A future fair for London

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Secure London’s recovery

•SupportLondon’seconomytostrengthenthe recoveryandpromotegrowthandjobs,including vitalinfrastructureprojectssuchasCrossrail.

•GuaranteeallyoungLondonersagedbetween18and24whohavebeenoutofworkformorethansixmonthsajob,workexperienceortraining,with54,600youngpeopleinLondonalreadybenefitting.

•Extendthisguaranteetoanyoneoutofworkfor twoyears–toendlong-termunemploymentand alifeonbenefits.

•Astherecoverystrengthenstakeactiontoreduce thedeficit,morethanhalvingitoverfouryears.

Build a high-tech economy for London

•EnsurethatLondonremainsthebestplaceintheworldtodobusiness.

•PutLondonatthecentreofthehigh-techskilledeconomyofthefuturebysupportingbusinessesandindustrytocreatenewskilledjobsinLondonandensuringthatallLondonersareequippedwiththeskillsthattheyneedtosecurethejobsofthefuturebyinvesting£1.7billionayear.

•Offerallsuitablyqualified16to18yearoldsinLondonanapprenticeshipplaceby2013.

•CompletetheCrossrailprojectwhichwilladd£20billiontoLondon’seconomyandprovideupto14,000jobsduringconstruction,anddeveloptheNorth-Southhigh-speedrailnetwork.

•EnsurethattheOlympicsprovidesalastinglegacyofjobsforLondon.

•SupportLondon’screativeindustriesandensurethatallLondonershaveaccesstosuperfastnextgenerationbroadbandby2017.

Labour’s pledges for London

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Raise living standards for London’s families

•TacklelowpaywiththegoaloftheNationalMinimumWagerisingatleastinlinewithaverageearningsovertheperiodto2015,guaranteeingallLondonerswhohavebeenunemployedforsixmonthsthattheywillbe£40aweekbetteroffinwork,andbackingtheLondontheLivingWageinWhitehalldepartments.

•Provide120,000Londonfamilieswithchildrenagedtwoandundera‘ToddlerTaxCredit’from2012,makingthem£200ayearbetteroffandgivenewdadsonemonth’spaternityandflexiblepaidleaveforthefirstyearoftheirchild’slife.

•ExtendfreenurseryprovisionandprotectLondon’s561SureStartChildren’sCentres.

•Restorethelinkbetweenearningsandpensionsforthe850,000Londonpensionerhouseholds,andsupportgrandparentswhogiveupworktohelpcarefortheirgrandchildren.

•HelpyoungLondonerstogetonthehousingladderbyintroducingatwoyearstampdutyholidayforfirsttimebuyersofpropertiesupto£250,000.

•FreezecounciltaxinLondonintheyear2010-2011.

•Assistmorethan1millionlow-incomeLondonerstoputasidemoney,offeringthem50pforevery£1thattheysavethroughthenewSavingsGateway.

Protect frontline investment in London’s schools and the NHS

•GuaranteethatnoLondonerwillwaitmorethan2weeksforacancerreferral,andwillreceivediagnosiswithinoneweek,savingupto1500livesinthecapital.

•Guarantee2.41millionLondonersagedbetween40and74therighttoafreehealthcheckwhichcouldprevent1,400strokesandheartattacksinLondoneachyearandsaveover300lives.Plussetamaximum18-weekwaitforhospitaltreatment,withaccesstoGPsintheeveningandatweekends.

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4 A future fair for London

•CreateanewNationalCareService,startingbyofferingfreepersonalhomecareforanestimated60,000Londonersinthegreatestneed.

•Guaranteeone-to-oneandsmallgroup‘catch-up’ tuitionforover85,000Londonchildren.

Strengthen fairness in London’s communities

•Protectfrontlineinvestmentinpolicing,andprovide theinvestmenttoprotectallofLondon’sSaferNeighbourhoodTeams.

•Crackdownfurtheronanti-socialbehaviourandprovidearighttolegalinjunctionsforrepeatvictims,fundedbythepoliceorcouncilwholetthemdown.

•ControlimmigrationthroughthenewAustralian-stylepointsbasedsystem.

•Supportpeopletocollectivelytacklesharedproblems,throughanewapproachtolocalgovernmentandsupportforLondon’scharitiesandcommunitygroups.

•DeliveranOlympicsontimeandonbudgetandgivefurtherpowerstoLondon’sfootballfanstotakeovertheirclubsthroughfootballsupporters’trusts.

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5A future fair for London

London is one of the world’s greatest cities. In decline only a generation ago, it is now a forward-looking, diverse and exciting city, recognised the world over for its energy and creativity.

