A new start for London 2021 LONDON GREEN PARTY manifesto SIAN BERRY - YOUR CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR OF LONDON

Sian Berry is a Green London Assembly Member and won third place in the last election for Mayor LONDON NEEDS in 2016, where she won more second preference Mayor votes than any other candidate. Sian says: A NEW START “I have been a Londoner all my working life, and in all that time I have been a private renter. I’ve experienced first-hand the frustration of bad London should be the greenest city in the Our renters are in despair, homelessness landlords, broken plumbing and high rents. world, the city best prepared for the future. is rising, traffic is going up, and women We can get there with a new Green Mayor. and minorities are harmed every day by “Before being elected to the Assembly, I worked prejudice and the criminal justice system. with communities across the country to protect the Right now, Londoners are crying out for a environment and win big new funding for better new start. A recovery that raises everyone People on the lowest incomes are transport services. up and creates a secure future. One we can struggling, and our youth services are pass onto the next generation with pride. being devastated by cuts. “I have got so much done, and I’m ready to serve you and our city as your Green Mayor. With Caroline Russell, I have worked hard Coronavirus has exposed some of the worst for the past five years representing you as gaps in our systems. But these systems “In the Green Party you will find everyday people a Green London Assembly Member. can be changed. who became politicians because we care deeply about the places we live, our future and our Even before the crisis, our work with Things can be different and, as your Green neighbours. citizens and campaigners exposed huge candidates for Mayor and Assembly, we problems. have the plans to do it. “Our citizens are crying out for people they can trust who will stand up for what’s right. “As well as making me your first choice for Mayor, you can vote for our hard-working Assembly A POLITICIAN WHO GETS THINGS DONE candidates on all your ballot papers in his election.” As a London Assembly Member for five years, I have listened and worked with Londoners on the issues that matter to you. ` Won a big change in policy from the current Mayor to give residents the USE THREE VOTES FOR SIAN BERRY power to vote down plans that demolish council homes. AND THE GREEN PARTY ON THURSDAY 6 MAY ` Got the Mayor and Assembly to declare a climate emergency. Greens are London Assembly – Local needed now to make the new 2030 net zero target a reality. ` I have helped reverse deep cuts by winning over £70 million in new Assembly – London-wide funding for youth clubs and services in London.

ii MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 1 GREEN PARTY POLICIES

Our policies for London are winning support ` Reduce traffic and cancel the Silvertown from people all across the city. Road Tunnel, investing instead in healthy streets, walking, cycling, better buses WE WILL CREATE THE and new public transport links. ` Flatten fares and create a single zone for GREENEST CITY IN THE WORLD tube and rail, just like we have on buses, Only a Green Mayor can be trusted with our helping everyone in outer London pay future. We will: less for travel. People’s Land Commission so that people real prevention to stop violence against in local areas can make their own plans women, and services for young people ` Make all transport in London zero carbon ` Set the right targets to solve the climate for new homes. that help them thrive. and ecological emergency before 2030, and non-polluting by 2030. ` Prevent homelessness by working with ` Do more to support good mental health, and work with all our citizens’ to achieve | Read more from page 30 them. renters to improve rights and cancel the making it equal to physical health in rent debts built up during the pandemic. importance. We will open up more green ` Protect green spaces, stop using space and help Londoners connect with FRESH THINKING ` Rents are too high and making inequality pesticides, improve woods and wetlands each other in their communities. across the city, and create new parks FOR HOUSING worse. A Green Mayor will not stop and greener streets. pushing the Government until we win the ` Make roads truly safe, by cutting speed Our ideas will help everyone find a decent, power to set rent controls in London. limits and investing in road policing. ` Invest more in green energy and new secure home. We will: jobs, with warmer homes and new | Read more from page 48 ` Achieve clean air, with an ultra low ` Bring more homes under the control funding to cut fuel poverty. emission zone to cover all of London, and of Londoners, with new investment to work to cut traffic and invest in green | Read more from page 6 acquire homes for key workers at a ACTION FOR A SAFE buses. London Living Rent, and more support AND HEALTHY CITY for co-operative and community-led | Read more from page 62 A CLEAR PLAN TO KEEP housing. Our goal is to keep everyone in our city safe from harm. We will: LONDON MOVING ` Prevent the loss of council housing by Greens want to make it easier to get giving more residents the power to ` Set clear targets to prevent violence and around for everyone. We will: vote against demolition, and set up a bring murders down to zero, investing in

2 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 3 A DUTY TO RESPECT A MISSION TO TRANSFORM EVERYONE’S RIGHTS OUR ECONOMY Greens will support everyone to live their A Green Mayor is the only choice for a real lives free from discrimination. We will: green recovery. We will: ` Support freedom of movement, the rights ` Be champions of our high streets and of EU citizens, and fight to end all hostile small businesses, building resilience with environment policies that target migrants affordable rents. and refugees. ` Create green jobs to make, re-use and ` Create a city-wide mission to end repair more of the goods and services we racism and sexism, support the rights need locally. of LGBTIQA+ citizens, young and older ` Support workers with a new London Londoners, and break down the barriers Living Wage at £14 an hour and flexible, faced by disabled Londoners. family-friendly standards for employers ` Protect civil liberties and push back on to meet. police powers. Hold them to account, ` Open up opportunities for young people stop the use of facial recognition, and roll with a trial of a Creative Autonomy back the increase in stop and search. Allowance – a regular income to help | Read more from page 86 kickstart careers in business and the arts. A PROMISE TO SHARE | Read more from page 112 MY POWER Greens believe in putting power in the hands of the people. We will: ` Bring more diverse voices into decision- making, so more Londoners have real power over policies that affect them, including the Mayor’s budget. ` Do more to win powers from Government for a direct say over taxes, the NHS, education, criminal justice, housing and environment policies – just like in Scotland and Wales. | Read more from page 102

4 MANIFESTO for a new start CLIMATE WE WILL SET THE Action to stop climate chaos isn’t the RIGHT TARGETS THAT priority of the Conservative Government, but we can find hope in our cities in 2021. SCIENCE DEMANDS ` All our targets - in the London Plan Across the world, city mayors have often and in all the Mayor’s strategies - will taken the lead when national governments urgently be brought forward to 2030 in have proved they are not up to the job. line with avoiding the risk of going over a We believe in powering local action and 1.5C rise in global temperatures. working with communities, and a Green ` A Green Mayor will set the right targets Mayor will start by cancelling all the and review all the statutory strategies projects from the current Mayor that to make sure our actions in London are would make the climate and ecological focused on doing everything we can to emergency worse. avert a climate and ecological disaster. WE WILL CREATE We will invest in green jobs and ` We will change the rules for Mayoral transforming our economy, using all the decision-making so that every budget resources we can muster to create new plan and official decision report in City green energy, and cut wasted energy Hall includes an assessment of the THE GREENEST CITY and carbon emissions from our homes, impact on climate and ecology, to help transport and businesses. reduce our footprint every time we make new policies or spending plans, and so IN THE WORLD STOP MAKING THINGS WORSE we can be held to account. The current Mayor is still pushing policies ` A Green Mayor will tell the truth about and plans that will make climate chaos our impact. The overall carbon impact ondon could be leading the way with A Green Mayor is the only one you can trust harder to prevent. This is unacceptable. of decisions and the progress of current our response to the climate and to set the right targets and make the right policies will be reported in writing every ` A Green Mayor will cancel traffic- L ecological crisis. plans to meet them, working with citizens quarter to the Assembly, with dedicated inducing road schemes, including the across the city on this vital mission. time within the Mayor’s Question Time But no Mayor of our city has yet acted with Silvertown Road Tunnel and the Croydon four times a year for questions about the real urgency needed. For our health and for our future, we need Five Ways road plan, diverting the work within the city to stop climate real Green action on climate, green space, funding to clean transport and better Too many of our homes are cold and damp, chaos. nature, waste, and the resources we use. our green spaces – so precious to us now – streets. ` We will set up an independent Citizen’s are being built on. And, crucially, we need to transform our ` Greens would oppose all airport Assembly on the climate and ecological economy and create good green jobs to expansion in London. The current Mayor And our air, water and habitats are emergency, recruiting a representative make, re-use and repair more of our stuff is supporting London City Airport to polluted, while we burn too much of our group of Londoners to serve for a year at locally. That’s the recovery we want to increase flights and backs the expansion waste and our recycling rates are going in a time on a permanent body, supported lead, and we need everyone with us. of Gatwick Airport. the wrong direction by and working with the London

