will be spent on planting 10,000 new street trees.
Assessment - The promise of 10,000 new trees is a welcome gesture, but under the previous Mayor 400,000 trees were planted since 2004 and Ken Livingstone had also made a pledge to plant a total of 1 million trees by 2012
14th May
Mayor consults on scrapping black cab six-monthly inspections, despite figures showing that over a third of taxis failed their mid-term check.
Assessment - No good grounds to change a policy that is clearly working to ensure that cabs are safe and less polluting.
21st May
Current proposal for Thames Gateway Bridge "will not be pursued", says Mayor.
Assessment - A statement that pleased both Bexley Council and environmentalists across London. A positive break with an environmentally damaging project supported by the previous Mayor.
21st May
The Mayor makes a major break with his predecessor and says he will delegate his planning decisions to a deputy. Boris says that he "can't be expected to dot the i's and cross the t's of all the planning decisions."
Assessment - A new Mayor and a new "hands off" style of management.
25th May
Mayor announces end of half price travel for those on income support. Boris says that the energy funding agreement between London and Venezuela's state-owned oil company, which was instituted under the last mayoral administration, will not be renewed when it concludes on August 20th this year. No replacement scheme for those on income support has been put forward.
Assessment - Any oil deal has environmental downsides. However, the lack of long term alternative funding for the scheme is a real blow to struggling Londoners.
5th June
Mayor is dropped as the chair of an international coalition of cities working together to reduce carbon emissions. The position, which was previously held by Mayor, Ken Livingstone, has been taken over by the Mayor of Toronto.
Assessment - embarrassing. The new Mayor will have to work extra hard to prove that he takes climate change seriously and is doing something about it. Other mayors clearly not convinced at this stage.
18th June
London Cycling Campaign petition of over 3,500 signatures is presented to the mayor, asking for him not to make a decision to allow motorbikes in bus lanes, based upon inadequate evidence. Boris Johnson also comes under fire at the London Assembly as he fails to name one major planning decision taken in his name since he was elected.
Assessment - Boris is the 'cycling Mayor', but this raises concerns about whether he will deliver real improvements for cyclists.
18th June
Despite repeated requests from Darren, the Mayor refuses to give an assurance that the London Development Agency will continue the current level of funding for work on climate change. This vital work includes programmes to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy in home and offices.
Assessment - worrying.
18th June
Hybrid technology for black cabs, but new Mayor is strangely reluctant to state clearly that he will honour the existing commitment of all new buses being hybrids after 2012.
Assessment - both these projects date from budget discussions with the previous Mayor.
19th June
The new Mayor states on Radio 4's Today program that he has no knowledge of a key document on the Olympics and doubts that it exists. The Memorandum of Understanding between London Mayor and the government spells out how Londoners will not be forced to pay more than agreed for the 2012 Games. It was in general circulation and on the government website.
Assessment - shows the public limits of being a 'hands off' Mayor.
24th June
Rules to ensure the highest standards of conduct by City Hall staff will not apply to new mayoral planning advisor Sir Simon Milton. The revelation came in response to a question from Darren Johnson and leaves Milton free to disregard regulations on the acceptance and declaration of hospitality and gifts or on harassing and discriminating against staff working for him.
Assessment - the Mayor gets into a deeper tangle over this appointment.
27th June
Mayor announces free travel for injured war veterans.
Assessment - focused use of resources to deal with a problem, but leaves those on income support wondering why their half priced travel has been dropped.
30th June
It emerges that the anti-racism message is being dropped from the Rise Festival.
Assessment - a clear change of tone. Mayor believes diversity is positive, anti-racism is negative. Doubts raised about whether new approach will deal with genuine problems and effect real change.
1st July
Mayor announces consultation on the scrapping, or watering down, of the western extension of the congestion charge, despite the 15% traffic reduction it has successfully achieved.
Assessment - If the extension is dropped, it will symbolize a reversal of London's progress towards traffic reduction and the creation of a sustainable transport system.
3rd July
Mayor announces the development of ten high-technology 'Low Carbon Zones' across London by 2012 to deliver 'greener', low carbon solutions to households and businesses helping to deliver reduced energy bills - this is a carry over commitment.
