Mike Tuffrey has a guest post over on Liberal Democrat Voice today, arguing for more local council control over their own finances:
Local government is massively dependent on central government for three quarters of its income. That’s bad for democracy, bad for services, and bad for business and job creation.
With Whitehall holding the purse strings, lack of fiscal autonomy renders the local ballot box impotent and depresses voter turnout.
When the rates were nationalised, the incentive on councils and companies to work together to boost prosperity locally was removed.
It’s essential that re-localising rates is accompanied by new ways to boost economic growth and retain the benefits in London. There’s a limit to what national taxation can invest in London’s essential infrastructure, after the mess Labour left us all in. But we can keep a greater share of the new growth investment will unlock.
You can read the full piece from Mike Tuffrey here.
Watch this short video of Mike Tuffrey’s campaign launch at the Unicorn Theatre, in which he sets out his plans for London and his experience of campaigning across London and helping businesses:
London Assembly member Mike Tuffrey today officially launched his campaign to win the 2012 Liberal Democrat nomination for Mayor of London, with an ambitious plan to build enough new homes to house a quarter of a million Londoners.
“It’s time for serious solutions to the big challenges we face if London is to remain a great city to live, work and raise a family in over the next decade” said Mike Tuffrey, who has served as an Assembly member since 2002. “With new powers coming from central government, we need a GLA – mayor and assembly – that is ambitious for London, like the GLC of old.”
Introduced by former Lib Dem Mayoral Candidate Baroness Susan Kramer at a launch event at City Hall, Mike issued a personal five point action plan, pledging to consult Londoners on their priorities:
Mike Tuffrey was first elected to London government in 1985, just before the GLC was abolished, and during the 1990s he took the Liberal Democrats on Lambeth from just four councillors to run the Council. At City Hall, he’s led the Liberal Democrat group during the mayoralties of both Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson.
All Liberal Democrat members in London will decide the party’s mayoral candidate. Nominations close on Friday June 17 and the result is expected for August 12.
In an interview for the BBC’s Politics Show, Mike confirmed that he would be throwing his hat into the ring to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London in 2012.
The Mayor’s record of building homes on London Development Agency (LDA) land has been exposed as a total sham by Mike Tuffrey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly housing spokesman.
Following questioning of the Mayor by Mike it was admitted yesterday (Wednesday 18 May) by Boris Johnson that huge amounts of publicly owned land in London have not seen any new affordable homes built over the last three years, despite bold claims made in the Mayor’s housing manifesto in 2008(1). The Mayor’s concession confirms his earlier reply (2) that a mere 1431 affordable homes had been built on LDA land which his own election manifesto said could contain 32,000. The Mayor has also admitted that his separate pledge to ensure that the London Housing Company would be up and running and making good use of public land by April 2011(3) has not even been met.
Commenting on the Mayor’s reply Mike Tuffrey said:
“The Mayor has completely failed Londoners by not delivering the promised mechanism to unlock these sites, and is now saying it may not even go ahead at all. There is a huge chasm between what the Mayor said was possible and what actually has been achieved.
“The Mayor has had three years to come up with a mechanism to ensure affordable homes are delivered on land that is publicly owned. Sadly his record so far has been a complete failure to unlock the immense potential of so much publicly owned land in London.”
Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrat London Assembly environment spokesperson, commenting on reports that Britain could face fines up to £175 million by the International Olympic Committee if it continues to break air pollution laws by the time the Games start said:
“Air pollution in London is not new, even if the last few days has been a powerful reminder of just how serious the problem actually is.
“London has been set to host the 2012 Games for the last six years and Boris Johnson has been the Mayor of London for three years, so the obvious question is how we have ever got into this situation?
“Yet while we need to avoid international embarrassment next year what really matters is that air pollution is permanently tackled. The number one reason for tackling air pollution is the immense harm it does to the health of Londoners, literally every day of the year.
“Instead of short term panic measures we need to take real action to permanently tackle London’s air pollution, starting with a Clean Air Zone for central London which would take the most polluting vehicles off the roads where pollution is the biggest problem.”
Mike Tuffrey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly environment spokesperson, commenting on the announcement today that discounts of up to £3,000 on the price of new vans and minibuses are being offered to Londoners to switch to cleaner vehicles, said:
“This will help ensure many small businesses and voluntary organisations rise to the challenge of meeting the new air quality standards for vans and minibuses.
“In fact improving air quality is a win-win for everyone. Tackling the health implications of poor air quality benefits everyone in the long term, including businesses.
“However the challenge for the Mayor is to now go further and learn from other European countries. London must now follow the successful example of Berlin and introduce a Clean Air Zone in central London, where air pollution is worst and has the greatest impact on people’s health.”
Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and member of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), commenting on today’s proposals by the Conservative members of LFEPA to advocate the privatisation of the Control Room handling London’s Fire Brigade’s 999 calls said:
“No fire service in Britain has a privatised Control Room to handle emergency calls.
“The Fire Brigade’s Control Room is vital to getting a speedy response to fires and emergencies. It needs highly professional and well-trained staff and there should be absolute certainty that it can handle to a high standard every call it receives.
“The Control Room is not a routine “call-centre” business where existing private companies can easily take on the role.
“Outsourcing might make sense for some routine services, but for this highly specific service it is a step too far.
“The bottom line is that this is a dangerous idea that should be stopped before it goes any further.”
Published and promoted by Ashley Lumsden on behalf of Mike Tuffrey (Liberal Democrats)
50 Lynette Avenue, Clapham, London SW4 9HD. Website produced by Puffbox.