6 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 7 Assembly Environment Committee. The Assembly will be resourced with expert A CLEAN ENERGY REVOLUTION WE ARE FACING A support to examine the Mayor’s policies, ` A Green Mayor’s strategic goal will be for hold all the GLA organisations to account, 100 per cent renewable energy supply CLIMATE EMERGENCY and find and propose new ideas to for all the GLA’s operations by 2026 and respond to the crisis. a zero carbon energy system for the whole city by 2030, including removing ` A Green Mayor will also work with active any reliance on natural gas or wood climate campaigners and citizens’ burning. This is a hugely ambitious task groups to help plan and support our to achieve, but we can only get to the action to meet climate targets. This place science demands by setting the Climate Emergency Alliance will be right goals and working towards them in independently run and funded without every way we can. conditions to advise and hold our work to account. ` The current Mayor has failed to lead the way – refusing to set up a green energy ` We will work with all borough councils company owned and run by Londoners, across London to meet our climate instead opting for a limited model under targets, and immediately push all of the wing of a larger supplier. Greens in them to declare a climate emergency City Hall will correct this and set up an and set targets that match those of the ambitious independent energy supplier Green Mayor in City Hall. We will also hen the UN’s IPCC special report to ban the protests, the police have tried for London, investing in clean, green encourage and support other public W came out in October 2018, Greens to extend their powers. energy and offering Londoners an ethical, across the country took immediate bodies and businesses with guidance to Greens say business as usual is the good value alternative to the Big Six to action. First in Bristol, where Councillor define their own adaptation plans and problem. We support not only the right save money on our bills. Carla Denyer proposed and passed the actions on the climate emergency. to peaceful protest across the world, but ` All profits from our Energy for Londoners first motion in Europe declaring a climate ` Continued investment in carbon- also policies that will lead to the system company will be reinvested into energy and ecological emergency. intensive, fossil fuel industries change we need to solve the crisis. saving measures for the homes of people and climate-damaging activities is Since then, more than 300 elected in fuel poverty, which will be backed up We need to set the right targets unacceptable in the face of the climate bodies in the UK have followed her lead, by borrowing and investment directly emergency. A Green Mayor will take including Parliament. The Mayor’s strategies still have from the GLA budget. climate targets based on becoming a the necessary steps to divest all GLA- The London Assembly passed a climate zero-carbon city by 2050. All targets controlled investments by 2022. We ` Working with Energy for Londoners we emergency motion proposed by Green in every policy urgently need to be will support and acknowledge those will ensure people have access to useful Assembly Member Caroline Russell in brought forward to 2030 to avoid the boroughs already planning to divest advice, services to use and best practice December 2018. risk of going over a 1.5C rise in global their funds and will work with the others actions they can take to save money on We must listen to the people on the temperatures. in setting and achieving their own essential bills such as electricity, water streets divestment objectives. and heating. Green Assembly Member Caroline When Extinction Rebellion started their Russell has challenged the current Mayor ` Community energy projects in London protests in April 2019, the current Mayor repeatedly about his failure to update his are not receiving the support and funding told them the city should ‘get back to plans and targets to reflect the science. business as usual’ and, ever since failing LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 9 ondon’s strategic planning policies policies for the climate and communities: have recently been updated. Greens L ` Protection for allotments extended have worked throughout the process to urban farms and community food RETHINK THE of drafting the London Plan and the growing spaces, something the examination by the Planning Inspectorate current Mayor has so far ignored. to win good new policies for the climate, LONDON PLAN including: ` The list of planned transport schemes still includes dangerous, ` Strong new wording that green energy traffic-generating new road crossing now needs to be ‘maximised’ in schemes in east London, like the developments. Silvertown Tunnel, which will be ` The social and educational value of cancelled and removed green spaces is now recognised. ` Aviation policies that oppose all airport ` Protection for real ‘ecological expansion in London and the South corridors’ not just green spaces. East, not just Heathrow, and make plans for the area around City Airport ` Requiring a net biodiversity gain from to become a Mayoral Development new developments. Corporation to develop a new quarter ` The cooling properties of trees and for the city in place of this airport. green spaces in a warming city are ` We will expand the embodied included. carbon policies in planning rules to ` New water management requirements specifically preference re-use and in flood risk areas. refurbishment over demolition and ` A higher green transport mode share set new standards and incentives so target for central London. embodied carbon is reduced. ` Embodied carbon included for the first Throughout all this we’ve argued for time, with a requirement to measure a better process, asking the Mayor to the whole life-cycle carbon impact of make the plans citizen-led and inclusive, development. with a formal Statement of Community Involvement, as put forward by the However, there is much more that our organisation Just Space, which has planning policies could do, and many of helped many hundreds of Londoners to our proposals have not been taken up, in engage with the process. In our review addition to new climate targets. of the London Plan, we will make greater A Green Mayor will put this right, review citizen involvement a priority from the the London Plan and bring in new start. golubovy/stock.adobe.com they should. We will put London at the borrowing from expected savings to the forefront of community energy, with energy costs on the GLA’s own estate. a target to increase capacity at least With a Green Mayor, this approach will 25-fold by 2024 with support from be extended across London to create Energy for Londoners, improved planning a Green New Deal that multiplies by an policies and direct funding from City Hall. order of magnitude the energy saving This will support our zero carbon energy investment in London’s housing stock. goal and our additional target of at least ` We will work in partnership with 1 GW of solar energy capacity in London councils, pension funds and housing by 2030. associations to amplify our Green New ` A Green Mayor will call on the Deal investment fund further and create Government to stop the practice of a massive new level of investment for our routing nuclear waste trains through homes. It would focus investment initially London. As the most dangerous freight on council and housing association carried on the railways, it is unacceptable homes, but also seek to bring private for highly radioactive nuclear fuel rods landlords and homeowners into the to be transported through densely scheme as it matures. populated areas. ` Cutting fuel poverty, poorly heated and damp homes will be the focus for who THE CARBON A GREEN NEW DEAL benefits from our programmes for energy saving, with every Londoner benefiting buildings and avoiding demolition as a FOR HOMES by 2030. We will set up an immediate In OUR STUFF principle. This is a big gap in London’s insulation and ventilation taskforce to Our fresh thinking on housing will ensure carbon policies so far, which is now deal with cold damp homes, and cut the he carbon emissions involved in that all Londoners have a warm home being picked up by a strong retrofit number of these by at least a third by T creating the things we use and that’s cheap to run, thanks to investment in campaign by architects. insulation and clean energy. 2024 – going faster if more funding can consume every day are a huge gap in be obtained. other parties’ policies. We need bold new ` Reducing the amount of resources ` A Green Mayor will take immediate plans and strategies if we are to become we produce and waste means getting ` A Green Mayor will campaign hard for action to reduce energy use in homes truly carbon neutral in time to avert business on board with setting targets Government to put a zero carbon new and cut fuel poverty, using London’s climate chaos. of their own, and we would aim for home standard in place by 2023 at the own resources, and would campaign 100 of the biggest businesses in with other city mayors to push the latest. Our policies to cut embodied carbon include: London to have set targets to reduce Government to invest in a huge ` A Green Mayor will write new planning their own ‘stuff turnover’ by the end of programme of energy-saving across the rules for London to make it easier to ` We will correct the gap in our waste our first year in City Hall. country. apply to work on insulation and retrofit targets by setting a goal to reduce the ` Our business and high street projects for whole streets at once. baseline amount of waste produced, ` The Green budget amendment for the improvement policies will also focus on GLA in 2020 was able to deliver a not just set recycling targets in ` Within City Hall we will set up a team of percentage terms. promoting and supporting enterprises tripling of the current Mayor’s plans for experts who can be employed by councils and community organisations that help greener homes, simply by leveraging ` A Green Mayor will also expand people to re-use, re-sell and repair the embodied carbon policies in existing goods. planning rules to preference re-using 12 MANIFESTO for a new start reen London Assembly Member In 2019, London saw several incidents G Caroline Russell commissioned that show these risks are very real and PREPARING FOR research in 2019 to show the risks to immediate. Caroline found that 137 London from climate change. tube stations suffered flooding-related disruption during just one bout of For the first time, her evidence gave an CLIMATE RISKS exceptional rainfall. insight of what life will be like in London if we reach 1.5 degrees warming – Caroline says: “These events are the even hotter heatwaves than in recent reality we are living in now, and as our summers, higher chances of flooding climate emergency continues, they will for thousands of homes and hundreds only become more and more common. of schools, and extreme strain on “The current Mayor’s failure to do timely emergency services. research on the impact of extreme heat Key findings from Caroline’s report, to places like schools and workplaces Climate change risks for London, means that we aren’t yet properly include: prepared.” ` Two thirds of London flats could ` A Green Mayor will plug the gaps experience overheating (temperature in our knowledge about how badly over 28°C) by 2030. our city will be affected by climate change, and will review and make ` For every 1°C increase over 20°C new plans to protect people from ambulance call outs increase by 1 per impacts such as extreme heat, cent. flooding and a secure water supply ` In the most vulnerable districts in during droughts. London, the odds of dying from ` We will create a standing scientific cardiorespiratory causes increased by advisory group for the GLA, which more than 10 percent for every 1°C will assist the Assembly in scrutiny increase in temperature. independently assess and propose ` 23 stations on the London policy to the Mayor to help avoid and Underground Network are at deal with climate risks. significant risk of flooding .The ` Our planning policies will prioritise Northern and Central lines have the water security; focusing to reduce most stations at risk. flooding of homes and businesses, ` 643 schools are at risk from a 1 in 30 protect London’s water supplies and year flood (this is considered high risk) allow the aquifers beneath our soil to ` An increase of up to 40 per cent in recharge whilst preventing the spread water supply is needed by 2040 in of pollution from roads and landfill order to meet the water deficit in sites. London and the south east. that are struggling to properly staff that make life a misery for people in the in the Green Belt. with and through the National Park City energy standards inspections in private worst affected parts of the city. initiative to involve local ecology and A Green Mayor will protect and link up rented housing. We will compile data wildlife groups and guardians, friends of ` When we first proposed to target the nature in a true ecological network. We on the results of these inspections and green spaces and local communities in most frequent flyers through a Frequent will make sure our citizens, particularly our report to councils on their performance identifying and improving local ecological Flyer Levy, the Mayor and Labour children, have access to the health and and how they compare to others. assets and corridors. Assembly Members laughed. Now this education benefits of nature, and protect all policy is gaining support from across the London’s people, plants and animals from ` Our work on ecological corridors will OUR AVIATION ACTION PLAN political spectrum. A Green Mayor will chemical, light and noise pollution. be paired with increased support for continue to lead the way and push for network building between boroughs to A Green Mayor will set the right Greens have led the opposition to airport innovative ways to cap flying through make sure these links cross borough environment targets, including an overall expansion in the Assembly, pushing the Government policies, without affecting boundaries, and to increase the number waste reduction goal that will underpin new current Mayor not just to oppose Heathrow those who fly the least already. and quality of green spaces, and parks. work and policies to reduce resource use Airport’s third runway but also holding him We will share clear advice on how to ` In 2016, Sian Berry proposed closing in our economy, cut down on demolition in to account over his support for City Airport achieve Green Flag Award status for City Airport to free up a huge area for favour of refurbishment, and support new and Gatwick expansion. parks, with a target set to increase these housing and create a new quarter for re-use and repair businesses. awards in London. ` We will always oppose any expansion London. This inspiring policy and new Greens are the only ones who truly get of aviation in London and will plan to vision for the east of the city caught the ` We will also deliver clearer planning this, and our policies for a greener, cleaner reduce flights dramatically in line with imagination of Londoners, and in this and strategic protections for smaller London are integrated, comprehensive and climate goals. election we will push once again for the green spaces that form key parts of the long overdue. ` A Green Mayor will support workers at owners to rethink the use of their land. network, such as preserving the links Heathrow and in surrounding businesses to and between rows of back gardens, that depend on the airport with a ‘just OUR ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCY which are neglected in current mapping transition’ policy to create opportunities and plans. ENVIRONMENT ` Ecology in London is in crisis and needs and training for quality jobs in the local Greens in City Hall have been working for to be supported across all areas of ` In the development of the new London communities as flying is reduced. This twenty years to bring the urgent attention policy. To make this possible we must Plan, Green Assembly Members have will be done through targeted Green needed to the ecological and climate properly establish and nurture a core worked hard to introduce planning New Deal investments in industries and emergency. network of ecological corridors, both policies that require net biodiversity job markets that can sustainably offer at a strategic and local level. Greens in gain from new developments, including high-quality employment opportunities in From our work to establish the Green London have been influencing local and habitats for threatened species such as areas such as renewable energy, housing Grid and save the Wildlife Crime Unit to neighbourhood plans to protect existing bats, sparrows, hedgehogs, swifts, bees stock improvements, education and our research exposing the loss of front green corridors but, across the city, and pollinating insects. However, the community support. gardens, time and again Greens have stepped in when other parties have failed. far too many planning applications are current Mayor’s approach does not do ` We have worked with and will continue allowed that cut through these networks enough to preserve existing biodiversity to support the campaigns against aircraft As chair of the Environment Committee and cut off plant and animal species and the requirement for an overall noise across London, aiming to limit for the past three years, Green Assembly from places to live, and the opportunity ‘urban greening factor’ to be achieved early morning and late night flights, and Member Caroline Russell has focused to migrate, breed and thrive. is too general. We will strengthen these oppose the concentrated flight paths new thinking on issues as diverse as policies, and specific requirements for ` A Green Mayor will create a new, finer unflushable plastics in period products, individual key species will be introduced. aircraft noise, tube dust risks, and farming grained Green Grid strategy, working