ThissuccesshasbeenachievedbymillionsofLondonersworkinghard,caringfortheirfamiliesandcontributingto theircommunities.Theirsuccesshasbeenbackedbya LabourGovernmentthatsharestheambitionsofthepeopleofLondon.

Weunderstandthatlivinginoneoftheworld’smostdynamicandcomplexcitiesmakesuniquedemandsongovernment.That’swhy,since1997,LabourhasrespondedbymeetingheadontheeconomicandsocialchallengesLondonfaces,whilealsorecognisingthevitalimportanceofourpublicservices.

ButthisGeneralElectionisaboutthefuture.Londonisa greatcitywithmanystrengths,but,likeallcities,facesmanychallenges.WeknowthatrecenttimeshavebeentoughformanyLondoners,andtherecessionhashadamajorimpactonusall.Economicrecoveryisnotyetsecureandmistakesnowcouldtipthecountrybackintorecession.Publicservicesarevastlyimprovedbutneedfurtherreformandinvestment,notclumsycuts.Actiontoreducechildpovertyandtoraisethelivingstandardsofpensioners,combinedwiththeminimumwage,makeourcityafairerplacetolive,workandraiseafamily,buttoomanystillstruggletogetbyorliveinpoverty.

Londonfacesevermoreintenseglobalcompetition,andwemustensurethatourcityremainsthebestplaceintheworldtodobusinessandLondonersareequippedwithnewskillsandqualificationsforthejobsofthefuture.LondonisasafercitythanitwasbuttoomanyLondonersstillfeelinsecure andtoomanycommunitiesremainblightedbyanti-socialbehaviour.Thechallengesposedbyimmigrationmustbeaddressedhonestly,thedemandforfair-pricedhousing needsdeterminedandeffectiveaction,andthediversityofoursocietydemandsfairnessineverythingwedo.ItistheveryscaleofthesechallengesthatmeansLondonneedsaLabourGovernment.

Inthisdocumentwesetoutourpriorities.Ourfirstpriority willbetosecuretherecovery,throughcontinuingtosupporttheeconomy.Wewillalsobringdownborrowinginawaywhichdoesnotdamagetherecoveryorthefrontlineservices

onwhichsomanyLondonersdepend,whiletakingtheactionnecessarytopromotegrowthandjobs.

IncontrasttotheTorieswewillmaintaininvestmentinLondon’sinfrastructure,includingmajorprojectssuchasCrossrail,andwillmaximisethehugepotentialofthe Olympics.Wewillalsoembracetheneweconomybased ondigitaltechnologiesandbroadbanddelivery,withcommitmentstodeliveruniversalaccessthenext generationhigh-speedbroadbandby2017.

Wewillinvestinskillsandeducationtoensurethat Londonerscanfindjobsinthehigh-skill,high-investmentknowledge-basedindustriesofthefuture.Wewillensure thetransitiontoalow-carboneconomytosecureLondon’senergysupply,improvetheenvironmentandcreatejobs.

Wewillhelpworkingfamiliesgetoninlife.Actionontheminimumwage,thelivingwage,childtaxcredit,pensions,housingandthecounciltaxwillreducepovertyandmakeLondonafairerplacetolive.AndwewillprotectandreformthefrontlinepublicservicesonwhichsomanyofLondon’sfamiliesrely.

WewillmakeLondonasafer,moretolerantandunitedcity,basedonsharedvalues,respectandopportunitiesforall. Atthesametime,wewillnottoleratecrimeoranti-socialbehaviourandwewillprotectfrontlinepolicing.WewillcontrolimmigrationthroughtheAustralian-stylepointsbasedsystem.

ButelectionsareatimeofchoiceandLondonersnowfaceachoiceaboutthefuture.Thatchoicewillaffecttheirfamilies,theircommunities,andthecityinwhichtheylive.Atatimeofgreateconomicuncertainty,thatchoicebecomesevenmoreimportant.LondonersneedaGovernmentthatwillprovidethemwithgreateropportunitiesthroughbuildinganeconomythatisstable,steadilyimprovingthepublicservicesthatwerelyon,andbuildingasocietywhichisfair.

Inthiselectionweaskyounotjusttolookatourrecord, butalsotocompareourvisionofthefuturewiththatonofferfromtheTories.Weaskyoutochooseeconomicstabilityoverrecklessness,improvementsinpublicservicesoverfrontlinecuts,andfairnessforthemanyoverprivilegeforthefew.

A future fair for London

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The last decade has seen London become a more ambitious, prosperous, safe and tolerant city. That’s why we won the Olympics.

We have:

•Enabledthecreationofover650,000newjobs inLondon.

