The Greater London Authority (GLA) budget includes spending on the capital’s devolved public services including policing, transport and fire service, as well City Hall’s regeneration and housing responsibilities.
Although opposition Assembly parties oppose some of the Mayor’s spending plans, they lack the two-thirds of votes needed to amend his budget.
The 2014/15 GLA budget also includes a reduction in City Hall’s share of the council tax which will fall by £4 per year from £303.00 to £299.00 a year for a Band D household.
Conservative Assembly Members had called on the Mayor to deliver a bigger cut in line with promises to cut City Hall’s share of the tax by 10% over the course of his term of office.
A joint amendment by Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green AMs which would have frozen the council tax precept rather than cut it failed to attract sufficient support to pass.
The Mayor’s office says the budget will deliver 2,600 extra frontline police by 2016, support jobs and growth and safeguard “significant” investment in transport infrastructure.
Officials claim the Mayor has secured £1.25 billion between 2015-18 to deliver more affordable homes but opposition AMs say he’s failing to meet both demand and his own targets.
Speaking after the Assembly vote, Mayor Johnson said: ’By making sensible savings over the years, we have been able to deliver a budget to help hard-pressed Londoners.
“This budget protects key services, investment in jobs and growth, affordable housing and vital transport infrastructure; whilst at the same time provides a modest cut in the council tax and bears down on fares.”
