News from London Assembly Labour

Boris “scrooge” Johnson’s fraud on Londoners

Boris Johnson’s council tax freeze will save the average London household just £6 a year. At the same time the average London couple getting the bus to and from work will be almost £100 a year worse off, the London Assembly Labour group can reveal.

Len Duvall, Labour’s leader on the London Assembly, said: “It is a total fraud from the Mayor when he tells Londoners he is saving them money and is the saviour of their economy. The average couple travelling to and from work on London’s buses will be around £90 a year worse off. Johnson bangs on about providing more for less and making Londoners better off. It is pure and smoke and mirrors.

“For the sake of a few pennies off their council tax, working Londoners will be worse off under Boris Johnson. The Mayor said today he was ‘happy with the title of scrooge’. For once I am in total agreement with his analysis.”

Boris Johnson announced in September that Oyster Pay-as-you-go bus fares will rise by 11% in January 2009 from 90p to £1. A London couple travelling to and from work on the bus will therefore be paying around £48 extra a year each in fares.

The council tax precept freeze will save those living in a band D property 11p a week or £6 a year. An average London couple who gets the bus to and from work living in a band D property will therefore be £90 a year worse off under Boris Johnson.

Other news from London Assembly Labour

• Mayor still refuses to act against banned councillor - 5 March 2010
• Banned councillor: London Labour leader calls on Mayor to act - 25 February 2010
• Boris's broken promise "a huge blow to the Tories' plans for elected police commissioners" - 23 February 2010