Assessment -positive. An existing budget agreement program which is being carried forward.
3rd July
Ray Lewis and the Mayor stand shoulder to shoulder against press allegations. Boris refuses to suspend his deputy mayor pending the outcome of an investigation. The Mayor of London, said:
'When I entered the contest to become Mayor of London there was one man who gave me hope and who gave me inspiration. There was one man who not only understood the problems faced by children in the deprived parts of this city, but was willing to dedicate himself, day after day, to turning their lives around."
4th July
Ray Lewis faces the press alone at City Hall to resign as Deputy Mayor. Boris Johnson calls off the investigation, leaving Ray Lewis with no official forum in which to clear his name.
Assessment - new Mayor failed to take appropriate action and handled a difficult situation badly.
4th July
Mayor launches competition to design new route master bus.
Assessment - Still big questions about the cost of the replacement buses and whether any manufacturer will take up the challenge. High profile design competition for new design may attract new thinking, which could be good for the environment.
8th July
Mayor announces £60m to tackle empty homes. This is a 'rescue' package to tackle the capital's empty homes problem and achieve the new target of reducing long-term empty homes to 1% of London's total housing stock.
Assessment - new Mayor has correctly identified empty housing as a big issue. This can build on the budget agreement program of the previous Mayor.
8th July
It emerges that the new Mayor appears to have "spent" twice some of the savings made from scrapping the previous mayor's free newspaper 'The Londoner'. Boris valued the savings at over £10m for his mayoral term, but figures show that the Mayor has already committed over £16m worth of spending against his 'savings'.
Assessment - Not a good indication of financial transparency.
8th July
The Mayor announces his decision to drop the emission related congestion charge of £25 on gas guzzlers (band G vehicles) and to concede the court case brought by Porsche.
Assessment - backwards step in delivering London's target of reducing CO2 emission. No alternative scheme put forward to deliver similar reductions. Also, complaints from drivers who have bought low emission (band A & B) vehicles on the basis of gaining exemption from the congestion charge. Figures show that for the first time ever, Londoners have started buying more band A or B vehicles, than band G.
9th July
Mayor publishes 'Planning a better London' - a report setting out how he intends to improve the quality of life for Londoners through the capital's planning system and specifically through revising the London Plan.
Assessment - Mayor will drop the London target for affordable housing, which is worrying for those struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder. Boris states clearly that he wants to stick to the current environmental commitments in the London Plan, but with the welcome addition of a scheme to promote local shops and also to defend gardens from development. However, even existing commitments are under threat if he does little to enforce the high standards in the London plan by leaving major decisions to the boroughs.
10th July
Mayor lifts London Living Wage to £7.45. The new figure will apply to all Greater London Authority Group staff and also to all new contracts as soon as possible.
Assessment - positive step. Continues to deliver on an existing program. However, the Mayor appears to have gone back on a promise to role it out to the catering industry via Visit London.
10th July
Planned redesign of Parliament Square to make it more pedestrian friendly is dropped.
Assessment - Raises doubts that the new Mayor is capable of making the tough decisions needed to improve London's environment. The transformation of London's environment through the Mayor's program of 100 public spaces inevitably involves rolling back all the mistakes of car dominated planning.
14th July
Sir Simon Milton is appointed Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning, but has to announce his resignation from the high profile role of chair of the Local Government Association.
Assessment - inevitable. Only way to resolve mess was for Simon Milton to resign as either chair of LGA, or as Mayor's planning adviser.
15th July
Simon Milton says that Mayor Johnson will be taking back delegated decision making powers over major planning decisions, except when there are occasional diary clashes, or conflicts of interest.
Assessment - it appears that Boris has responded to calls for him to be a more hands on Mayor, but the real test of this will come when Boris is questioned or lobbied on the detail.
16th July
The new Mayor backtracks on his commitment to drop the Thames Gateway Bridge and now says that he is reviewing the scheme and will make a decision in October.