16 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 17 GOLD PLATE THE GREEN BELT ork by Greens on the London providers and transport providers, W Assembly has shown there is a huge including Transport for London, to potential for London’s Green Belt land make a comprehensive new strategy to be used for the benefit of London’s to revitalise London’s Green Belt. people, nature, ecology, flood protection, ` We will improve access, linking up energy and food production. existing public Rights of Way, creating Green Assembly Member Caroline new footpaths, promoting visits Russell has worked on these policies in through Transport for London, and the the Assembly and says: improve landscapes and engage with NGOs and community groups to find “The Green Belt is under threat like new ways to enjoy and promote sports never before. It needs a plan for and leisure activities. conserve the soil and provide more of improvement and stronger protections.” the food London needs. ` Sites of importance for nature A fifth of London is protected as Green conservation make up 44 per cent of ` We will support farmers and Belt land. It is our ‘city limits’, preventing the Green Belt, but these sites need to growers to get longer tenancies and urban sprawl, providing a home for be better connected in networks and access to London’s customers and wildlife, a place to visit and relax, as well green corridors. We will bring together businesses, from farmers’ markets as farms that grow food. everyone working in the Green Belt to and community group box schemes to ` Main roads and motorways are a real make a new plan for nature. supermarkets. Established over 70 years ago, London’s barrier to nature, and millions in green Green Belt is under threat. Only seven ` We will champion ten new nature- ` Locally grown fruit and vegetables road funding lies unspent by Highways per cent of the Metropolitan Green Belt friendly farms on existing agricultural can create 1000s of London Living England. We will work with Highways is within the GLA’s area but we believe it land and other appropriate sites in wage employment opportunities, England, councils and community is our duty to take a lead from City Hall the urban fringe. This can integrate improve food security and support the groups to find places for green bridges to improve and protect it. increased tree cover fruit and other local economy. across motorways and roads around There is currently no plan for our Green trees that can be used for human ` The Green Belt can play a useful London to help link up nature across Belt, or to work with surrounding consumption and ensure no net loss part in cutting carbon and providing our boundaries. of high grade farmland. councils to improve and protect it. London with sustainable energy ` To help meet climate targets, we need Only a Green Mayor will have the true ` Increasing food production close sources. Through our green energy to rewild and reforest large areas of leadership and vision to get this right. to London, particularly fruit and company, we’d work to bring new land. Only 16 per cent of London’s ` A Green Mayor will bring together vegetables would improve food community energy projects to the Green Belt is covered by woodland, councils, farmers, landowners, local security. There are more than 200 Green Belt to support our zero carbon and our strategy would aim to create residents, wildlife, ecology, land existing farms in the Green Belt, and energy goal and our additional target new woods on any land not needed for management and flooding experts, our strategy will help them diversify, of 1GW of solar power capacity in farms and energy, working in tandem water companies, green energy farm more sustainably, improve and London by 2030. where possible, through agroforestry. ` A Green Mayor will immediately stop spaces, using improved noise shielding overall target for London’s green and ` To help preserve and get more green the use of all chemical pesticides and in landscaping and removing and blue spaces to exceed 50 per cent by spaces into community hands, we will herbicides, including glyphosate, from reducing traffic around and within 2024, and a further target for overall support local communities in designating use on GLA-controlled land. We would existing parks green and blue cover, including green the open spaces and places for nature work to increase the number of councils roofs and new wetlands, to reach 55 per they value as Assets of Community ` A healthy population of bees and other adopting the same policy for public cent or more by 2030. Value, which gives them the right to bid pollinators is critically important to spaces, footpaths and estates, and to when an asset comes up for sale, and London’s ecology, and Greens will ` The National Park City initiative has remove these chemicals from garden we will campaign for a Community Right make sure all parks and green spaces, proved to be a hugely successful way centres and retailers in the city. This will to Buy to strengthen these rights and including roadside planters, verges, and to link up a range of policy areas and be combined with a focused education, protections. our new bee-friendly bus stop roofs, put weight behind a whole-city strategy equipment and skill-sharing programme support bees with wildflowers and to value our green building blocks and ` To help local communities improve for borough councils, housing suitable planting. infrastructure. The work done by the and create new green spaces in their associations and domestic gardeners campaign in mapping and linking the areas, we will at least double the grants on effective alternatives, including ` We will bring in new planning and community assets and groups working available from the Green City Fund, approaches that manage spaces to be transport policies (including our bid for on these issues has been invaluable, and and target and promote these to more less tended in order to reduce the need London to fully control traffic and parking includes transport, heritage, education disadvantaged areas and excluded for plant management of any kind. We laws) to make it easier for councils and and business initiatives, in addition to groups, with additional staff and will set a target for zero glyphosate use community groups to create ‘parklets’ in core values supporting wellbeing and resources to make sure this happens. within London within two years. place of car parking and at places where nature. A Green Mayor will therefore streets are closed to through traffic. ` Our planning policies will prioritise water ` Our planning policies will oppose all boost support for National Park City security; focusing to reduce flooding of development that would damage ancient ` A Green Mayor and Assembly Members work, increase its promotion (including homes and businesses, protect London’s woodlands and veteran trees, based will continue to ensure adequate through our new advertising policies on water supplies and allow the aquifers on their unique value for the climate resources for the Metropolitan Police public transport) and will host gatherings beneath our soil to recharge while and ecology. Architects and developers Wildlife Crime Unit and establish a for the initiative in City Hall to celebrate preventing the spread of pollution from should regard these assets as a Habitat Crime Unit to tackle more serious every season. roads and landfill sites. bottom line for preservation and design and organised wildlife crimes up to and ` We also commit to back the call from schemes that avoid ever cutting down or including ecocide; this would also include ` A Green Mayor will ensure no 20 environmental groups for the next damaging them. the prevention and investigation of fly- development leads to the net loss Mayor to create ten new district level tipping on farmland, country lanes and in of permeable land or water storage ` Light and noise pollution are also parks in areas of deficiency of access wildlife sites within London. capacity. We will improve streetscapes damaging to our quality of life and to to green spaces, and will support the and water permeability using transport wildlife. We will develop and promote development of new ‘regional park’ areas funding to support sustainable urban best practice for street and development and strategies to mirror the work already drainage, and step up work to restore lighting design to reduce light pollution OUR GREEN AND BLUE done in the Lea Valley, focused again on and re-wild London’s rivers and other and preserve and extend dark sky areas. river improvements and corridors based INFRASTRUCTURE historic and biodiverse habitats. on water ecology, such as the Wandle ` We will build upon work by campaigners ` A Green Mayor will recognise the vital Valley, Brent River Park, Dollis Valley ` We will aim to cut water pollution showing the level of noise inside many importance of strategic policies for Green Walk and the Quaggy River Park. and supply pipe leakage by working of our parks, and fund the creation of green and blue infrastructure in tackling with Thames Water, boroughs and at least 100 ‘tranquil areas’ in green the climate emergency, and will set an the Environment Agency to improve

20 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 21 responses to large scale pipe failures, connect people with local green and blue and coordinate action to reduce water spaces. pollution from road run-off. ` A Green Mayor will work with education ` We will ensure that any green space authorities to enable a comprehensive protection gaps in the current London environmental education programme Plan are checked and amended, and within schools, including support for create at least ten major new schemes outdoor Forest Schools and Natural on GLA controlled land that showcase History curriculum support. the health, sustainability and nature ` We will develop a strategic plan to benefits of redeveloping land previously expand the Walk London network, with at devoted to car use, such as car parks, or least six new high-quality green walking by reducing main road widths. routes that link green spaces to bring ` We pledge to increase tree canopy cover nature closer to people, and review the sensitively and sustainably by at least 20 current footpath strategy. These plans percent by 2030, including through: reflect the strategies to make London’s streets safer, more pleasant to use and OUR RECYCLINg • large scale woodland creation in the to support people in engaging holistically Green Belt with their local environment. • at least 100 new street tree schemes POSTCODE LOTTERY recycling rules vary from one borough ` We will double the funding currently • growing more woodlands and trees in oes your local borough council recycle to the next. available through the Greener City Fund public parks and green spaces these everyday items? for community green space projects, D Caroline says: “We know people are • updating council strategies and work- with a specific programme for schools to • plastic buckets desperately concerned about their ing with landowners. connect children with nature, and review • crisp packets impact on our environment, from the other funding streams to ensure they • aluminium foil new awareness around single-use deliver beneficial climate, nature and plastics to fast fashion. But it is too GREEN SPACES FOR • black plastic food containers health outcomes. hard to know what to do with your HEALTH AND WELLBEING • biro pens rubbish in London. ` We will work to ensure that sufficient • bike tyres ` Green proposals for the London Plan resources are provided to enable housing “When boroughs provide no clarity successfully won the inclusion of associations to effectively deliver plans • Tetra Paks on what can be recycled, where, and education as well as wellbeing as set out in green infrastructure strategies, Green Assembly Member Caroline in what condition, it is no wonder benefits to be considered when green and provide good quality green space Russell asked every council in London that London’s waste mountain keeps spaces are threatened. This will help that links well with the surrounding the same question in January 2020 and growing.” more local communities to defend green environment, highlighting the importance uncovered London’s confusing recycling spaces and parks from development. To ` A Green Mayor will campaign hard of open space for residents of social postcode lottery. to get rid of London’s recycling further cement these benefits into policy, housing. We will support initiatives we will establish a London-wide ‘green Her research found that none of postcode lottery, working with enabling residents and landlords to the London boroughs was able to councils to build more consistency living’ supportive educational and social provide space for producing food and prescribing programme for all ages, to consistently recycle a list of seven into their services, and demanding work with social landlords. common household items, and that a the power from Government to take lack of London-wide oversight means more control of how London’s waste that Londoners are left confused as is handled. 22 MANIFESTO for a new start ` A Green Mayor will also support the based on fossil fuels, and depressing A city-wide strategy for ` We will also campaign for a target set by 20 environmental groups recycling levels. Greens in London have comprehensive Right to Repair that will to support the creation of a minimum of helped lead campaigns against new re-use and repair require manufacturers to keep goods 150 new community orchards, providing incinerators and are opposing those ` A Green Mayor will publish a new operational for years after purchase healthy, diverse and resilient green proposed in Edmonton and Belvedere. waste reduction strategy, including a and encourage repair and reuse. GLA spaces for residents. We will continue to oppose and protest comprehensive set of policies to increase procurement scoring will be reviewed against all new incineration capacity reduction, reuse and repair. Work to focus on purchasing goods and ` We will also support initiatives to create within London. will include gathering and promoting equipment that can be repaired and are community-led allotments, enabling comprehensive information on where not designed to become obsolete within residents to interact with and experience ` A Green Mayor will work with boroughs Londoners can find pre-owned goods, a few years. nature as well as providing access to and businesses to set individual get items repaired or maintained, and locally grown fruit and vegetables. targets for waste reduction in their ` Reducing the amount of resources sell or donate used items. own operations and across their areas, we produce and waste means getting and develop new ways to monitor ` Working with campaigners, we will business on board with setting targets of WASTE – SET THE RIGHT progress, publishing data showing create a new fund to support councils their own, and we would aim for 100 of TARGETS the achievements and performance of and local enterprises to use empty the biggest businesses in London to have boroughs each year, and showcasing high street shops and council buildings set targets to reduce their own ‘stuff ` With a Green Mayor, London’s target good practice. (including temporary use) to provide turnover’ by the end of our first year in will be to become a true zero-waste a repair centre on every high street. City Hall. city by 2030, with no need to rely on The fund will also support universities ` From a resource perspective as well as incineration to avoid landfill waste. REDUCING ‘STUFF TURNOVER’ and colleges to create reuse and repair meeting climate targets, it is much better workshops. ` A Green Mayor will set a new, ambitious To meet our waste reduction targets to refit and refurbish buildings than primary waste reduction target that and become carbon neutral before it is ` The fund will also support the to demolish them, which also causes will underpin new work and policies too late, we need to consider the carbon establishment of a ‘library of things’ waste, pollution and social problems. to reduce the ‘stuff turnover’ in our embodied in the materials we use, and cut in every borough, where residents can Our priority will always be to protect city’s economy. This target will apply down dramatically on the throughput of borrow infrequently needed household the environment, people and future to the total ‘arisings’ of waste material resources in London. items, such as power tools, sewing generations, and to protect the social produced, not just to recycling or A change in the whole character of machines, specialist cooking, cleaning cohesion of an existing neighbourhood. ‘residual’ waste that is incinerated or and decorating products, electronics, our economy is needed, where every ` A Green Mayor will expand the embodied sent to landfill. camping equipment and luggage. business and public body aims to eliminate carbon policies in planning rules to ` Our new waste reduction target, with an unnecessary resource use, helping to cut ` Using GLA land or developer preference re-using buildings and effective suite of policies, will mean we down on the ‘stuff turnover’ of all that requirements for a major site, a Green avoiding demolition as a principle. This will need no new incinerators to meet our we do in the city, from the buildings we Mayor will help found a London Repair is a big gap in London’s carbon policies statutory target to cut landfill waste. construct to the products we use in our Academy, which will be a London- so far, which is now being picked up by a ` Evidence shows that incinerators, even daily lives. wide resource, hub and educational strong retrofit campaign by architects. establishment for training and modern plants, create huge air pollution A Green Mayor’s new waste reduction ` We will encourage builders to adopt a information on repair skills and training risks for people living around them, as target will underpin a wide range of new more ‘naked homes’ or bespoke, buyer- on how to run these kinds of social well as creating new incentives and policies. led approach to fitting out new homes, so enterprises. markets for waste, including materials that new bathrooms, kitchens, doors and

