15 February 2002
In a compromise settlement, London's mayor agreed a 15% rise in the precept for the Greater London Assembly on February 13 after receiving belated support from the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups. It takes the final budget to £2.45bn.
The compromise will mean an average Band D council tax increase of £23 a year for Londoners, but is nowhere near the 35% precept increase (over £100 a year on council tax) Livingstone demanded when he submitted his initial proposal.
The mayor managed, however, to secure more than the 12% precept rise suggested by a cross-party delegation of the Association of London Government at a meeting in January.
The decision of the Labour and LibDem GLA groups to support the rise at the final budget meeting – held on February 13 – means that Livingstone will be able to deliver an additional 1,240 policemen for the capital. But every area of the mayor's transport improvement plans will now be altered, with the exception of the controversial congestion-charging scheme.
A deflated Livingstone said: 'I regret that the Assembly was unable to support the level of transport investment I proposed in my original budget. [But] the agreed budget will mean an increase of £350m over the next year, enabling us to improve and expand bus services and introduce a new transport policing unit.'
PFfeb2002