Assessment - Darren Johnson estimates that the dithering is costing Londoners £12,000 a day. Even if the scheme is dropped in the autumn, the delay will have cost over two million pounds, which is more than Mayor Johnson is planning to spend this year on his high profile tree planting scheme.
16th July
The Mayor gives a clear commitment that traffic reduction is needed to deal with London's air quality problems and promises that he will produce an updated air quality strategy by the middle of next year.
Assessment - Positive response, but all the evidence is that the Mayor is dropping, or cutting back on, many of the projects which will enable him to deliver traffic reduction and an improved environment for Londoners.
22nd July
The Mayor announces a target of reducing expenditure by 15% at City Hall. Anthony Mayer, the outgoing chief executive of the Greater London Authority, warns that efficiency savings were possible, but to create savings "Beyond 10% you have to stop doing things." The chief executive highlighted the Mayor's statutory responsibilities for London's environment, saying that: "Easily the biggest group of staff in the building are the environment team."
Assessment - The environment team are in the spot light after the Mayor's forensic audit panel questioned why there were so many of them, compared to other teams. The panel's forensic study failed to mention that the majority of the Mayor's statutory strategies are environmental.
22nd July
The Mayor has announced that he will almost treble the number of charging locations for electric vehicles by providing another 100 across the city. And he is keen to encourage London's boroughs to reduce parking charges for electric cars. An Electric Vehicle Partnership for London will also be created.
Assessment - Positive expansion of program.
27th July
The Mayor of London joined cyclists from across London to launch the capital's Summer of Cycling, which aims to encourage more Londoners to take to their bikes. He promised to continue to support the previous Mayor's commitment to spend £500m on cycling over ten years.
Assessment - apparent commitment and enthusiasm, but needs to build on existing plans rather than waste time starting afresh.
27th July
As well as continued support for the London Freewheel, the new mayor backs other festivals: Liberty, Melee, Capital Age, Veterans day, Carnival del Pueblo, Thames.
Assessment - the Mayor understands the 'bread and circuses' approach to governing a city, but will these events survive next year's budget cuts?
29th July
Mayor announces £700,000 funding for anti-crime youth projects. The money will come from the Metropolitan Police.
Assessment - positive move. Exactly the sort of intelligent reallocation of resources within the policing budget which should be encouraged and supported.
31st July
Mayor reverses objection to expansion of London City Airport, which primarily caters for short haul flights.
Assessment - Backwards step for environment. Complaints about the effects of noise pollution on local people have been over ridden. Climate change impacts clearly not a priority.
1st August
30 new police teams to patrol tube and trains.
Assessment - Doubts raised about whether putting more police on the relatively crime free underground is a cost effective use of resources.
4th August
The 100 public spaces program is dropped. This was an ambitious program of work to deliver a physical transformation of London's streets, so that people could enjoy the public spaces in their area. Boris previously quoted as saying: "Above all I will work to make London a pleasant and safe place to live, by nurturing and protecting the public spaces that bind us together."
Assessment - Backwards step in the slow process of improving Londoners' environment and rescuing our public spaces from the dominance of the car. No alternative vision, or means of delivering it, has been put forward.
5th August
It emerges that due to the premature cancellation of the Venezuelan oil for advice deal, London will have to pay back £7m.
Assessment - A rushed decision. Another indication that the Mayor is not on top of the finances.
7th August
Mayor cancels purchase of 60 hydrogen vehicles in London, although the program of buying 10 hydrogen buses goes ahead. This was the biggest single purchase of potentially zero emission vehicles in the country and possibly, the world. It comes only a few weeks after the Mayor was photographed handing out prize models of hydrogen cars to schoolchildren who had just won the London Hydrogen competition. Boris Johnson said:
"Hydrogen is an exciting fuel of the future which is developing all the time, so it makes sense to encourage our young people to find out more so they can become the hydrogen pioneers of the next generation and help find solutions to the challenges we face today."
Assessment - major backwards step in the plans to stop climate change.
100 Days
Still hasn't appointed a Deputy Mayor for the environment. Not a single one of Boris Johnson's appointments to the most senior positions in the GLA group, that is one level down from the Mayor, has been a woman.
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