24 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 25 other fittings in new build homes are not reduction in food waste from farm to and incentives so that embodied carbon building materials, including safe timber, installed as standard only to be quickly fork. is reduced not just reported. cement alternatives, recycled steel and removed by new owners to fit their own remanufactured building materials, and ` We will work with councils and waste ` We will require whole-life carbon styles. to reduce the volume of material used in disposal authorities to ensure no organic emissions impact to be assessed on new buildings. waste goes to landfill or incineration by completion of buildings not just at Eliminate single-use plastics 2030. the application stage. To make these ` Offsite construction methods can be assessments easier, the GLA will create a more efficient in the use and re-use ` A Green Mayor will lobby the Government ` We will promote food redistribution database of authenticated data on supply of materials and can make safe and to tighten up all product and packaging initiatives. Remaining surplus food will chain emissions in the building sector. efficient use of timber. We will work with regulations to remove more single- be used for animal feed, community landowners and companies to create use plastic items at source with better composting or sent for anaerobic ` We will campaign for Government to at least one facility for the construction regulation, and to require manufacturers digestion rather than being incinerated. include these rules and standards in its of modular building construction that to use a certain percentage of recycled own policies and push hard for VAT on ` We will campaign for powers for the exemplifies circular economy practices and biodegradable content in any repair and green refurbishments to be Mayor to roll out a consistent set of within London by 2024. cut at a national level. unavoidable plastic packaging. We will recycling services across London ` Working with both small and large also work to make sure items labelled boroughs, and push boroughs to work ` As part of new planning conditions, a construction companies, we will create ‘compostable’ meet minimum standards. on common standards and information, Green Mayor will ensure that, in every a London-wide database of upcoming ` The current Mayor has introduced so that every home in London has a application, an assessment of options and available materials for re-use a number of distinctive water refill standardised service for recyclables and compared on a whole-life carbon in buildings, helping to create new fountains, which have helped reduce food waste collection every week. basis has been carried out. Where businesses that store and provide these single-use plastic bottles by a small demolition takes place, we will introduce ` We will optimise opportunities for materials if needed. a requirement for diversion of waste fraction. A Green Mayor will expand this creating energy from food waste, from landfill and demonstration that network, and include new designs that including sending public-sector food demolished fabric is kept at its highest allow for direct drinking as well as bottle waste and parks waste to anaerobic possible use-value, in line with circular refills, and designs that are more suitable digesters, and funding pilot projects economy principles. for parks and heritage areas. for up-to-date compost and waste ` We will guarantee free drinking water in technologies. ` For councils, housing associations, all GLA-provided public toilets, including community organisations and the new provision we are funding in Embodied carbon in co-operatives who own and run Transport for London tube and rail buildings, we will offer advice and stations. buildings and homes guidance from City Hall on how to not ` A Green Mayor will put together only avoid demolition but refit, extend Cut down on food waste comprehensive policies to cut down on and refurbish existing homes to reduce the carbon impact of material turnover energy use and carbon emissions, ` A Green Mayor will encourage councils in new and refurbished buildings. developing case studies, best practice to include the reduction of food waste We will expand the embodied carbon and advice services. in local climate action plans, in line policies in planning rules to specifically ` We will also introduce policies to enable with Sustainable Development Goal preference re-use and refurbishment and incentivise the use of lower carbon (SDG) 12.3 which calls for a 50 per cent over demolition, and set new standards

26 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 27 wild animals as new national laws now ` Our new advertising policies for Transport ANIMAL WELFARE IN LONDON require. for London will help people choose a ` A Green Mayor and Assembly Members diet based more on sustainably grown ` We will make sure all purchasing across will continue to ensure adequate plant products and avoid mass-produced the GLA group of organisations conforms resources for the Metropolitan Police animal products that take little account to strict ethical rules, including non­- Wildlife Crime Unit, supporting the of health and animal welfare. animal tested cleaning products. investigation and detection of cruel and ` We will promote a cruelty­-free economy ecologically damaging trades in wild ` We will engage with universities and the and cruelty-­free practices, and advocate animals and animal products. wider science and knowledge sectors for clear food labelling on welfare to make London a world centre for non ` We will strongly resist calls for any cull of practices, and for especially and ­animal biomedical research. We will urban foxes and other animal populations inherently cruel foods such as pâté de encourage all establishments in London posing a concern. We will discourage fois gras to be banned. that conduct research using animals growth in numbers – for example, to publicly commit to replacing animal ` We will campaign to end London’s fur we will work to get fast food waste experiments with humane alternatives, trade, and push for London Fashion off the streets by making shops take reducing animal numbers and suffering Week to remain free of fur, using the more responsibility, and use any new and improving animal welfare. GLA’s funding of the event as a lever to waste powers and strategies for more persuade designers to avoid this horrific consistent recycling to make sure street ` We will lead the way in making London trade. We will also campaign for more bins and waste containers provided to a vegetarian and vegan-friendly city, councils to follow Islington’s lead in households are secure against fox and increasing the availability of plant-based banning fur sales in its area. seagull scavenging. options on menus wherever we have an influence. We will reduce the use | See MORE ABOUT our ethical advertising ` We will ensure that the rules around of meat and dairy produce in catering policies IN THE CHAPTER A MISSION TO puppy selling, as set out in ‘Lucy’s Law,’ procurement decisions across the GLA, TRANSFORM OUR ECONOMY are properly enforced and ensure action influencing the wider London catering is taken against people selling animals industry. illegally. ` Animal welfare will remain a concern ` We will support the rights of renters to whenever meat, milk or eggs are used, keep pets and work to expand school and we will bring in policies across the and community-based education GLA for the use of only organic, higher programmes on responsible pet welfare products. We will conduct ownership. research in City Hall to monitor and ` We will only use humane pest control report on which of London’s schools, methods where animal populations are hospitals and prisons offer healthy controlled on GLA property. vegetarian and vegan options, and offer ` A Green Mayor will lobby boroughs, the advice and support to increase these Royal Parks and other landowners to options and reduce meat consumption ban any animal circuses, not just for across the public sector.

28 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 29 OUR TRANSPORT AND FEWER CARS AND ONLY CLIMATE GOALS CLEAN VEHICLES ` A Green Mayor will set a goal for ` The current Mayor’s ultra low emission London’s overall traffic miles to reduce zone (ULEZ) plans for 2021 only extend by 40 per cent by 2026 and 60 per cent to the north and south circular roads. by 2030, and we will achieve this with a A Green Mayor will expand the ULEZ to comprehensive set of policies that will: cover the whole of London by October 2022. This option was considered by • improve city planning and aim for Transport for London, but was not access to services within 15 minutes included in the public consultation, so locally on foot, we would act immediately to reconsult • make streets safe and accessible for Londoners on a wider scheme to bring children, older and disabled people to clean air to the whole of London as A CLEAR PLAN walk, wheelchair or cycle, quickly as possible. • improve public transport and reduce ` By 2023, we aim to replace the current fares, and Mayor’s ULEZ scheme which merely • charge for driving in the city at a fair encourages less polluting cars with a TO KEEP rate. smarter, fairer, privacy-friendly road- ` We will also bring forward the current pricing plan, which will reduce miles Mayor’s target for at least 80 per cent of driven as well as cleaning up vehicles. journeys to be made by walking, cycling ` Whatever engine they have inside, all or public transport by eleven years, from LONDON MOVING kinds of motor vehicles create deadly 2041 to 2030. particle pollution from tyre and road reens approach transport using take public transport. We need fairer, ` Along with our climate policies and wear, which is why a Green Mayor will rational, commonsense principles. We smarter road charges, and truly fairer support for zero-emission vehicles, our set an overall target for reducing traffic. goal to reduce traffic miles will contribute G prioritise the healthiest, safest, most fares, flattening the fare zone system and ` Our new plans will include a clear to our overall city-wide climate efficient ways to get around. reducing costs for people in outer London. direction of travel for higher standards emergency target to achieve net zero that would progressively raise the bar for Our transport policies mean comprehensive And we will make streets and transport carbon emissions by 2030. walking, cycling and green public transport safer and more accessible for Londoners, vehicles in London in stronger steps, so projects would get new investment, with more enforcement of the rules of the ` We believe that London can achieve that every diesel vehicle and any vehicle while the current Mayor’s plans that will road, more step-free stations, better bus net zero by 2030 for the transport without zero tailpipe emissions will be make traffic and pollution worse will be stops and more toilets in our underground sector using powers the GLA and Mayor effectively prohibited from driving in cancelled. system. currently hold, and a Green Mayor will London by 2030. set a target to achieve this. We will set bold targets to reduce traffic, Only a Green Mayor and more Assembly ` While we want Londoners to walk, cycle and shift the balance of paying for our Members can be trusted to keep London and use public transport, we realise there transport budget away from people who moving. will always be some essential car and

