The increase in tube fares of 3.9% at a time of deflation and nonexistent pay increases (or worse) will hit everyone. But the massive increase in bus fares of 12.7% will impact the most on those in London who can ill afford it. As our good Comrade John Prescott puts it in his blog
“Thanks to Boris, the average couple will now have to shell out an extra £263 a year. That might be chicken feed to people like Boris, but not the majority of people in the capital.
Why do working class Londoners have to pay more? Because Boris is looking after his own in West London. The western extension to the congestion charge zone, which would have provided an extra £70m a year, was scrapped by Johnson.
He also axed the £25 charge for the most polluting cars driving into central London, protecting the Chelsea tractors and Porsches but costing London a projected £50million a year.
So the poorest in London are now effectively subsidising Boris, Dave, George and their Notting Hill friends to clog up the roads with their 4X4s on the school run.”
Nuf said?
I was particularly pleased that despite the time of year the London Labour Party had organised such an important event at possibly the most difficult time to do so. More please!
12 comments:
ask boris about morality and marriage
Camerons latest announcement
if his wife leaves because of his affairs
she loses tax allowence
that modern conservatism
So nothing on the worst youth unemplyment records in memory, the failure to meet the abolition of child poverty or the doubling on income tax and increasing on national insurance on the poorest, just Boris's fare rises.
Not the greatest distraction is it
Hi anon
If you want to talk about youth unemployment please look at the early 1980s.
The Labour government may have missed their ambitious target with regard to Child poverty – but at least they had one. At least they care about the subject and had a target unlike the ultra Tories and their friends in the Policy Exchange or rather David Cameron's 'favourite think tank' (an oxymoron if ever there was).
The “poor” in Britain are better off under Labour in practically every possible way – pension credit, child credit, minimum wage, schools, hospitals whatever measure...
Much more should have been done to make society fairer but you cannot deny the many achievements. If the Tories get in they will continue with Boris’ policy of scrapping taxes on the wealthy and putting the burden on the poor and less well off.
It’s what they do...they even think it is the “right” (pardon the pun) thing to do.
UK: London Transport System Built on Subsidy, Inefficiency
UK motorists pay a heavy price to subsidize mass transit in London.
It takes £2,239,300,000 (US $3,749,250,000) in subsidies to operate mass transit programs in the UK's capital city, according to the Transport for London Annual Report and Statement of Accounts released this week. These subsidies come from a number of taxes imposed on motorists who in many cases do not use public transportation. London's most burdensome levy on drivers, the congestion charge, is so inefficient that for every £10 taken from drivers, £6 is spent on the bureaucracy required to administer the charge.
It takes £1.8 billion (US $3 billion) to keep London buses running, but riders only pay £1.1 billion (US $1.8 billion) in fares, creating a 40 percent subsidy at the expense of motorists. The London Underground subway system is more efficient with £1.8 billion (US $3 billion) in fares collected to cover £2.4 billion (US $3.9 billion) in expenses, meaning riders only enjoy a 25 percent discount at the expense of drivers.
Rail for London is the most heavily subsidized operation with 44 percent of the £135 million (US $226 million) operational budget not covered by fares. The Docklands Light Railway requires a 25 percent subsidy to cover the £86 million (US $143 million) budget.
The £8 (US $13) congestion tax imposed on drivers entering the downtown area generates nearly one-tenth of Transport for London's annual revenue. The £326 million (US $545 million) spent by drivers, however, is eclipsed by the £177 million (US $297 million) spent on operational overhead.
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone introduced the congestion charge by promising massive reductions in pollution and congestion. Neither have materialized, according to data released by Transport for London last year. Current Mayor Boris Johnson takes a far more skeptical attitude toward the tax and has already canceled Livingstone's proposal to impose an extra £25 (US $40) tax on certain disfavored sports and family cars.
Transport for London's highest paid employee earns £570,000 (US $955,000) a year. Forty-nine employees make more than £150,000 (US $250,000) annually.
An excerpt from the annual report's financial statement is available in a 280k PDF file at the source link below.
how many people lost their jobs and houses after black thursday
thank you Mr Lawson
Unemployment no social housing
A price worth paying according to the tories
THE NASTY PARTY
Why don't do you stick to 13 years of your Government - I mean it's the longest you've had.
Sad you have to try the Tory tactic of 1997 of bringing up ghosts of 30 years ago.
Desperate that you can't hold your own. After 2 truly dreadful years of Brown with bugger all to show and a record on par with Major who was also sh*te what can you possibly offer for ANOTHER 5 years?????
I'm going for Nick Clegg and Vince Cable
more privatisation under the Liberals
and thats a promise
As a LibDem candidate in Forest Gate I know that isn't true.
Anyway, can't trust Labour on privitisation. You have privatised and outsourced more of the NHS than anyone else has and still think you can use against others. Sheer hypocrisy
Labour - the envy party!
liberals have stated that they want the nhs not be state employees
thats privatisdation of 1.2m staff many nurses and doctors
not even the Tories have called for that
or do you read your policies as a liberal candidate or just make it up
just like your support for PFI
Hmmm, what extraordinaryly stupid comments from a party that has privatised and outsourced so much of the NHS already and introduced the PFI on so many housing and infrastructure projects.
I am not against privitisation or PFI per se, but you are stupid to attack them when Labour have done so much with them.
Doh!
Hi Anon Doh
The government has wrongly privitised parts of the NHS but can you name exactly what has been privitised and outsources to back up your claim?
BTW - have you never heard of CCT? Do you want all NHS workers on less than minimum wage? No holidays, no sick pay and no pension?
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