Mayor's excessive demands on Londoners condemned

12.00.00am GMT Wed 22nd Jan 2003

The London Assembly Lib Dems have formally condemned the Mayor for proposing an outrageous 38.4% increase in the council tax precept.

Graham Tope, Leader of the Lib Dem Group, said: "The Lib Dems have consistently said that economies must be made to the Mayor's budget and we have today demonstrated these can be made without making cuts to the police budget or by compromising investment in London's transport system"

"We condemn the Mayor's excessive demand on Londoners for a huge increase in the GLA precept, which would result in the near doubling of the local tax level since he was elected.

"Although we are commenting on the Mayor's budget, not presenting a budget, the Mayor should listen to the Assembly and revise his budget to substantially reduce the precept to 17.5% as proposed by the Lib Dems and supported by the Tory Group on the Assembly."

The motion carried today by the London Assembly was as follows:

The Assembly condemns the Mayor's excessive demand on Londoners for a huge increase in the GLA precept, which would result in the near doubling of the local tax level since he was elected.

The Assembly notes the amendments tabled were for a 13.8% precept increase from the Conservative Group, and an increase of no more than 17.5% by the Liberal Democrat Group, and the view expressed by the Labour Group that the increase should be under 30%. Therefore the majority of the Assembly believe the increase should be 17.5% or less.

The Assembly calls on the Mayor to bring forward a Final Draft Budget for 2003-4 that very substantially reduces the local tax take to an increase of 17.5%.