30 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 31 van journeys. These vehicles should be current Mayor has only just started to these being phased out, we will bring in Green Mayor will aim to get business electric, with zero exhaust emissions. look at this policy with some borough a new fair, smart system of road charging and logistics firms on the same mission, The provision of electric vehicle charging councils, but we will start work straight that rewards people who don’t drive in reducing traffic miles on behalf of all points is a strategic issue for London away on developing a London-wide central London and who drive outside of of us, particularly when delivering our and previous Mayors have all failed to scheme. busy times, which will start consultation goods and services. Under our new step up and make sure the network in 2021 and be implemented before smart, fair road-charging scheme, ` Councils and community groups will grows as quickly as it should. A Green 2023. This will be fair and privacy- businesses would have a real incentive be empowered and funded to develop Mayor will bring new leadership to make friendly for drivers, with charges based to reduce miles driven, use vehicles more low traffic neighbourhoods, where a full strategic plan and introduce new on the distance driven, vehicle emissions, efficiently and invest in e-cargo bike children, older and disabled people can funding and support for councils and time of day and location, with the cost solutions. confidently venture onto the streets energy companies to rapidly roll out a able to be shared between everyone in outside of their homes. People on foot, ` A central London zone, some residential full network of fast, good value charging the vehicle to encourage car sharing. and those using micro-mobility devices areas and key town centres across points. This scheme will cover all of London and such as wheelchairs, scooters and cycles London, will be set to be permanently enforce the emissions limits set out in will be able to circulate freely. Access free of all private car journeys by 2030, our other policies. HOW WE WILL CUT will be maintained to all addresses and a programme of car free streets, by emergency services, delivery and ` In the interim, we will bring in an days and weeks will begin immediately TRAFFIC IN LONDON trades vehicles and the residents’ own increase in the current congestion to demonstrate the benefits and the best ` A Green Mayor will cancel road projects cars, but through traffic will cease. charge to a level similar to the rise seen areas for these zones. that will make traffic worse. The current This programme will be supported by in bus fares since 2010. | See more about our plants for freight transferring funds from road schemes, Mayor has signed the contract for the ` We will make it a condition for boroughs on page 40 and borrowing against new revenues and Silvertown Road Tunnel, despite a huge to receive funding for walking and devolved funding streams. campaign for him not to place this cycling measures, that controlled burden on the next Mayor. If cancellation ` Alongside low traffic neighbourhoods, parking schemes, organised to reduce SMARTER TRAVEL CHOICES: costs are too high, we will convert it to we will invest in measures to make in-borough car trips, are in place across LONDON ON A MISSION run only for buses and cycling not for main roads less hostile to people the borough to protect residents from private cars, in order to avoid inducing walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting. local commuter car journeys, and ensure ` A Green Mayor will work with Transport new traffic in surrounding boroughs. We will begin a program of upgrading there is a programme of reducing for London and London boroughs to bring in a comprehensive smarter ` Through devolution discussions with pavements to be level and wide enough on-street parking spaces to allow for travel choices programme. This would the Government, we will demand that for social distancing. We will provide parklets and space for bike lanes and be comparable to the efforts made in funds already paid by London’s drivers more crossing points with dropped bus priority schemes. kerbs and tactile paving and ensure the run up to the 2012 Olympic and are given to London. We will press for a ` Alongside campaign groups working on they are accessible for people with Paralympic games to bring about travel share of the Roads Fund (Vehicle Excise active travel, accessibility and health, a wheeled mobility aids such as rollators, behaviour change and free up space on Duty hypothecated to fund Highways Green Mayor will lobby the Crown Estate and buggies – preferably with raised the road and public transport network. England), and a share of fuel duty. Paving Commission to build the case for crossings at side roads, bus stop The Olympic efforts aimed to reduce traffic removal from all the Royal Parks in ` A levy on workplace parking spaces to bypasses and safe bike lanes. demand at peak times by 30 per cent, reduce car commuting in London was London. but on average 35 per cent of people ` As revenue streams dependent on petrol proposed in detail by Sian Berry in her ` To reach our traffic reduction target, changed the way they travelled on and diesel vehicles will decrease with campaign to be Mayor in 2016. The business action would also be vital. A weekdays thanks to the campaign,

32 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 33 with up to 40 per cent doing so on key ` We will freeze the bus fare for the next weekends, and overall traffic miles on three years and, as soon as possible, roads were reduced by 15 per cent. expand the Hopper fare that lets you change between buses without paying ` Comprehensive information and again, to include using the bus after the promotion would help and encourage tube, overground or national rail network Londoners to reduce, re-time, re-mode in London. and re-route their journeys to help us reach our target for traffic reduction, ` To support young Londoners, a Green clean the air and reduce overcrowding on Mayor will defend against any further public transport at peak times. attacks from the Government on free bus travel for under-18s and the Zip ` We will also work hard to build smart card discounts. We will work with young transport planning into places we visit, people and students to extend these like workplaces, hospitals, schools, concessions further, aiming to increase universities, football stadiums, theatres, the age limit to 21 for carers as a priority, festivals and large events when they and for all young people as soon as resume. possible. ` We will work with NHS bodies to come ` Greens are committed to defending the up with hospital travel plans that reduce terms of the 60+ Oyster card, including the need for private car journeys. FAIRER FARES There has been a flat fare on London its use during the morning peak, which buses since 2004, but the fare zone was suspended under conditions WITH ONE ZONE structure has not changed since the early FAIR FARES imposed by the Government. ravelcards and weekly caps to travel 1990s. The way costs for travelcards and weekly ` We will also help workers by expanding T to central London cost people in outer Using the weekly travelcard, which costs caps increase as you move outwards transport concessions to give free travel boroughs much more, and Greens are the same as the cap on pay-as-you-go in the travel zones is completely unfair, for nurses and firefighters, not just committed to eliminating this inequality fares, the total annual cost of travel particularly when many people are moving police and Transport for London staff. between inner and outer London. into central London from Zone 6 is now further away from central London because The current Mayor’s companion pass for £3,114. of the cost of housing. disabled freedom pass holders is a start The current Mayor’s ‘fare freeze’ has but we need to help more of the most ` A Green Mayor will focus on flattening only applied to single journeys – not the This is far higher than the annual cost of vital workers who keep London safe and fares for commuters so that everyone travelcards and weekly contactless caps £1,702 for travel from Zone 2, and these healthy. that working people depend upon. inequalities have worsened over time. pays the same no matter where you live. We will start by merging zones 4, 5 and 6 ` Starting with our first budget, we will Sian Berry is the only candidate for More and more people are being pushed by 2024, with a flat fare system by 2030. include zone 1 in London’s £1.50 Mayor pledging to flatten the fare to the edges of London because of Flattening the zone structure that has off-peak fares for one Sunday a month, structure and bring down outer London housing costs, only to be punished by barely changed since 1991 is the most promoting free attractions, green spaces fares. higher transport costs when they move. revolutionary idea for London’s fares and town centres across London and She will reduce cost differences between This isn’t fair. Two workers in the since the introduction of the Travelcard helping people explore the whole city zones, and create one single fare zone same central London hospital or other in 1983. with their families. for all of London within two Mayoral workplace should pay the same fare to terms. get to work no matter where they live. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 35 junked, examining adaptation to electric London, and set targets for Transport MORE AND BETTER BUSES or trolleybus operation. INVEST IN GREEN for London and every borough to make ` In recent years, London buses have sure no signalled junctions are without a ` We will design a new standard bus TRANSPORT PROJECTS been cut back, reducing the number pedestrian green crossing by 2024. The stop for London. It will draw upon best ` A Green Mayor will put money raised and frequency of services, both for inner existing safer junctions programme will practice for shelter, shade and seating from new smart, fair road charging and outer London. We will reverse these be delivered more quickly, designing out that is suitable for older and disabled and workplace parking schemes into cuts and make sure all of London has all high-risk road danger issues. people. The new bus shelters will financing a range of major new public a clean, green bus service linking into include visible real-time bus arrival and transport infrastructure projects with ` We will increase the rate and pace of other modes of public transport, and with air pollution information, solar power strong local campaigns behind them. delivery in the low traffic neighbourhoods walking and cycling routes. generation and a roof covered in bee These will include the Sutton tram and Liveable Neighbourhoods ` Our modern, green bus fleet will aim to friendly plants. We would use it for all extension, the Bakerloo line extension, programmes, with a focus on enabling deliver a comfortable local service giving Transport for London bus stops as soon the West London orbital Overground every borough to match the ambition of every Londoner access to a regular, as possible and incentivise boroughs to scheme, DLR links to Thamesmead the successful Waltham Forest mini- efficient bus service within a five minute take up this new design. and an Overground link from Barking to Holland scheme. With bidding every walk of their home every hour of the day. quarter and regular development of ` We will provide a modern and energy Abbey Wood. bids by boroughs, the rate of change ` We will increase bus services in outer efficient live bus arrival time display at ` A Green Mayor will deliver a fully throughout London will speed up. London boroughs, particularly in those bus stops using an update of the well- connected London cycle network, using areas where residents feel forced into loved next bus indicator ‘Countdown’ improvements on the new cycleway ` We will increase funding and set new car ownership due to the lack of public system. We will also install improved live quality criteria to ensure the speed and standards for public engagement on local transport alternatives. We will also bus information at rail and tube stations. volume of traffic is not a deterrent to road changes. The requirements for each increase the frequency of services to scheme and circumstance will be set ` A Green Mayor will invest in bus safety cycling. We will invest both in new cycle ensure that waits between buses are out clearly so that every resident knows and comfort, with smart speed limiters routes and in improving existing cycle kept to a minimum. what information and consultation to on every bus by the end of the term and routes, ensuring that all signposted expect, even during emergencies. ` We will make sure new buses have the a focus on addressing the causes of Transport for London cycle routes meet best possible accessibility, reducing driver fatigue, including those identified the cycleway quality criteria by 2024. ` To complement the low traffic frustrations for people with wheelchairs, in the London Assembly Transport ` We will set a target to invest £45 per neighbourhood schemes, we will invest shopping and buggies, who require Committee report, Driven to distraction. head per year (£400m) in walking and in work on main roads especially where more space. A Green Mayor will ensure people live, work and shop to make ` In our plans for better comfort on the cycling in London. Previous Mayors have that wheelchair spaces on buses are these roads less hostile and traffic buses, every bus terminus would have repeatedly underspent their budgets, appropriately prioritised for people who dominated. London needs protected a toilet, and bus drivers will also benefit particularly on cycling, and then rushed use wheelchairs. accessible space for walking and cycling from London-wide investment in toilets investment at the end of their term. at real scale on main roads, not just short ` A Green Mayor will move London as fast in the public transport network. Rest Instead we will move to regular, high- stretches of disconnected provision. as possible to deliver a zero emission facilities would also be overhauled, to level investment in our streets, which bus fleet, with a firm deadline of 2030 to ensure bus drivers are not left walking will enable walking and cycling to be an ` We will expand current borough make every bus a truly green bus. This is the streets between shifts. everyday choice for far more journeys in programmes for putting in secure bike a huge change but we will aim to ensure inner and outer London. hangars that can hold six residents’ that all existing buses are not simply ` We will focus on addressing danger at bikes in the space currently taken up by major junctions, especially those in outer one car.

