Sadiq Khan frequently comes under fire for his controversial ULEZ scheme, but something new has come to the attention of his critics. The Conservatives have accused the London Mayor in a recent report of overspending on silly schemes. In it, they list 12 examples of alleged misuse of funds at the hand of Khan, and make some suggestions as to how he could better spend the money.
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The mayor’s team has responded to the report, saying that its contents are ‘deliberately misleading’. They have taken issue with the Conservative’s disparaging language used to describe the schemes in which the mayor invested. Here’s what the report claims Khan spent the money on, and what they urge him to invest in instead.
£123m on beach parties and personality tests for police
The report claims £123m of taxpayer cash has been spent on ‘misplaced priorities’ during Khan’s time as mayor. The schemes in question include, according to the Tories, a six-figure salary for his ‘night czar’, beach parties, and - perhaps the most eyebrow-raising - personality tests.
Let’s start with the most outrageous claim: the report says that £10 million was spent on a training course for the Met Police which saw officers taking tests to determine the ‘colour’ of their personalities. The mayor’s office has rejected this, explaining that the cash was used to fund a ‘comprehensive training package covering a whole range of areas’.
The beach parties were hosted at the Royal Docks for Londoners, and apparently cost hundreds of thousands. Continuing in the party theme, the report claims that Khan increased London’s nightlife adviser’s pay to £117,000.
The Tory’s suggestions
Sadiq Khan, who has been mayor of London since 2016, has been given some suggestions by the Conservatives. They urge him to focus funding on Londoners’ health rather than entertainment.
They suggested working with supermarkets to secure discounted fruit and veg for children in lower income areas. The Tories also want to get children moving, suggesting London should offer ‘fun and positive’ ways for kids to stay active. One idea involves ‘scooter highways’, which would consist of secure, colourful and imaginative lanes for scooting and cycling with roleplay tyre checkers, bumps and race lanes’, according to City Hall Conservative spokesperson Emma Best.
Best went on to explain the health focus should go further than the younger generations:
Tackling obesity, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV transmissions, poor vaccine uptake and other issues outlined within this report should all be key priorities for whoever resides in the Mayor’s office.
She commented on the report, saying it ‘sets out a number of reasonable proposals’ which she hopes the mayor adopts.
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Sources used:
The Telegraph: Sadiq Khan’s beach parties among £123m ‘wasted on pointless schemes’
Daily Mail: How Sadiq Khan has wasted £123m of taxpayer cash on 'misplaced priorities': Beach parties, a six-figure 'night czar' and tests to determine the 'colour' of Met Police officers' personalities