•DoubledspendingonhealthinLondon,cuttingwaitinglists,employingalmost18,000morenurses,andrebuilding29hospitals.

•RaisedLondon’sschoolstandardsthroughsmaller classsizesandmorethandoublingspendingperpupil.

•Opened561SureStartChildren’sCentres– providingaffordablechildcareandnurseryplaces.

•Givenalmost600,000childrenabetterstartinlifethroughChildTrustFunds.

•Boostedthestatepensionandwinterfuelallowance formorethan850,000households.

•CutcrimeinLondonbyputtingmorethan6,000extrapoliceofficersand4,000policecommunitysupportofficersonourstreets.

•Restoredcity-widegovernmenttoLondonthrough theMayorandtheLondonAssembly.

•InvestedinLondon’stransportinfrastructure-modernisingtheLondonUnderground,expanding theEastLondonlineandtheDocklandsLightRailway.

•MademajorimprovementstoLondon’snational museumsandgalleries,includingTateModernand theBritishMuseum.

•Refurbishedover27,000homesinLondonthrough thedecenthomesprogramme.

Our record

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When London and the rest of the UK was hit by the global recession, we faced a choice. We could do nothing and let the recession run its course, as the Tories had in the 1980s and 1990s, or we could intervene to support the economy. We decided to protect viable businesses, helping them to keep people in work and create new jobs, as well as to bolster the family finances of the most hard-pressed. And we did all that we could to prevent the wave of repossessions which was the hallmark of the Tory recessions of the early 1990s.

Whenfacedwiththischoice,wemadetherightcall.WeassistedLondon’sconstructionindustrybyinvestingmorethan£2.8billioninaffordablehousing.Weworkedwithbusinesstocreatealmost10,000jobsforyoungpeoplethroughtheFutureJobsFund.WesupportedjobsinLondon’ssmallandmediumsizedbusinessesbyinvesting£140millionofadditionalcapital,andwehelpedmorethan33,000viablebusinessesmanagetheircashflowbyspreadingtheirtaxpaymentsthroughthe‘TimetoPay’initiative.Andweoffered1,000businessesinLondonloanstotaling£123millionfromtheEnterpriseFinanceGuaranteescheme.

Twoyearson,theresultsofthechoicewemadeareclear.Unemployment,repossessionsandbankruptciesareall lowerthaninpreviousrecessions.London’seconomyis nowgrowing,andunemploymentinLondonisnowfalling.

Weunderstandthateveryjoblostisatragedy,butevenat thepeakoftherecession,unemploymentlevelsinLondonhavebeenmuchlowerthanduringtheToryrecessions ofthe1980sandtheearly1990s.AttheheightoftheConservativerecessionin1992,469,335peoplewereunemployedinLondon.AtthepeakoftherecessioninNovember2009,theclaimantcountreachedahighpoint of229,200,lessthanhalfthe1992figure–and100,000belowthefigurepredictedbyeconomistswhentherecessionbegan.UnlikepreviousConservativegovernments,wearetakingconcertedactiontotackleyouthunemploymentandlong-termunemployment.Weareofferingallyoungpeopleaged18to24whohavebeenoutofworkforsixmonthsaguaranteedjobortraining.Itisestimatedthataround54,600youngpeopleinLondonarealreadybenefitting.Andfromthismonth,theofferwillnotjustbeguaranteed,butcompulsory.

Wearenowextendingthisguaranteetoanyoneoutofworkfortwoyears–toendlong-termunemploymentandalifetimeonbenefits.Ourapproachissimple:wewillprovidenewopportunitiesforthoseoutofwork,butdoingnothingwill notbeanoption.

Weunderstoodthatlosingyourhomeistheworstfear ofmanypeopleduringarecession,sowetookactionto helpLondonerswhowerestrugglingtokeepupwiththeirmortgagepayments.Over24,600homeownersinLondonhavereceivedhelpwiththeirmortgagepayments,while £2.8millionhasbeenallocatedacross33localauthorities inLondontosetupsmallloansfundsinordertohelppeoplepreventtheirhomesfrombeingrepossessed.

Buttherecoveryisstillfragile.Thereareequallytoughchoicesahead–choicesthatwillshapeoureconomyandoursocietyfordecadestocome.Thetaskisnowtobringdownborrowinginawaywhichdoesnotwrecktherecoveryorthefrontlineservicesonwhichpeopledepend.

WewillsupportLondon’seconomytostrengthenthe recoveryandtaketheactionnecessarytopromotegrowthandjobs,suchassupportingCrossrail.Itwouldbeahugemistaketocutpublicspendinguntilwe’refullybackonourfeet.Oncetherecoveryissecure,wewillhalvethedeficitinfouryears–throughgrowth,fairtaxesandreductionsinlowerpriorityspending.