36 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 37 ` School streets and play streets close current Mayor has hesitated, for example roads to traffic at certain times for in the case Oxford Street, where plans community use. A Green Mayor will were delayed by Westminster Council, review the streets outside every school and Kensington High Street’s bike lane, in London, and massively expand which was removed by Kensington and investment from the Mayor for councils Chelsea Council. to help schools and communities ` We will carry out a safety audit of all introduce these schemes. existing major structures, including ` We will create a new programme to bridges, flyovers and tunnels, and bring extend the school streets programme to in a major maintenance programme to roads outside colleges and universities, avoid future failures of resilience like so that roads are closed outside these Hammersmith Bridge. institutions at busy times to allow for ` London urgently needs control over the both safe travel and space for student main commuter rail franchises that serve community events. our citizens. An absolute priority for the ` We will deliver new river crossings for first days of a Green Mayor will be to cycling and walking as soon as possible, make the case to the Government for with ferry crossings immediately this devolution. This will enable London investigated at Rotherhithe and North to invest in our railways away from the Greenwich. And a push to build the profit motive, and improve connections, long-proposed Cremorne bridge between fares and stations to match what Battersea and Fulham. Londoners expect from a truly integrated London Should be transport system. ` We will bring cycle hire to the whole of London, with safe parking areas ` Greens are committed to plan and Flush with free loos for well managed dockless and hub find funding for Crossrail 2 as soon as based schemes complementing the possible to provide a key new high- Green Mayor will commission new, Caroline says: “It is a disgrace that existing central London area. We will capacity link across the city. A free public toilets on our transport Londoners, visitors and bus and tube create a payment system integrated network, following up on proposals ` We have campaigned against the current drivers can’t enjoy our city without with contactless and Oyster payment to from Green London Assembly Member, HS2 project. The ever-expanding budget worrying about where to find a bathroom. ensure taking a hire bike is as easy as Caroline Russell. of HS2 would be better spent on projects “People who have to plan their journeys riding a bike. that improve the quality of shorter daily At London Underground stations it can around toilets, particularly older ` We will use the Mayor’s traffic powers to journeys. Crossrail 2 is a good example be hard to find a toilet, or one without a Londoners, those with a disability or take into the Transport for London Road of a project that is losing out while the charge. Network Rail stations in London medical condition and people with Network those main roads and streets government puts so much into a project now all have free facilities since a change children, shouldn’t have their lives limited needed for strategic transport projects that will benefit very few travellers and in policy two years ago. by a lack of loos. where boroughs have proved unable to disadvantage communities along its In an amendment proposed for the It makes sense that Transport for deliver change. A Green Mayor will make path. Mayor’s budget in 2020, Caroline found London should provide as many toilets better use of these powers where the funding to make all tube toilets free and as possible as part of its public purpose add 32 new accessible toilet blocks, and service. And it certainly shouldn’t be along with six ‘changing places’ toilets. charging people to spend a penny. 38 MANIFESTO for a new start ` We will learn the lessons of Crossrail access to rest facilities and toilets while Technological safe systems involving Many Londoners discovered the clean delays and the Garden Bridge fiasco, and working. in-cab cameras and warning sounds air benefits of a low-traffic city in bring in major changes to how projects when people are near lorries have 2020. Deliveries and trades vehicles ` We will safeguard wharves and promote are governed, particularly when jointly developed hugely. We prefer direct vision benefitted from near-empty roads. the use of water freight in construction- supported by Government or delivered low cab vehicles and will review all death Previously unappreciated places came project supply chains to reduce the with other parties. All projects will be set and serious injury collisions where a alive with birdsong, conversation and number of spoil trucks driving through up to give Londoners and the Assembly heavy goods vehicle has been involved neighbourliness, as most of us chose to our city, and allow access to rail paths maximum openness, accountability and to monitor the effectiveness of the combine our daily exercise with our daily and stations to support modal shift. transparency from the start. Safe System approach and develop the journeys to work, local shops and parks. ` We will develop a Safe Freight fund scheme to further reduce lorry danger Apart from the climate crisis and the air for delivering borough-led sustainable if evidence shows it is needed. We will pollution crisis, our transport policy has TRANSPORT GOODS SAFELY freight strategies to increase the use lobby the Government for the adoption of to address the crisis of physical inactivity of e-cargo bikes. This will cover large, the Direct Vision Standard nationally. AND SUSTAINABLY that threatens the health and wellbeing existing logistic companies, new last- ` We will commit to the development and of so many people. Healthy streets will Moving stuff around our city is essential mile logistic companies and SMEs or sole roll-out of an Intelligent Speed Assistance be a crucial resource to help people, work. The growth in construction traffic, traders who deliver products or carry standard for vehicles that are working communities and businesses recover from supermarket home delivery, goods ordered equipment (e.g. bakers, plumbers). online, and take-away food delivered to in London beyond buses (taxis, private the pandemic. ` A Green Mayor will invest in toilets hire vehicles, HGVs, council vehicles, car people’s homes, means we need better ` A Green Mayor will set a minimum and rest facilities to reduce lorry driver share/club vehicles, delivery vans and ways to manage these trips, and to change standard for our streets to be fit for fatigue and ensure professional drivers other working vans) in London by 2024. how we transport goods and freight around human consumption in terms of public and bike couriers are not left walking the our city. health. streets looking for a toilet between shifts. ` We will help the freight industry move to NEW STANDARDS FOR ` A Green Mayor will set a 20 mph default ` A Green Mayor will support a radical electric and alternatively fuelled vehicles, speed limit on Transport for London reform of the London Lorry Control SAFE, HEALTHY AND as well as e-assist cargo bikes for the roads everywhere there is a pavement, Scheme, which currently restricts lorry last few miles, by ensuring sufficient ACCESSIBLE STREETS to protect people where they live, work, movements overnight and at weekends, space is available in the right locations in shop and walk, requiring a special case forces HGVs on lengthy detours and In 2020, during the first coronavirus inner and outer London for the required to be made for any increase on specific pushes them into delivering at the most lockdown, Londoners responded refuelling and recharging infrastructure. roads. Our call to get the current Mayor congested time of the day. magnificently to the call to stay at home ` We will have a team in City Hall to and prioritise the journeys of essential to consider this was rejected by Labour encourage high street collection hubs ` We will ensure enforcement against workers. During this time, 47 per cent of and the Conservatives in the London and work with online retailers to develop serially non-compliant HGV operators journeys were made by walking and cycling Assembly. We will work with boroughs this option in local centres across in London via the London Freight and tube use was just eight per cent of to make all similar roads in London 20 London. It will also work with boroughs Enforcement Partnership, publicising normal use. mph, and propose even lower limits in to develop planning policies to protect infringements to drive up compliance busy areas where vehicles mix with large But in the longer term, sat-nav enabled the safety and welfare of delivery riders with existing regulations and standards. numbers of pedestrians. driving has led to a 74 per cent increase in with higher levels of rider training ` We support the current Mayor’s Direct traffic on residential side roads over the ten ` Transport for London has developed a especially for food delivery riders and Vision Standard for lorries and Transport years from 2009 to 2019. Healthy Streets check tool for checking for London’s Safe System approach. our streets are safe and that they

40 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 41 provide a range of elements like shade boroughs are allowing ‘parklets’, which ` Proper, comfortable seating, with arms and shelter that support health and are social, community growing spaces, to help older and disabled people stand well-being. TfL will be mandated to use often with seating, in parking bays. THE BEST EVER up this tool and to never include design Greens will promote these schemes so ` Ringfenced advertising space for local elements that increase road danger, such that parking spaces (both residential BUS STOPS small businesses and services as narrow traffic lanes. and commercial) can be transformed by communities across London. ` Solar generating glazing to cut carbon ` Main roads will also get new design ondoners have told us that current bus standards – our investment plans to ` Other design elements we will include in L stops simply aren’t good enough for ` Attractive, bee-friendly planting on the improve main roads will make sure our new standards to increase pedestrian the older and disabled people and outer shelter rooftop, alongside further solar they include frequent opportunities for priority include the use of raised road Londoners who rely most upon them, and power generation we have listened. pedestrians to safely cross the road, side crossings continuing the pavement, and ` New pedestrian crossings in the right roads with continuous footways across new parking bays built at pavement Sian Berry has plans for a vastly improved place for every main road bus stop a junction, protection at junctions for level, so that they are ready to be retired new bus stop design for London’s streets. cycling and protected bike lanes with from car use as vehicle ownership falls. The proposals for this new standard Greens will bring in a comprehensive new accessibility friendly bus stop bypasses. respond to problems raised by Londoners, ` We will help more families choose design, which will be used for all new and including badly designed, uncomfortable ` We will help people cross the road to walk to school by assessing and replacement Transport for London bus seating (sometimes designed deliberately safely, making sure there is a pedestrian transforming streets outside schools and shelters. that way as part of hostile design policies crossing at every junction with traffic the routes pupils must travel to every Our proposals will give Londoners who towards homeless people), and the lack lights, and ensuring crossing points are school so they are safer, cleaner and less rely on buses: of safe crossings on main roads that help located exactly where people need them; congested. people reach bus stops. for example providing diagonal crossings ` Real-time bus arrival time and air ` A Green Mayor will support the creation at busy junctions, ensuring two-stage pollution information With a Green Mayor, London will have the of a Central London Walking Network crossings and waits on traffic islands best bus stops in the world. with easy, attractive and low pollution are a rare exception and that signalised routes. We will encourage Transport for junctions have a pedestrian phase on London to work with boroughs to ensure every arm of the junction. investment in strategic walking routes ` We will ensure waiting times for a green across the city. signal to cross the road are short and ` A Green Mayor will develop a coherent that crossing times allow for older people network of safe cycling routes, using to cross in comfort. both temporary and permanent measures ` There are not enough places to pause, sit to roll out protected bike lanes at pace, and rest while walking. A Green Mayor and tackling difficult hostile junctions will set a new standard for benches and that need a full redesign to work safely places to rest to be provided every 50 for people walking and cycling. metres. ` Many cities and towns (including Oslo, ` Following creative action by community Barcelona, Brighton and York) are making campaigners in Hackney, more and more large areas car-free, especially where

Illustrations by One World Design Architects, 42 MANIFESTO for a new start created for London Green Party there are large numbers of people on speeding and extreme speeding wheelchair users can travel together on vital service for all Londoners and the on foot. A Green Mayor will support offences, which cause so much harm. the bus. lack of toilets prevents many people from boroughs to develop car-free zones in leaving their homes. A Green Mayor will | READ more about our plans ` A Green Mayor will prioritise the London. use new investment funds to expand this for safer roads in our chapter electrification of buses and taxis to programme and make toilet provision a ` Our focus on bus, freight and delivery ACTION FOR A SAFE AND HEALTHY CITY provide a smooth and pain-free ride, priority again. driver welfare, combined with danger particularly on hospital routes. reduction measures described in other ` We will work with disabled people’s ` We will review access to stations, sections of this chapter, will make ACCESS FOR ALL groups and black cab drivers who have checking for safe pedestrian crossings, residential streets and town centres safer lost business due to the coronavirus ` A Green Mayor will commission an level footways, appropriate tactile paving, for all road users. crisis, to help prioritise disabled and independent audit of ways to improve protected cycle lanes and secure bike older passengers on non-emergency ` We will work with Londoners to devise accessibility for disabled people on parking. taxi journeys. This should reduce waiting models to bring electric scooters and the tube and rail networks. Too many ` We will immediately review bus driver times and increase comfort for people other new electric vehicles safely within projects to provide step-free access at wellbeing and training and, with the who rely on wheelchair transport and the law in the city, and include regulation stations are currently on hold simply involvement of older and disabled have difficulty transferring into and out of these innovative modes of transport in due to cost or are delayed by being left people’s groups, work with bus drivers of a car. In the process it will help taxi our proposals for traffic and transport law to the end of the Crossrail programme. and unions to reduce timetable pressures drivers by providing resilient and regular devolution to London. In particular, we We will make the case for the social that can lead to high speeds and an work for drivers of accessible cabs. will ensure that micro-mobility does not value of these schemes and build a new uncomfortable passenger experience for make our streets less accessible, as has investment programme. ` Our low traffic neighbourhoods older and disabled people happened with badly dumped dockless ` A Green Mayor will work with boroughs investment will address some of the hire bikes clogging up pavements. to deliver a fit-for-purpose blue badge ` Our new bus stop standard will put local barriers to mobility experienced accessibility first, with appropriate levels on the streets today by people using ` We will review and improve equality scheme which is consistent across for boarding by foot and by wheelchair, aids such as white canes, rollators, impact assessments for transport London. A Green Mayor will increase the cycle bypasses with zebra crossings to wheelchairs and adaptive pedal cycles. decisions, working with data on number of blue badge parking bays in reduce conflict, all-weather protection, Every temporary and permanent economic impacts and with disabled the city. shelter for wheelchairs and buggies, scheme will be designed and double- people’s representatives to ensure that ` With a Green Mayor, Transport for seating and tactile paving. Live bus checked to ensure that there are proportionate, accurate and broad-based London will regularly audit and report on information will be displayed clearly for coherent, accessible, step-free routes equalities issues are considered for pavements and introduce a programme those who can’t easily use apps and into, out of and through the area. This strategic plans and individual projects. of improvements to enable walking and online tools. means accessible dropped kerbs, ` We will restore road policing capacity. wheeling. ` Our 2020 GLA budget amendment even footways and appropriate tactile Currently more than 100 officers have ` Our new bus investment will prioritise pledged to make all tube toilets free and paving, so that children, older and been removed from the Roads and accessibility. Working with bus install 32 new toilet blocks in Transport disabled people can get around safely Transport Policing Command to create manufacturers and working closely for London stations, along with six and conveniently especially around the Violent Crime Taskforce. This was with older people, parents and disabled new fully accessible Changing Places bollards and planters at entry points. supposed to be reviewed after six people’s organisations, we will optimise facilities. The current Mayor has not Low traffic neighbourhoods will be months and they should have been access and space for people of all ages taken up our idea and made access to trialled with on-going local consultation replaced as soon as possible. We will and needs and specify more space on toilets a priority, but we will. This is a so that communities can respond to the target road police resources in particular newly commissioned buses so that two experience and win changes.

