News from London Assembly Labour

“Granny Tax” puts London pensioners’ support in play

Labour is set make the fight for pensioners’ votes a key battleground in the London Mayoral election.

According to figures published by the House of Commons Library today, in London alone, 410,000 Londoners are set to lose an average of £83 per year because of George Osborne’s budget announcement.

George Osborne has cut the income of hundreds of thousands of London pensioners to pay for Boris Johnson’s tax cut for the super rich.

44% of all pensioners in London have lost money because of George Osborne and Boris Johnson.

Boris Johnson has had a series of meetings with the Chancellor to discuss the Budget which has hit London pensioners in the pocket.

The question Boris Johnson has to answer is whether he failed to stand up for the interests of hundreds of thousands of pensioners in London because he was more interested in lobbying for a cut in the 50p rate of tax for the super rich.

Wednesday’s cut in the top rate of tax was a victory for Boris Johnson and the super-rich. Boris Johnson has lead an energetic campaign to cut tax for the richest 1% of people in the Capital while remaining silent on the VAT rise, the NHS Bill and huge fare hikes.

On Friday 23rd March Ken will meet hundreds of pensioners as part of his Fare Deal Express tour of London, including Enfield, Haringey and Islington.

Ken Livingstone said; “Boris Johnson’s Tory tax cut for millionaires is being paid for by 400,000 ordinary London pensioners. These pensioners have been completely let down by the Tory Mayor who has campaigned for a tax cut for the super rich while ignoring the needs of older Londoners.

“There are almost a million pensioners in London and we are going to spend the six weeks before polling day talking to them about Boris Johnson’s failure to stand up for them and my plan to cut their fuel bills to make them better off.”

Other news from London Assembly Labour

• Labour council Leader works full shift with gritting teams - 21 January 2013
• Boris Johnson's back to work hangover for Londoners - 2 January 2013
• Every Labour voter must turn out today or the Tories will get away with it - 3 May 2012