Secure London’s recovery

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Following the global economic downturn, we know that our economy needs to be rebalanced. Financial services will always remain important to London, but alongside them we must build on the full range of our existing strengths, such as the creative industries, tourism, architecture and higher education, as well as helping to develop the new industries which will bring new jobs and new opportunities for thousands of Londoners.

Weunderstandthatgovernmentshouldn’trunbusinesses andthatitistheprivatesectorwhichwillbetheengine ofjobcreationastherecoverypicksup.Wewillworkwithittosecureanenvironmentinwhichitcandoso.Wewill supportentrepreneursbycontinuingthe‘TimetoPay’ scheme,offeringaone-yearholidayonbusinessratesforsmallbusinesses,anddoublingtheEntrepreneursReliefLifetimelimitto£2million.Wewillalsocontinuetosimplifyregulationandavoidunnecessaryredtape,whilerecognisingthat,usedcorrectly,regulationcandriveinnovationandprotectconsumersandworkers.

Atthesametime,Labourbelievesthatgovernmenthasaroletoplayinshapingtheconditionsforindustriestothriveandforjobstobecreated.

WewillensurethatLondonisatthecentreofthenewhigh-techeconomybysupportingbusinessesandindustry tocreateskilledjobsinLondonandensuringthatallLondonersareequippedwiththeskillsthattheyneedtosecurethejobsofthefuture.45%ofjobsinLondonarecurrentlyfilledbygraduatesandthisfigurewillcontinue torisedramatically.That’swhyourgoalof75%ofyoungpeoplegoingintohighereducationorcompletinganadvancedtechnicalqualificationbyage30issoimportanttoLondon’sfutureeconomicsuccess.Wewillsupportskillsbyinvesting£1.7billionperyearthroughtheSkillsFundingAgency andwewillofferallsuitablyqualified16to18yearoldsanapprenticeshipplaceby2013,potentiallybenefitting youngLondoners.OurAustralian-stylepointsbasedimmigrationsystemwillensurethatLondon’sbusinessesarestillabletoattractandemployskilledworkersfromoverseaswherethereareshortagesofsuchworkersintheUK.

TransportiscentraltoLondon’seconomicsuccess,andwewillcontinuetoinvestinitsfuture.WearefullycommittedtobothCrossrailandthedevelopmentofaNorth-Southhigh-speed

railnetwork.TheseprojectswillcreatejobsforthousandsofLondoners,supportoureconomicdevelopmentandcreatenewopportunitiesforLondonbusinesses.Crossrailwilladd atleast£20billiontoLondon’seconomy,put1.5millionpeoplewithinanhour’sjourneyofLondon’sbusinesscentresanddeliverfasterjourneytimesacrossthecapital.Atitspeak,14,000peoplewillberequiredtobuildCrossrail,anditstunnelingacademyisalreadyhelpingdeveloptheessentialskillsLondonerswillneedtoexploitthismassiveopportunity.HeathrowandtheotherLondonairportsremainavitallinkwithothercitiesandcountries,andwewillsupporttheirdevelopmentsothattheyarestrongandsustainable.

WewillensurethattheOlympicandParalympicGames, thelargestpublicinfrastructureprojectinEurope,willbringalastinglegacyofjobsforLondon,whileregeneratingthreeofthe10mostdeprivedboroughsinUK.Today,9,000people areworkingontheOlympicParkandVillage.By2012,30,000peoplewillhaveworkedontheconstructionprogrammeoveritslifetime.Afurther9,000jobswillbecreatedinthepost-GamesParkinnewbusinessesandservices;aswellasanursery,primaryandsecondaryschools,apolyclinicandsportingfacilitiesforallLondoners. StratfordCity,theUK’slargestretailcentre,willopenin 2011nexttoOlympicParkandgenerate18,000jobsoncecompleted.Overtheconstructionprogramme,25,000constructionjobswillhavebeencreated.AnditisnotjusttheOlympicboroughsthatarebeingtransformed.WewillsupportregenerationanddevelopmentacrossLondon,includingtherenewalofareassuchasKingsCrossandGreenwich.

Build a high-tech economy for London

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Thetransitiontoalow-carboneconomywillnotonlyhelpsecureLondon’senergysupplyandassisttheUKinmeetingitsemissionstargetsbutwillalsobecentraltoensuring thecreationofjobsinLondon.Already,thewindenergyindustryemploysnearly15,000peopleinLondon.Using theOlympicsasafocus,wewilldevelopagreenjobsstrategyforLondonthatexploitstheopportunitiesprovidedbythemostsustainableGamestheworldhaseverseen.WewillmakeLondonapioneeringcityinotherways,too–forinstance,asoneofthefirst‘Plugged-InPlaces’whichwilldevelopanetworkofelectricvehiclehubs.

