The London election will determine the course of our capital for the next four years. London is a success story. We have more to do to make sure that all Londoners can participate in that success. And we must make sure that success is sustainable, by improving the environment and tackling climate change.

We will continue investing to transform London’s transport system – continue to improve bus services, modernise the Tube, build Crossrail and improve London rail services through London Overground.

We will maintain downward pressure on crime and add a further 1,000 police over the next year to London’s existing record police numbers.

We will safeguard the policy that half of new homes should be cheaper homes to buy and homes at affordable rents. We will build a minimum fifty thousand new affordable homes in the next three years.

We will make the Freedom Pass a 24-hour concession – giving older and disabled Londoners free travel before 9am. We will extend the student travel discount to Oyster One Day Travelcards and maintain free travel for under- 18s on the buses.

We will take radical steps to deal with climate change and keep the London-wide Low Emission Zone to reduce pollution from lorries and coaches.

Our aim will be to maintain good community relations.

We will continue to reduce racist attacks, down more than fifty per cent over eight years.

London is nothing if it does not put its young people first.

So one of our priorities will be a £78m programme – including major resources from the government - to set up youth centres and improve youth services throughout London to provide safe facilities outside school hours.

The Tory alternative for London would be harmful. Boris Johnson would bring gridlock to central London by reducing the size of the congestion charge zone. He wants to end the policy that half of all new homes should be affordable.
He attacks the Low Emission Zone as draconian. He dismisses radical policies on climate change.

Our job is to campaign this spring so that Londoners are clear about the very real choice on offer on May Day. I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail so that we can keep London moving forwards. A vote for Labour will be a vote for London.