Sadiq Khan is blasted for demanding more money for London

Sadiq Khan has been criticised for demanding more money from the Government after receiving billions in bailouts only last year. 

The Mayor of London today lobbied Rishi Sunak to turn on the spending taps in the March Budget – and produced his own wish-list for the Chancellor.

He is seeking another financial package for TfL and a cash injection to revive the capital’s hard-hit nighttime economy.

An extension to the business rates holiday and for furlough to continue until lockdown is eased were also on his list of proposals. 

His demands were quickly shot down by Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey, who accused him of pouring millions into City Hall’s PR machine rather than the capital’s priorities.

Mr Bailey told MailOnline: ‘Last year the government gave Sadiq Khan two bailouts, a boost in police funding, and an extra £4billion for affordable housing. Now Sadiq Khan says none of it’s enough.

‘Londoners are starting to ask where all the money is going — and why Sadiq Khan can’t find the money for our priorities but can find £100million to spend on PR.’

A spokesperson for Mr Khan dismissed the £100million figure as ‘absolute nonsense’ and said his priority was protecting essential services.

Shaun Bailey

Sadiq Khan (left) has come under fire from Shaun Bailey (right) or lobbying the Government for more money after ‘finding £100million’ to grow his own publicity

The Mayor of London today demanded Rishi Sunak turns on the spending taps in the March Budget and unveiled his own wish-list

In his letter to the Chancellor, Mr Khan warned that the capital’s economy might not bounce back to its pre-pandemic heights and demanded a stimulus package to spur the recovery.  

He wrote: ‘I urge you not to take London for granted – there is no guarantee the city’s economy will continue to fire on all cylinders after this crisis. 

‘For London’s success to continue, the city needs careful consideration, a recognition of the unique challenges we face, and investment to support businesses, organisations, and people to succeed.’

City Hall’s most pressing demands to the Treasury include a funding settlement for TFL ‘which addresses the devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances’.  

The heated subject of TfL funding saw months of wrangling between ministers and Mr Khan last year as they negotiated two cash injections as profits nosedived.

In November, they struck a six-month deal of £1.8billion in Government grants to keep services running until March.

It came on top of a £1.6billion bailout already poured in to the TfL pot by ministers earlier in the year. 

Mr Sunak's March Budget will address the historic levels of peacetime public spending to mitigate lockdown

Mr Sunak’s March Budget will address the historic levels of peacetime public spending to mitigate lockdown

Commuters on a Jubilee Line train at Canada Water Underground Station yesterday

Commuters on a Jubilee Line train at Canada Water Underground Station yesterday

Mr Khan also demanded money be pledged for ‘the full repair and restoration of Hammersmith Bridge and for the provision of interim solutions such as the ferry.’

Tories and the Mayor have locked horns over who bears ultimate responsibility for the bridge, which has been beset by delays to its reopening and remains shut. 

Mr Khan also wants money for affordable housing, clean air, adult education in the long-run.

Mr Bailey said: ‘Sadiq Khan says that ‘there’s no guarantee the city’s economy will continue to fire on all cylinders after this crisis.’ As long as he’s in City Hall, I agree.

‘We need a fresh start for London — with safer streets, a fully funded transport network, and more affordable homes. As Mayor, that’s what I’ll deliver.’ 

Throughout his campaign Mr Bailey has accused his rival of racking up a £100million PR bill during his tenure. 

Tories and the Mayor have locked horns over who bears ultimate responsibility for Hammersmith Bridge, which has been beset by delays to its reopening and remains shut

Tories and the Mayor have locked horns over who bears ultimate responsibility for Hammersmith Bridge, which has been beset by delays to its reopening and remains shut

The spokesperson for Mr Khan added: ‘Among many other things, the misleading figure includes a stated figure of £13,456,00 for London and Partners which represents the total annual funding for the entire organisation, not PR spend.

‘The Mayor’s number-one priority continues to be protecting essential frontline services – something that is becoming increasingly difficult as the Government refuses to adequately fund local and regional government in the capital.’   

Mr Bailey go head to head with Mr Khan for the mayoralty in May, which ministers insist will still go ahead after being postponed last year because of the pandemic.  

However sources have privately told MailOnline they are bracing for polling day to be pushed back once again. 

Mr Sunak’s March Budget will address the historic levels of peacetime public spending to mitigate lockdown, which cratered the economy. 

A HM Treasury spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We’ve invested more than £280billion throughout the pandemic to protect millions of jobs and businesses – and extended our self-employed and furlough schemes through to April so that people have certainty that help is in place.

‘At the upcoming Budget the government will set out how we’ll ensure public services continue to receive the investment they need.

‘We’ll also outline the next stages of our Plan for Jobs to support businesses and families across the UK. That has been our priority throughout the past year and it will be the priority for the year to come.’ 

Sadiq Khan’s wish-list: Mayor demands more money for TfL, police and businesses in Budget

Demands: 

  • Extend the business rates holiday throughout 2021 and guarantee the furlough scheme lockdown ends
  • Adequate and sustainable funding for the Metropolitan Police Service and London Fire Brigade
  • Agreement of a fair funding settlement for Transport for London for 2021/22, which addresses the devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances, together with a new funding model
  • Funding for the full repair and restoration of Hammersmith Bridge and for the provision of interim solutions such as the ferry
  • Support to night-time economy businesses
  • Expand the eligibility of free school meal provision in line with recommendations in the National Food Strategy
  • Urgent action to ensure London has the resources to provide COVID-secure accommodation to help keep rough sleepers safe and warm
  • Government to fully fund the GLA Group’s shortfall for 2020-21 caused by COVID-19 pressures. To date the GLA Group, including the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Fire brigade, have incurred £84.7 million of costs that have not been covered by the Government’s various funding initiatives, a figure that is likely to increase during the current lockdown 

 Long-term demands:

  • An increase in London’s £4 billion allocation of the next Affordable Homes Programme
    he introduction of an expanded Clean Air Fund for cities, and a £48 million investment by Government 
  • Government funding for ‘shovel-ready projects’ including the extension of the Docklands Light Railway from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, the electrification of the London bus fleet, and for Old Oak and Park Royal
  • Double the Adult Education Budget