London’screativeindustriesareamongthemostsuccessfulandinfluentialintheworld.Creativityindesign,publishing,

television,online,film,theatreandmusicentertainsandengagestheworldwhilegeneratingthousandsofjobsinLondon.WewillhelpthecreativesectormeetthechallengesofthefutureandwewillensuresuperfastbroadbandaccessreacheseveryhomeinLondonby2017.AndjustasLondonexpandedtotheeastmorethan20yearsagotohousethefast-growingfinancialsector,wewanttoseetheeconomicheartofLondonbroadenedtoincorporatetheentrepreneurialandcreativetalentofHoxton,ShoreditchandHackneyWick.WealsowanttoseetheOlympicParkshowcaseEastLondonandhostmajorsportingandcreativeindustryevents.

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Londonerswhohaveworkedhardalltheirlivesdeservedignityandsecurityinretirement.Lastmonth,morethanamillionLondonpensionersreceiveda2.5%increaseintheirstatepensions.In2012,wewillrestorethelinkbetweenearningsandpensions.TheadditionalpaymentsalongsidetheWinterFuelAllowanceannouncedinthisyear’sBudgetwillalsobenefit850,000pensionerhouseholdsinLondon.WewillalsosupportgrandparentswhogiveupworktohelpcarefortheirgrandchildrenbyprovidingthemwithNationalInsuranceCreditstowardstheirstatepension.

WewillprovidehelpforLondon’shome-ownersandthosestrugglingtogetafootonthehousingladderforthefirsttime.Bykeepinginterestratesdown,wewillcontinueto keepmortgageratesaslowaspossible.WewillhelpthosewhohavelostajoborincomestayintheirhomesbyassistingthemwithinterestpaymentsorthroughtheHomeownersMortgageSupportscheme.Andtohelpfirst-timebuyers, weareintroducingatwo-yearStampDutyholidayforfirst-timebuyersonresidentialpropertytransactionsupto£250,000.Wearealsoinvesting£2.8billioninthetwoyearsupto2011inbuildingsocialandaffordablehousinginLondon,andwillensurethatnewbuildingisusedtoaddresstheestablishedwaitinglistsforLondonhomes.

WealsowanttoseehelpforLondon’scounciltaxpayers,whichiswhy,acrossLondon,Labourcouncilsarepromising tofreezecounciltaxfortheyear2010-2011.

There are few better places than London to raise a family, start a business or simply live a fulfilling and rewarding life. Yet living in London can sometimes be tough. Our priority is to help working families meet their aspirations, provide opportunity for all London’s children, and security and a decent retirement to pensioners. We want to raise living standards in our city, and build a new era of shared and sustainable prosperity for all. All Londoners will have to pitch in and work hard – but they’ll be supported to the hilt by a government that’s on their side.

TheminimumwageisoneofLabour’sproudestachievements,andmorethan80,000Londonersbenefittedfromitsrecentincrease.Nowwewanttogofurther.Wewillsetagoal fortheminimumwagetoriseatleastinlinewithaverageearningsovertheperiodto2015andwewillguaranteeto allLondonerswhohavebeenunemployedforsixmonthsthattheywillbe£40aweekbetteroffinwork.WeareproudofthefactthatitwasaLabourmayor,KenLivingstone,whointroducedtheLondonLivingWage.Now,tounderlineourcommitmenttohelpingthelowestpaid,wewillalsoaskallWhitehallDepartments,withintheirallocatedbudgets,tofollowtheleadofthosewhoalreadypaytheLondonLivingWage.Thiswillbesupportedbymeasurestoaddresshighpayinthepublicsector-reducingpay-billpressureintheyearsahead.

WeknowthatLondonisanexpensiveplacetobringupchildren.That’swhyweareprovidingnewsupportforfamilieswithyoungchildreninLondon.From2012,120,000Londonfamilieswithchildrenagedtwoorunderwillbeover£200 ayearbetteroffthankstothenew‘ToddlerTaxCredit’.Atthesametime,1.7millionchildreninLondonbenefitedfromthelatestincreaseinChildBenefit.AndforLondon’snewdads,we’llintroducea‘Father’sMonth’offlexiblepaidleaveinthefirstyearoftheirchild’slife.

