Conservative Assembly Member Richard Barnes has been accused of suggesting the Mayor could spend less money on policing in the capital.
The Ealing Times quotes Mr Barnes, who is also a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, as saying: “More police in London are always welcome, but I don’t think so much money should be spent on them.”
“Better policing could also be achieved by restructuring in the organisation.”
In a statement released by his campaign team Mr Livingstone called the reported remarks “an amazing statement, totally contradicting what most Londoners think about the need to fund our police service properly.”
“Time and time again in London we have seen the consequences of cuts to our public services and we cannot afford to go back to ill-judged cuts which damage London in the long time.”
The report follows a three-way row between the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidates over policing in the capital.
Mr Barnes has denied making the comments. telling MayorWatch: “I never said any such thing. Indeed, at the Budget debate at the London Assembly on 30th January I pleaged no cut in the police service budget, additional officers and an Automatic Number Plate Reading squad for every Borough – to improve road safety, crack down on tax and insurance non-payers and to deny criminals the roads.”
The Assembly Member has been at the forefront of calls for an independent investigation into a series of damaging allegations concerning the London Development Agency and has been vocal critic of Mayor Livingstone’s administration.