44 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 45 ` A Green Mayor will ensure cycle routes benefit disabled people who use buggies, scooters and cycles as their main mode of independent transport. We will ensure that lane widths and access points along the routes meet accessibility standards, minimising tight turns, difficult slopes, obstacles and fast-moving traffic. ` The current Mayor has failed to check councils apply consistent policies about the placement of electric vehicle charging points, which belong on the road in parking spaces and not on pavements. A Green Mayor will prevent charging infrastructure being placed on pavements, and from cluttering up footways and blocking access for people with buggies and wheelchairs. ` Our safe and healthy streets, where everyone is able to go at their own pace and stop for a chat with neighbours, will reduce loneliness and foster mental health and community cohesion.

46 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 47 ` A Green Mayor will use these powers to RIGHTS FOR TENANTS set up a Rent Commission for London AND RENTERS to decide on a new target level and downward trajectory for private rents, ` A Green Mayor will work from day one and immediately define the London for every Londoner to have their right Living Rent better to take account of to a decent, secure home respected, the wage gaps faced by households including the right to good standards, led by women and African, Caribbean, security from unfair evictions and Asian, Latino and other minority ethnic protection from high rents. Londoners. ` Throughout the pandemic, Sian Berry has ` We will bring in a two-year freeze stood up for the rights of renters, fighting for private rents while the new body for the eviction ban and proposing fair completes its work and puts forward ways to cancel rent arrears built up, not long-term, stable and predictable rent turn them into debts. Landlords who control plans. need support should be able to claim it from Government. Greens will continue to ` We will support the London Renters FRESH THINKING campaign until renters are not made to Union and other groups organising bear the burden of the crisis. tenants from the grassroots, providing grants for them to expand and for new ` A Green Mayor would not accept any local groups to be set up, as proposed more delays on the promised abolition of by Green Assembly Members in the no-fault evictions and section 21 of the FOR HOUSING most recent GLA budget. This will Housing Act. include groups representing students safe place to live is a human right. But We must keep reforming the private rented ` We will campaign to scrap the benefit and migrants and refugees, as well as in London we are failing. The number sector, and fight together for better rights cap and maintain the emergency disabled tenants, to ensure their rights, A of people left destitute to sleep on and the power to bring in rent controls. coronavirus increases to the Local including to adapted homes when the streets is appalling, and this is just the Housing Allowance rate for housing needed, are respected. We also need better rights for social benefit so that it at least covers 30 per most visible sign of a much bigger problem. ` London will have its own Social Housing housing and council tenants. Hard- cent of rented homes in any local area. Our homeless people don’t need sweeping won ballots for estate residents facing Commissioner, charged with supporting up like fallen leaves into temporary homes.. demolition are a start, but we need to put ` Sian Berry pushed the current Mayor for tenant rights, equality and empowerment We need to heal the tree – root and branch more tenants fully in control of homes. more than three years before he started in council and social-rented homes, and – the system that has too many gaps to fall to argue for rent control powers for supporting active and thriving tenants’ Our existing homes need fixing too. through, and too much injustice. London, and London’s renters need a real associations across London. They will Councils and housing associations already champion for this issue. These devolved be a tenant themselves and supported System changes and power shifts are have a huge job to do on fire safety, and powers are urgent and Greens will not with the resources needed to empower the most resilient changes we can make. our next Mayor must assess the problem go slow or give up on pressing for these resident groups across London. Welfare must be fixed, because benefit and make plans for the Green New Deal powers, and we will work with mayors of ` We will provide grants and support for caps and universal credit are making London needs. other cities to win them. homelessness worse. new co-ops, including revolving loans for

48 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 49 new groups, targeting the promotion of student unions and student campaign these services particularly towards key organisations to bring this down. workers and people living in houses of ` We will support the calls from Green multiple occupation who wish to take students to support students affected over the running of their homes, and to by the coronavirus crisis, including rent African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and rebates, refunds and grants and support other minority ethnic Londoners. for mental health. We will also campaign ` We will campaign at a national level for for the national Green Party policy to a right to co-op for people in shared write off student loan debts. houses, following up on research work ` Our new renting rules will include a by Sian Berry in the London Assembly. default right for renters to keep pets. ` We will work to close the loopholes that Greens on the London Assembly have leave property guardians in legal limbo, campaigned for unfair pet clauses to be and put forward changes in the law to banned since 2016. include property guardians in new rights for renters. NO MORE LOST ` We will amend the London Plan to better control short-term lettings in London, COUNCIL HOMES with strict limits - including prohibition ` A key power needed from housing in areas of high housing need - built devolution to London is the ability to into lease conditions for new buildings stop the loss of council homes through and give more support to councils in Right to Buy. Every effort we make to GREENS FIGHTING FOR enforcing time limits and quality of life build more council homes is currently for surrounding residents. neutralised by this policy. A Green Mayor ` Much higher levels of truly affordable will present evidence and campaign RENTERS’ RIGHTS fiercely for an urgent suspension of Right Sian Berry will stand with millions of her rented homes will be included in new to Buy in London. ian Berry has been a private renter fellow renters to strengthen their rights. planning policies for the Build to Rent S in London for nearly 25 years, and sector. ` A Green Mayor will stop the loss of She will work with other Mayors from has championed renters’ rights on the council homes through demolition. We across the country, to campaign for the ` We’ve campaigned from the start for a London Assembly right from the start, will review all funding conditions for devolved powers we need to set rent Student Living Rent. After pressing the putting forward the idea of a London estate demolition projects, especially for controls, bring down runaway rents, Mayor we have won requirements for a Renters Union in her manifesto for the those schemes that have not progressed forgive rent arrears accumulated during proportion of student accommodation to 2016 election. since being signed off by the current the pandemic, and end unfair evictions. be affordable in the new London Plan, Before that, Sian wrote to Sadiq Khan but we strongly believe that the Mayor’s Mayor before the ballot policy was while he was still an MP in 2015 asking The current Mayor has been defeatist definition of this at 55 per cent of the announced in 2018. New, resident-led him to help amend legislation to give and slow when it comes to winning a maximum maintenance loan is too high, plans would be required, along with rent control powers to city mayors. She better deal for housing. Sian Berry will and a Green Mayor would work with ballots for schemes that have stalled. continued to put pressure on the current be a committed champion for London’s Mayor for three years until, in late 2018, renters. he finally took action. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 51 ` We will review all existing estate ballot ` A Green Mayor will add dramatically to exemptions. And we will prevent any the stock of low-cost rented homes by council and social rented homes being purchasing existing homes, with the GLA converted to ‘affordable’ rent in new using grants and sustainable borrowing plans. to buy homes from developers and landlords for renting at London Living ` A Green Mayor will bring estate ballots Rent levels from councils and housing into planning policy by requiring grant associations. applications from all demolition schemes to boost social housing numbers. ` We will also work with councils, housing Following problems with recent ballots, associations and pension funds to build improved guidance will do more to up a larger, collaborative revolving involve residents in devising plans from acquisition fund to expand this idea the start and give firmer guidance on further. neutrality in ballot publicity. ` We will work in partnership with councils ` We will support the production of to make better use of prudential funding credible People’s Plans for residents on and borrowing mechanisms to buy back estates with a funded expert team in City more homes previously lost under Right Hall to help. to Buy in order to bring these once again into council housing stock for letting NEW COUNCIL AND LOW- under secure tenancies. This will mitigate WINNING A FINAL SAY the continued net loss of council homes COST RENTED HOMES in London which Sian has exposed, and create a pipeline of new homes far WITH ESTATE BALLOTS FROM EXISTING HOUSING exceeding what is currently being built compulsory before funding is given for ` A Green Mayor will bring an end to the by councils. ebruary 2018 saw a massive victory demolition schemes. However, the new crisis in temporary accommodation F for residents on estates as the current rules still have unfair restrictions from by supporting and funding a rapid Mayor u-turned on his estate ballots voting for different kinds of residents, expansion of London Councils’ Capital CREATING THE NEW policy. including private renters. Letters programme, which leases homes HOMES WE NEED long-term from landlords at reasonable It was revealed that 95 per cent of The Mayor also allowed far too many ` A Green Mayor will correct mistakes rates for councils to provide to people responses to the draft estate guidance schemes – 34 in total – to slip through made by the current Mayor in using the in housing need. This approach will demanded ballots for residents, following the net, by giving them funding or affordable housing grant money devolved save huge amounts compared with our campaigning with residents across planning permission in the long period from national government. The Mayor is the very high cost to councils of often London. of 11 months between the end of the moving too slowly and devoting too many substandard nightly paid temporary consultation period and the final policy grants to unaffordable shared ownership As a result, the Mayor dramatically accommodation, and can be funded by being announced. homes in future phases of long-term reversed his policy, after his draft working in partnership with councils and schemes, when more needs to go to guidance was explicitly against giving Our policy will be to review all of these minimal capital investment. residents this final say. schemes that are not now underway, The new guidance came into force in so we can require new plans and new July 2018, making a resident ballot ballots for residents. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 53 create council and social rented homes ` We will scale up diversity in the housing ` We will use research from here and from those being built now. market – creating new programmes abroad to build more intentional | See more about our People’s Land to support councils, smaller housing intergenerational properties and Commission on page 59 ` Billions risk lying unspent long after 2023 associations, small builders and developments that better suit the from the 2016-2023 grant programme community models to build homes, lifecycle of families. This too will help unless something is done. Sian recently including on small sites identified by our support community building and can exposed that in mid-2020 £500 million People’s Land Commission. support reducing social care costs. was lying completely unallocated and useless. We will bring forward spending ` A Green Mayor will act now to support ` We will address overcrowding in and also use money allocated to later community led housing and co-ops in homes by conducting a borough by phases of planned building programmes the city. The Mayor has left the majority borough needs assessment, correcting to convert homes already in planning or of his Community Housing Fund unspent, gaps in current Government statistics, being constructed into new council and and failed to put significant public land and putting together a strategy to social housing. towards these new ideas. better match people to homes across London, working with older Londoners’ ` Our new planning policies will recognise ` We will use the Mayor’s Land Fund better representatives to establish new that the current Mayor’s ‘London and open up the London Development Mayoral programmes to find ways to Affordable Rent’ is not the same as Board with more transparency and new provide people who wish to downsize social rent and seek to abolish all dodgy members from tenant, resident and with genuinely attractive and desirable definitions of affordable housing for good. community housing groups. options, including co-housing. ` By presenting clear evidence and by ` Using planning and funding powers, we ` We will work with local authorities to campaigning alongside Londoners, we will make sure more fully wheelchair support owner occupiers to take on will win more funding and much more accessible homes, built to the highest lodgers, and provide GLA advice for flexibility for new housing grants from standards, are secured by councils and potential lodgers, setting up a brokerage the Government. This will include a push in planning decisions by the Mayor. service, along with standards and a for more funding for the conversion of Currently, a very small percentage of register of hosts, and policies to ensure existing homes, and homes already planned homes are fully wheelchair fair rents and decent living conditions. under construction, into social rent accessible, and there is an acute homes, not just new builds. shortage of council homes for disabled ` A Green Mayor will campaign for a Londoners. Community Right to Buy for land and ` A Green Mayor’s grants for new homes buildings that community organisations will not be for unaffordable shared ` Housing needs projections must be wish to make use of, at a national level ownership or ‘affordable’ rent, but be improved so that boroughs make suitable or the devolved powers to create this reserved for new council homes, social provision for accessible and supported right in London. housing and community-led housing, housing for young people who become with smaller grants available for London adults with disabilities. This work is best ` We will use small sites better, working Living Rent homes. The grants will be coordinated at a London-wide level and alongside councils and communities provided on a sliding scale depending on we will make sure the GLA leads on this, to map spaces within local areas the number of bedrooms to increase the and reviews allocations policies from where new homes can fit, through a level of family housing provided. councils to make sure they are available London-wide, bottom-up People’s Land to people who need them. Commission.