WewanttogiveallLondon’schildrenthebeststartinlife, sowewillextendfreenurseryprovision,treblingthenumberofplacesfortwoyearoldsandincreasingtheavailable freehoursforallparentsofthreeandfouryearoldsfrom 12.5to15.Morethan450,000LondonchildrenandtheirfamilieshavebenefittedfromSureStartsinceLabourintroducedit,whichiswhywewillprotectallofLondon’s 561SureStartcentres.

Raise living standards for London’s families

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Londonisoneoftheworld’swealthiestcitiesintheworld, butpovertystillremainsascaronitsconscience.WehavesignedtheLondonChildPovertypledgeandlegislatedtoendchildpovertyby2020.Increasesintheminimumwage,childbenefitandtaxcreditandtheextensionofthelivingwagewilltakefurtherchildrenoutofpoverty.FromSeptemberthisyear,wewillalsoextendfreeschoolmealstoprimaryschoolchildrenfromlow-incomeworkingfamiliesinLondon.

Wewillalsoseektoensurethatbankingservicesandaffordablecreditareavailableforalllowandmiddle-incomefamilies,puttinganendtothescourgeofloansharksandmoneylenders.Allconsumerswillbegiventherighttoabasicbankaccount,andwewillcreateanew‘People’sBank’which

willallowLondon’s35creditunionstoprovideaffordable loansthroughthenetworkofLondon’s676postofficebranches.FromJuly2010,overonemillionLondonersareexpectedtobenefitfromtheSavingGatewayaccounts,offeringpeopleonlowincomes50pfromtheGovernment forevery£1theysave.

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With the people of London, Labour has rebuilt London’s public services over the last 13 years. We have more than doubled our investment in health and education in London, overseeing the biggest hospital building programme in the city’s history, and treating over 96% of patients diagnosed with cancer within 62 days. In 1997, 48,000 people in London were waiting over 26 weeks for an in-patient appointment. Now barely anyone does. We have gone from having some of the worst schools in the country to having some of the best. The proportion of young people leaving school with five good GCSEs (including English and Maths) is up by over 10 percentage points since 2005.

Wehaveallworkedtoohardtoseetheseimprovementsreversed.Thatiswhywewillprotectspendingonvitalfrontlineservices.Butifwearetodothat,wemuststep upthepaceofreformtoensurevaluefortaxpayers’money,risingstandards,andservicesthatarefullyfocusedontheneedsandaspirationsofindividualLondonersandthecommunitiesinwhichtheylive.

GiventheconditionofpublicservicesinLondonwhenwecameintooffice,targetswerecrucialtodriveimprovement.Butfurtherimprovementwillonlybeachievedbyplacingpowerinthehandsofcitizensandstaff.Wearenowadvancingpublicserviceguarantees,basedonanexplicitcontractbetweencitizenandstate,involvingafundamentalshiftfromdeliverertouser–movingfromtargetsintorights.

Nowthatinvestmentandreformhavebroughtwaitinglistsdowninhealth,weareturningwaitingtimetargetsintolegallyenforceableguaranteesforallpatients:amaximumtwo-weekguaranteeoncancerreferrals,withresultswithinaweek;amaximum18-weekguaranteeforhospitaltreatment;andrightstofreehealthchecksandtoeveningandweekendaccesstoGPs.

Overthenextfiveyears,startingin2011withthreeofthebiggestkillers–lung,colorectalandovariancancers–wewilldeliverourcommitmenttoacancerdiagnosiswithinoneweek,givingGPsdirectaccesstoultrasoundandMRIscans.Alongwiththetwoweekpledgeoncancerreferrals,thiswillsaveupto1,500livesayearinLondon.

Wewillgivethe2.41millionLondonersagedbetween40and74therighttoafreehealthcheck,whichcouldpotentially

preventover1,400strokesandheartattacksinLondon, andsavemorethan300lives.

Asthedemandforsocialcareincreases,andolderanddisabledpeoplerightlydemandandexpectmorepowerandcontroloverthecareservicestheyreceive,wewilltransformthewaysocialcareisfundedanddelivered.WewillcreateanewNationalCareService,endingthepostcodelotteryforcareandensuringthatusersandcarershavefairaccesstothesupporttheyneedandthedignitytheydeserve.Asastartingpoint,wewillofferfreepersonalcareathomeforLondonerswiththehighestneedsandacaponthecostofresidentialcaretoprotectpeople’shomesandsavings.Itisestimatedthatmorethan42,000peopleinLondonwillinitiallybeabletoreceivefreepersonalcareintheirhomes,andmorethan18,000willbeabletoaccessrenablementcare-whichwillhelpthemrecoveraftertraumaticeventssuchasheartattacksorstrokes.

