Economy: A Comparison of Mayor of London Candidate Manifestos
The London mayoral elections are coming up on the 6th of May. We here at The Youth Vote UK have decided to group together policy areas so you can easily compare the candidate’s stances on each specific issue. This post will look at the economy.
Farah London (Independent) ‘Bring London Back’: The London of Opportunity
See London’s tech cluster become the world’s biggest hub outside the Silicon Valley
Upgrade London’s connectivity
by expanding full fibre broadband
Deepen London’s talent pool
by encouraging the uptake of free courses of coding and AI in educational centres open for all ages and backgrounds
Provide grants for vulnerable children to have laptops and Wi-Fi access for schoolwork
Farah London wants to make London the new global tech city. She thinks that Covid-19 has sped up the transition to a digital economy and believes that it is time for London to upgrade and be at the forefront of this technological revolution.
One of her key policies in this area is she wants to deepen the talent pool in London. This policy is aimed at all ages and wants more people to take up coding and artificial intelligence courses.
She also wants to provide a grant for vulnerable children which would provide them with laptops and Wi-Fi access for schoolwork. As we have seen throughout Covid-19, where schooling was heavily digitalised, the need for equipment and good WI-FI became even more apparent and it was often children from disadvantaged backgrounds who did not have access to these resources. This policy is aimed at making sure everyone has the equal opportunity to succeed in their education.
Nims Obunge (Independent) ‘Nims for LDN’: Make London Prosperous
Drive entrepreneurship and opportunities for the most deprived
Attract Global Business Pioneers
Deliver a digital London
Culture, Media and Sport Capital of the world
Promote Happiness and mental well being
Deliver innovation hubs
Nims has also focused on increasing London’s prosperity. He wants to support London’s growth in new industries as well as strengthen their well-established leading industries. He has stated that he wishes to ‘offer a prosperous London, a London which drives entrepreneurship and opportunities for the most deprived, and actively promotes happiness and mental wellbeing.’ His focus on promoting happiness and mental wellbeing will give a new way to measure London’s success which focuses more on people's own experiences.
Nims provides Londoners with an opportunity to vote for a candidate outside of the political mainstream and what he believes to be a vote which will truly represent London’s needs. Whilst facing an uphill battle against the well-established political parties, his leading role in London’s community and strong message around tackling London’s violent crime could make him attractive to many Londoner voters.
Brian Rose (Independent) ‘Transform London 2021’: Get London back to work
A six-month, post-lockdown “Congestion Charge Holiday” – removing the congestion charge temporarily to “promote visits to the city and immediately boost the economy”.
A six-month, post-lockdown “Business Rates Holiday” - removing business rates across the board for SMEs in greater London.
Stimulate certain sectors with financial aid – such as restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, retail and the hotel sector.
Work with top global companies to encourage the return of office workers into the city, aiming for a goal of 25% of companies’ workers returning.
New science-based policies to ensure businesses can remain open while dealing with Covid-19.
Open up theatres, museums, arenas, and stadiums.
Promote outdoor seating and free street parking spaces for all retail and hospitality businesses for six months.
Re-open schools.
Getting London “back to work” is Rose’s main priority in terms of policy. He believes that as an entrepreneur himself he understands the problems businesses are currently facing and the support they need.
After a year of uncertainty, Rose aims to help London return to its full potential through this set of plans. Financial aid for sectors such as hospitality and nightclubs may be welcome and could help protect the jobs of many people in the city. A temporary “congestion charge holiday” and “business rates holiday” could also help boost the economy, removing certain financial restrictions.
Dr Peter Gammon (UKIP) ‘Peter’s 6 Key Policies for A Better, Safer, London For All’: A Prosperous London
Cut the waste & end the cronyism at city hall
Strong leadership to escalate economic recovery
Cut red tape – business incentives
End lockdown & get people back to work
Support the entertainment industry and small business
Thinks that Sadiq Khan has wasted a lot of money on TfL and thinks that if the money were spent better then London would be better off.
Dr Peter Gammons is taking the approach that less government intervention is better for the economy and would make things more efficient and thus London more prosperous.
Shaun Bailey (Conservative) ‘Shaun’s Plan for London’: Make London Thrive
Work with businesses to create jobs
Launch new trade missions to attract investment
Work with ministers to secure more money for high streets and the economy
Reopen the Waterloo and City Line
He says his main focus is to get London economically moving again after the severe effects the Covid-19 has had on the city. He said he is going to launch a big campaign that will reach everyone and will use the Mayor’s powers to bring business and the public sector together. What this exactly entails is not clear yet.
The Policy and News Analysis Team