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Boris Johnson's winning manifesto
02.05.08
- Australian was power behind team Boris, and let's not forget Marina
- From bumbling Boris to natural born winner
- Mayor Boris says he's chairman of the board. They'd better be good
- Canny Ken was outwitted in the end by an even cannier enemy
- Evening Standard comment: Now the hard work starts for Johnson
- Boris Johnson's CV
New mayor Boris Johnson has promised Londoners he will phase out bendy buses, ban alcohol on the Tube and set up a Mayor's Fund. Read his key manifesto pledges here.
TRANSPORT
* Wants the unions to sign up to a no-strike deal in return for binding arbitration. Will expand air conditioning and manage the infrastructure better.
* Will phase out bendy buses and replace them with a fleet of hybrid Routemasters that he now estimates will cost up to £100 million.
* Wants to fine utility companies that dig up the roads, “reform” the congestion charge, rephase traffic lights and bring in monthly billing.
CRIME
* Will chair the Metropolitan Police Authority and “tear up red tape”, as well as holding the MPA to account
* Would make the transport network safer with 440 extra Police Community Support Officerss and 50 extra British Transport Police paid for by slashing advertising budgets
* “Payback London” scheme requiring antisocial under- 18s to earn back their right to free travel when passes are confiscated
* Ban alcohol on the Tube by amending the conditions of carriage to help reduce anti-social behaviour and cut the 40 per cent of crime that is alcohol-related.
* Mayor's Fund would use the private sector to pay for schemes including fighting youth crime, bring in handheld scanners and neighbourhood crime maps.
ENVIRONMENT
* Would protect the green belt and invest £6 million in making open spaces cleaner and safer.
* Would work to help cut London's carbon emissions by 60 per cent from their 1990 levels by 2025.
* Opposes third Heathrow runway. Has suggested a new airport in the Thames Estuary instead.
HOUSING
* Will drop the Mayor's current target of 50 per cent of all new homes in London to be affordable and build 50,000 more new homes instead.
* Would release GLA-owned land and £130 million from the Regional Housing Pot to launch a new First Steps Housing Scheme.
* Invest £60 million from the Regional Housing Pot to renovate the capital's 84,205 empty properties.
CITY HALL
* He has promised not to stand for more than two terms as Mayor and to lobby for a change in legislation.
* Would publish the biographies, responsibilities and contact details of mayoral advisers online so public can see their role and get in touch.
* To make the London Development Agency grants process much more transparent by publishing details of all funding over £1,000.
Reader views (8)
I don't believe Boris will achieve half of his promises. If he does introduce a new Routemaster, I will be the first to eat my hat!
- Rod, Epping, UK
As a frequent traveller into London and a father whose daughter lives and votes in London. I am pleased to see Boris elected as the Mayor. He plans to make bus & train travel safer and deal with youth crime. His estuary airport idea is a good one, it will reduce the planes flying over London which has to be a good thing. It will also reduce traffic to Heathrow and Gatwick again a good thing. I wish him good luck with his house building program too. Go for it Boris and make London an even better place for my daughter to live in.
- Paul Taylor, Maidstone,Kent
As a teenager myself I'm very much in favour of the Payback London scheme but whether or not it deters anti-social teenagers remains to be seen.
- Ntianu, London
Please keep the congestion charge as it is, especially for the low emission cars.
But I think you are wrong in not raising the cost for large engine/high emitting 4x4 type cars.
Keep opposing the third runway.
Good Luck mate.
- Julian Sutton, Richmond, Surrey
Ever heard the phrase, OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE! Why oppose a third runway at Heathrow airport? TO suggest a new airport at the Thames Estuary...
Build 50,000 new homes, to accommodate who?
And where might I ask?
- Laraine Lynes, Baldock England
I will never forget what you have done. Never.
- James, London
Boris promised to 'make the congestion charge fairer', although as former motoring correspondent for GQ magazine I suspect he would be glad if it never happened.
The Government already takes FIVE times as much tax on cars as its Stern Report recommended for carbon emissions.
Also without the Kengestion charge, it takes approx. one seventh of all taxes from motorists (£50 Bn) and only puts about 16% of this back into Britain's roads.
Boris would be justified in scrapping the ineffective and unjust C-charge as soon as is contractually possible, and demanding that central government gives London its fair share of transport investment.
Traffic levels wouldn't rocket - there's been a slight long term fall in levels this decade - and interestingly, the rush hour peak has practically stayed the same.
Independent surveys also show cost isn't the major factor in choosing to travel by car.
- Battered Motorist, Gtr London
No different to the previous mayor really, society needs to wake up and vote for people who make real alternative changes, and stop wasting time on celeb culture. That's why London is failing.
- Phil, Islington