Since1997,London’sschoolshaveimprovedfasterthananywhereelseinthecountry.Buttoimprovestandardsstillfurther,weareguaranteeingcatch-upandone-to-onetuitionforpupilswhostartprimaryschoolbehind,foranypupilstillnotmakingprogressatagesevenandcatch-uphelp,includingone-to-onetuitionprovision,foranypupilstartingsecondaryschoolhavingnotmasteredthebasicsinprimary.Wehaveallocatedjustunder£37millionsothatover85,000childreninLondonwillbenefit.

Our‘SeptemberGuarantee’offerseducationandtrainingforall16and17yearolds–withfundinginplacefor186,000

Protect frontline investment in London’s schools and the NHS

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youngpeopleinLondon.Wehaveinvestednearly £100milliontoimprove35furthereducationcolleges,includingrefurbishmentstoWestminsterKingswayandLambethcolleges,andthebuildingofanewtechnologycentreattheCollegeofNorthWestLondon.

London’suniversitieshavealsomadesignificantimprovementsinrecentyears,withnewdevelopments suchastheUniversityoftheArts,andthecontinuedprogressofuniversitiessuchasImperialCollege,UniversityCollege

LondonandtheLondonSchoolofEconomics.WewillcontinuewithourtargetformorethanhalfofallofLondon’syoungpeopletogotouniversityandwewant75%ofallyoungpeoplebytheageof30tohaveachievedanadvancedapprenticeship,equivalentqualification,orhaveattendeduniversity.WewillensurethatLondon’suniversitiesarewellplacedtotakeasignificantproportionofthe20,000extraplacesthatwewillprovideforstudentsin2010-11.

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London has changed dramatically as city. Crime is down, rough sleeping has been largely eradicated, and anti-social behaviour has been targeted. Whole-hearted commitment to the arts, including free entry to our museums and galleries, has enriched our cultural lives, and we have passed a range of laws that have made London fairer for all, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, disability, religious belief or age.

OurchallengenowistomakeLondonasafer,more tolerantandunitedcity,basedonsharedvalues,respect andopportunitiesforall,wheretherightsofindividualsarerespected,andfairrulesapplytoeveryone.That’swhywe willnottoleratecrimeandanti-socialbehaviour.Wewillalsosupportpeopletocometogethertocollectivelytacklesharedproblems,regenerateareasandchangethefaceoftheircommunities.

Wewillensurethatourcommunitiesaresafefromcrime andanti-socialbehavior.Thereareover6,000morepoliceoffersinLondonthanin1997.Tomaintaintheprogress wehavemadeincuttingcrimeanddisorder,wewillprotectfrontlineinvestmentinpolicingandprovidetheinvestmentforLondon’s630localSaferNeighbourhoodteams,whichhavemorethan4,100officers.Ouranti-socialbehaviourguaranteewillinsistthatpoliceandlocalauthoritiesuseeveryoneofthewide-rangingtoolsandpowersalreadyavailabletothem.Wewillprovideanewrighttolegalinjunctionsforrepeatvictims,fundedbythepoliceorcouncilwhohaveletthemdown.Andwhereweneedtogofurtherwewill.Wewillintroducenewpowerstotacklealcohol-relatedcrimeandnewpreventativemeasuressuchasFamilyInterventionProgrammestargetingtroublesomefamilies.

WevaluethesocialandeconomicbenefitsthatLondonhasderivedfromimmigration.Butwealsorecognisethepressureonhousingandpublicservicesthatmigrationcancauseinsomepartsofourcity.WewillcontrolimmigrationthroughtheAustralian-stylepoints-basedsystemandwehavehaltedallunskilledmigrationfromoutsidetheEuropeanUnion.

AcrossLondon,Labourcouncilorsarealreadypioneeringa newapproachtolocalgovernmentbasedontheco-operativevaluesoffairness,accountabilityandresponsibility.Thiswillenablethecreationofamoresustainablelocaleconomyandanewsettlementbetweenpeopleandtheirlocalservices.Thiswillbeachievedbygivingcitizensandcommunitiesrealpowertotakeresponsibilityforrunningservicesthemselves,freeing

upresourcestoguaranteeservicesforthemostvulnerable.Thiswillnotonlysavemoney,butalsohelpbuildstrongercommunities,localleadershipandservicesthataremoreresponsivetolocalneeds.

WewillcontinuetosupportLondon’scharities,communitygroupsandnewmutualorganisations.WewillalsoassistLondon’slocalauthoritiestoacceleratethetransferof assetstothesegroups,allowingthemtoownandrunanythingfromswimmingpools,disusedpubsandshops tomajorleisurefacilitiesandland.Wewillencouragethedevelopmentofcommunityenergyco-operatives,which willallowcommunitiestocollectivelycometogetherto savemoneyontheirbillsandtackleclimatechange.

