London Mayor Sadiq Khan defended his decision to increase council tax during a heated exchange with City Hall Conservatives on Thursday, as questions arose over the impact of the sharp rise in bills on Londoners. The Labour mayor argued that years of austerity under Conservative governments had necessitated the move, stating, “One budget is not going to undo 14 years of cuts.”
Sir Sadiq’s proposed four per cent increase to his portion of council tax will add £18.98 to the annual bill for a Band D household, raising the mayor’s share from £471.40 to £490.38. While this marks his lowest increase in five years, it represents a significant rise from the £276 annual precept he inherited in 2016 from his predecessor, Boris Johnson.
The majority of the additional revenue—£14—will go to the Metropolitan Police to support 1,300 neighbourhood officers and tackle violent crime. The remaining £4.98 will fund the London Fire Brigade.
At Thursday’s London Assembly meeting, Conservative Assembly Member Alessandro Georgiou criticised the decision, asking, “What alternative funding sources did you explore before deciding to increase your precept, such as seeking additional central Government funding or reallocating funds from other parts of the budget?” Mr Georgiou highlighted that the mayoral council tax precept had risen by more than 75 per cent since Sir Sadiq took office, adding, “Will you ask your mates in this commie new Government whether they’ll give you money, as you promised they would?”
In response, the mayor blamed Conservative austerity policies for the financial shortfall, citing a £1.1bn cut to the Metropolitan Police’s budget over 14 years. He also criticised Mr Johnson’s decision not to raise council tax during his tenure as mayor, which he said resulted in an additional £350m loss for the police.
“That’s one of the reasons why police officer numbers went down to 29,000,” Sir Sadiq said. “One of the reasons why we’ve had fewer PCSOs, and one of the reasons why we have police stations closing. I’ve taken the decision to support the police by increasing the precept by £14, which amounts to £58m. If I followed Mr Georgiou’s advice, that would mean £58m in further cuts.”
The mayor also defended his decision to increase funding for the Fire Brigade, pointing to previous cuts under Mr Johnson, which included closing fire stations, selling fire engines, and reducing staff. “The leadership was hollowed out, and there were big problems in the Fire Brigade,” Sir Sadiq explained before being interrupted by Mr Georgiou.
The exchange grew more contentious when Mr Georgiou accused Sir Sadiq of failing to deliver on his manifesto promises, stating, “Your manifesto was filled with drivel that if we had a Labour Government and a Labour mayor, things would be better. Were you lying in your manifesto, or are you misleading us now?”
The mayor countered by highlighting the difference in funding under Labour. He stated that between 2010 and July 2024, the Met Police received an additional £44m in cumulative funding, whereas in just seven months under the Labour Government, it had received £208m. However, Conservative Assembly Member Susan Hall pointed out that nearly £45m of the increase would be offset by Labour’s rise in employers’ national insurance contributions.
Despite the criticism, Sir Sadiq defended his approach, stating, “One budget is not going to undo 14 years of cuts. We are investing in young people, youth clubs, and the police, reversing the damage done by Conservative policies.” He added that the Conservatives on the Assembly were effectively advocating for a £58m cut to the police budget.
Concluding the exchange, Mr Georgiou addressed London voters directly: “If you voted for this man, you voted to be poorer as a Londoner.”
The London Assembly is set to vote on the mayor’s budget next month, with the outcome likely to impact millions of households across the capital.
