Sadiq Khan’s ‘£4.68bn tax grab’: Tory candidate Shaun Bailey slams his rival over ‘anti-motorist’ measures that will ‘cost every London household £1,339’
- Tory London Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey launched his campaign bus today
- Bailey claimed his opponent Sadiq Khan will mount a tax grab with a raft of controversial measures if he wins the election on May 6
- The Conservative hopeful blasted Mr Khan’s ‘anti-motorist measures’ like the congestion charge hike that he said he would reverse
Tory London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey (above) launched his campaign bus today
Shaun Bailey today launched a scathing attack on London Mayor Sadiq Khan accusing him of mounting a ‘£4.68 billion tax grab’ by introducing a raft of controversial measures.
Conservative London mayor candidate Mr Bailey claimed that his Labour opponent will generate the huge figure over the next three years if he wins the May 6 election.
The £4.68 billion is mainly made up of plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone to the North and South Circular roads with motorists charged £12.50 to enter it, plans to charge motorists £5.50 for going into Greater London and a proposed Council Tax hike.
Speaking at the launch of his campaign bus, which will tour the capital as the election hots up, Mr Bailey said: ‘If we continue on the current trend that Sadiq Khan is going, we are set to pay an extra £4.68 billion in tax in the next three years, and that’s just as London is trying to recover from the effects of Covid. The next year or two will determine the next 10 to 15 years of economic development in London, and by extension, the whole country.’
Mr Bailey used his campaign bus launch to hit out at his rival Sadiq Khan’s tax grab measures
He has also promised to scrap all Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes, which have led to extensive road restrictions and cycle lanes across the capital, insisting that only those with full community support would be implemented.
Mr Bailey added: ‘Sadiq Khan is not just anti-motorist but he’s also anti-London. His taxes on motorists will destroy businesses, raise the cost of living and risk London’s recovery from the lockdown.’
He accused Mr Khan of ‘mismanaging’ Transport for London’s (TfL) finances which has forced him to target motorists as a way of raising revenue.
He fumed: ‘When he (Mr Khan) racked up £9.56 billion of wasteful spending at TfL, he had to ask the government for three bailouts. And when he was told to find new revenue, he chose to increase the congestion charge to £15 a day, seven days a week.
‘It’s the same story with ULEZ and the same story with the £5.50 Outer London Tax. Each one is an attempt to make Londoners pay for his financial mismanagement.’
Mr Bailey revealed that as way of balancing TfL’s books, he would implement corporate sponsorship for the underground network, which would generate an estimated £490 million. He is also proposing a London Infrastructure Bank, bringing public and private investment together to fund long-term projects for TfL.
Mr Bailey is going head to head with Mr Khan for the keys to Town Hall at the election on May 6
Outlining his plans, he claimed that major businesses could sponsor Tube stations across the entire network, from global names to local shops.
He added: ‘For example, you could have Harrods sponsoring Knightsbridge station or a business in outer London sponsoring its local tube station.
‘All stations would be on the table but not the names of tube lines and it would be a great way to raise revenue. Londoners need a city that’s safe and easy to get around and under Mr Khan that is not the case at the moment.’
Mr Khan’s office has been contacted for comment.
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