Londonishometomoreprofessionalfootballteamsthatanywhereelseinthecountry.Theseareoftenseenascommunityassets,yettoooftentheyareownedeitherbyprivateindividuals,whoseektopromotetheirowninterests,orcontrolledbywell-meaningbutdistantcommittees.WehaveencouragedfanownershipthroughthecreationofSupportersDirect,whichhashelpedmanyfanscollectivelytowinarealsayoverthemannerinwhichtheirclubsarerun.Wewillgivefurtherpowerstofanstoallowthemcollectivelytotakeovertherunningoftheirclubs.

WewillupholdLondon’spositionasoneofthemostdiverseandtolerantcitiesintheworld,throughcontinuingtotacklediscrimination,inwhateverformittakes.OurnewEquality Actwillencouragebusinessestoreporttheirgenderpaygap,outlawunfairagediscriminationintheprovisionofgoodsandservices,andallowemployerstodiversifytheirteamwhenthereareequallyqualifiedsuitablecandidates.

Strengthen fairness in London’s communities

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David Cameron has said that the Tories in London are a model for how he would govern the UK. So what might that mean?

In London Boris Johnson has: •Cutthenumberofpoliceby455,refusingtouse

acounciltaxwindfallof£5.7milliontoprotect policenumbers.

•Refusedtoguaranteethefutureofthesix-officerSaferNeighbourhoodTeamsthatserveeverywardinLondon.

•IncreasedbusfaresbyathirdonLondon’sbuses,withhisJanuaryfarerisethelargestinrealtermsinTransportforLondon’shistory.

•Brokenhispledgetodefendlocalticketoffices,with aprogrammeofcutstoopeninghoursat278tubestations,axingupto800jobs.

•Gonebackonhispledgetobuild50,000affordablehomesforLondonoverthreeyears

•Decidedtospreadpublicmoneyavailabletoworkingfamiliesmorethinly,bysubsidisinghomeownershipforhouseholdsearningupto£74,000peryear.Thismeansthatfeweronlowincomeswillbeabletogainaccesstohomeownership.

•ProducedhousingpolicieswhichShelter’sChiefExecutiveatthetimedescribedasserving‘merely toperpetuatethewealthandclassdivisionsinthenation’scapital.’

Tory Councils in London have: •Setup‘budgetairline’serviceswith‘nofrills,’where

familiesgetlessbutpaymoreandonlythewealthy fewcanaffordthelevelofservicesthattheywant.BarnetCouncilhasalreadyannouncedthatthewealthyfewcanpaymoreandjumptheplanningapplicationprocesstogettheircaseseenquicker.

•Saidthatcouncilsshouldhikeupthepricesoflocalservices.CouncillorEddieLister,ToryLeaderofWandsworth,saidthat‘wewilllooktoincrease chargesasfaraspossibleaboveinflationsothattheconsumersoftheservicesarebearingthefullcosts.

•Triedtogetridofcounciltenantsfromtheirhomes. AtHammersmithandFulhamCouncil,amemohasdescribedcouncilhousingas‘barracksforthepoor, andtheToryleaderhascalledforanendto‘building andpubliclyinvestinginthe“socialrent”template.’

David Cameron has threatened to put London’s recovery at risk, threaten public services and make life tougher for London’s families.

Nationally, the Conservatives are risking London’s future through: •Refusingtoconfirmthattheywouldcontinuewith

theCrossrailproject.Thiswouldputthousandsofjobs atriskandcostLondon’seconomyaround£20billion.

•PuttingLondon’sHighSpeedRaillineatrisk. TheConservativeshaverefusedtobuildconsensusaroundtherouteforfearofupsettingvotersinthe seatsthroughwhichthelinewouldpass.

•Scrappingtheguaranteeofhavingcancertestresults inoneweekandseeingacancerspecialistwithintwoweeks.Thiscouldleadtowaitingtimesshootinguponceagain,astheydidwhentheTorieswerelastinpower.

•Threatening100LondonSureStartChildren’sCentres.TheTorieswouldputone-fifthofLondon’s561SureStartcentresatriskbycutting£200millionperyearfromitsbudget.

LabourcanseeLondonthroughtherecovery,protectfrontlineservicesandstandupforLondoners.ThecutsproposedbytheTorieswouldputtheeconomyatriskandsetbacktheprogressthathasbeenmadeinLondonduringLabour’stimeinpower.

The Tory Risk

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Promoted by Ken Clark on behalf of the London Labour Party, both at 39 Victoria St, London, SW1H 0HA. Printed by Karian and Box Ltd, 8 The Broadway, London W6 7AL.

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