54 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 55 STOPPING POOR DOORS AND POOR PLAYGROUNDS

reens on the London Assembly have G pushed successfully for policies to prevent social division being built into new developments. ‘Poor doors’ where social and affordable housing residents have separate entrances and get inferior facilities are discriminatory and create unnecessary divisions and hierarchies between residents. ` We first highlighted the potential for ‘poor playgrounds’ – the horrific prospect of separate areas being built for children in different tenures to play in – in our response to the Mayor’s Housing Strategy. ` Although we have been successful in getting councils like Camden to write clear policies against these divisions into open spaces policies, the current Mayor has still not put watertight rules into his new London Plan, and a Green Mayor will correct this. to review all council processes and make FIXING OUR EXISTING HOMES clear standards at a London level. Fixing the shocking state of fire safety in ` We will campaign for deep reforms to our homes is a huge job for every kind leasehold, including caps on ground of housing provider, thanks to years of rents and limits on charges for major deregulation by the Government and works, and campaign for changes to appalling work by big developers and make commonhold and the right to contractors. a people’s land manage easier to obtain for leaseholders. ` A Green Mayor will take the lead at a | SEE MORE About our Green New DEal IN strategic level, assess the work needed THE CHAPTER WE WILL CREATE THE commission community-led and non-profit builders and make the case to ministers that GREENEST CITY IN THE WORLD our councils, housing associations, reens will put power back into the finding it easier to access land and try leaseholders and private landlords need | See more about homes and safety G hands of Londoners by setting up a different models. in our chapter Action for a Safe and People’s Land Commission. specific funding and support to make our ` With suitable sites identified and Healthy City homes safe. Together, we will go out into our city, approved by the local community, ` Energy saving is as neglected and urgent and find land for the things local people the GLA and London’s councils can as the safety work needed on our homes. really want, like homes, community use compulsory purchase powers Greens have been highlighting the lack halls, small businesses, parks, where land is not already publicly of work on our many 19th and 20th playgrounds, theatres and youth centres. owned to bring more land forward for century homes since a major report was When local people find plots of land development. produced in the early 2000s by Jean which aren’t being put to good use ` Greens on the London Assembly have Lambert MEP. A Green Mayor will start and would be suitable for small scale put together evidence showing that on day one with a full, new assessment developments, a Green Mayor will adding more homes on top of existing of the city’s needs. We would use this provide the funding to put these ideas buildings, converting underused land to make plans and demands for huge into action. from car parks and garages, and investment in our housing, which will get doing that creatively and with the the carbon emissions from our homes This is the fresh thinking on housing which London needs, and it will put community, could provide many more down to zero and show fuel poverty the new homes than treating people’s door. the land under your feet back into your hands. homes as ‘brownfield land’ and ` For disabled people, bidding for council prioritising demolition schemes that homes is far more difficult, and more ` Green Mayor will set up a People’s break up communities and face fierce time and help is needed to ensure homes Land Commission to help identify new opposition. can be viewed ahead of bidding and that sites and bring land together for more community-led housing projects ` We also need a Community Right to necessary adjustments are planned in Buy at a national level, or via devolved good time before moving in. Councils are ` Working with local people can lead to powers to London. These rights responsible for this, but a Green Mayor better outcomes and quicker results, already exist in Scotland and are will work with disabled people’s groups with plans less likely to be challenged, helping local communities to buy land and a wider variety of smaller and buildings and put them to use.

58 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 59 some point in the last year, giving them a and for this right to apply across all HOMES FOR ALL LONDONERS place to stay when they have had nowhere tenancies. Greens on the London Assembly have else to go. ` A Green Mayor will create a new team worked to expose the problems faced by Sian Berry says: within the homelessness service at City more and more Londoners who lose their Hall focused specifically on reaching homes every year through no fault of their “We need to fix a system that has too many and supporting EU migrants who are own. gaps for people to fall through. The Mayor’s at particular risk of homelessness office can help build more homes, and all Families, young people, migrants, veterans, already and face new problems as Brexit the policies in this chapter are aimed at people with poor mental health or family progresses. fixing fractures and injustice in our housing problems, and people denied help by system. ` We will require local authorities to the benefits system, are all especially automatically record the protected vulnerable to becoming homeless, along “But City Hall can also take more action characteristics of those presenting at with private renters facing eviction. to fix the temporary accommodation crisis housing options services, so we can and improve the information and help Councils are struggling to provide enough see more evidence of discrimination in people facing homelessness can access, temporary accommodation and the number housing policies. and make services much more consistent of people forced to sleep on the streets has between councils with fewer gaps.” ` We will make sure there is consistent increased dramatically in central London in and fair assessment by councils recent years. To put street homelessness in London in of ‘vulnerability’ and health needs, the past where it belongs: Sian Berry’s work on the Assembly has and increase support and targeted also helped expose the problem of hidden ` A Green Mayor will fund and support information for young people, homelessness. more Housing First provision in London. families and LGBTIQA+ people facing This approach helps people with On any given night, more than 13 times homelessness, as well as people with additional needs and vulnerabilities, such as many people are in temporary homes, medical needs who need support from as people with mental health needs or hiding from view on the streets, staying their doctors. people who are drug dependent, with with friends and family or sofa surfing, ` We will also help solve the crisis in an unconditional, non-institutional home than are counted in traditional surveys of temporary accommodation with our so that they are more easily able to homelessness. policies to create new council and focus on their problems while remaining low-rent homes from existing housing. Women, including those facing domestic independent. abuse, young people and LGBTIQA+ ` We will make sure young people ` We will fight for more funding from Londoners are some of the worst affected, under 25 facing homelessness have Government to make sure councils can and only a minority of young people are the dedicated support they need, with fully respect people’s right to help ahead even approaching councils for help as they separate accommodation and support of being evicted, as required by the feel like they will get no help. work, and the right proportion of GLA Homelessness Reduction Act. Greens recently carried out research that funding set aside for this work. ` We will push in Parliament for legislation found Londoners themselves are helping to that guarantees victims of domestic pick up the pieces, with one in ten people abuse the right to remain in their homes, taking in a friend or family member at if they wish, rather than the perpetrator,

60 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 61 HEALTH AND HEALTH MENTAL HEALTH INEQUALITIES AND WELLBEING ` A Green Mayor will prioritise the mental The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge health and wellbeing of all Londoners impact. Many Londoners’ lives have been through policies that recognise the wide truly shattered, and communities have range of factors contributing to mental faced previously unimaginable changes. health and wellbeing including economic, The crisis has infiltrated every aspect of our social, environmental, psychological and city, our healthcare system, food security, physical factors. jobs and livelihoods, and the futures our ` A Green Mayor will work for parity of young people can look forward to. esteem for mental health with physical We have all struggled this year, but we health. Creating the conditions for know that some people have suffered much wellbeing and resilience to help to more than others, and that the pandemic prevent distress in the short and long has exposed serious health inequalities. term, both reducing suffering and saving ACTION FOR A SAFE Greens recognise that a healthy city is resources. one in which individuals and communities ` We reject the stigma attached to mental achieve their full physical, intellectual, health issues. There needs to be a more social and spiritual potential. Health for open dialogue on this within society individuals is only possible in the context of and a Green Mayor will put resources AND HEALTHY CITY a healthy environment and society. behind efforts to reduce stigma and As a result, things that improve safety and raise more awareness of mental health reens take a public health approach We will shift policing priorities into local health for citizens are found throughout and wellbeing issues. This will include to so much of our work. We know the communities and away from tactics that this manifesto. In every chapter, you will comprehensive mental health awareness G importance of a good start in life and we know are counterproductive, such as find more ways Greens will improve the and education within the GLA group of the impact that experiences in childhood cannabis enforcement and widespread wellbeing of Londoners. For example, a organisations and linking up campaigns can have on the risk of mental health non-intelligence based stop and search. Green Mayor will recognise the importance across the public sector. issues, getting into trouble with finances We know that some crimes are currently of agency and the ability to choose as ` This manifesto recognises the and crime in future. treated unequally, and would put more essential for good mental health, and our importance of primary prevention in We know that supporting strong resources into domestic and sexual transport policies address the crisis of supporting the health and wellbeing communities, tackling root causes and violence, and tackling road crime. physical inactivity that threatens the health of Londoners. A Green Mayor will addressing inequality are the best ways of many people. implement policies which protect A Green Mayor will work to ensure that to prevent harm, and that we can’t only everyone’s right to: London is safe and accessible for all our Taking a public health approach is also enforce our way out of our problems. citizens. proven to save money, meaning we will be • green, public space We always seek to prevent crime at the able to do more with the Mayor’s budget in • healthy, affordable food the long term. earliest possible stage. • safety

62 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 63 • clean air healthy life expectancy for everyone. conditions, where cold, damp homes ` Greens will continue to lead the fight on are an additional health risk. We will sexually transmitted disease prevention • be included. A Green Mayor will target resources and target fuel poverty programmes to the and sex education, working to ensure ` Our policies recognise the importance of support to where people are most in need. homes of people who have sickle cell the rollout of good Personal, Social and social interactions, reducing loneliness And we will close the gaps in services for and thalassaemia conditions as a priority, Health Education (PSHE) following the and increasing inclusion for all Londoners groups such as care leavers and young and make sure outreach programmes successful work, supported by our MP people in the care system, and people who • A Green Mayor will increase access to in all boroughs are able to find and refer Caroline Lucas, in Parliament. We will are homeless. privately owned public space to open relevant people to Mayoral programmes work to make sure sexual health service up London to the public and create ` A Green Mayor will change the way we providers in London have the funding to ` Greens will work with GLA group more space for Londoners to meet and measure progress in our city to help run preventative services in schools and organisations and local authorities enjoy the city. focus our work and our new targets awareness campaigns to support this. to ensure they are sensitive to the not on endless economic growth but • Volunteer, civic, community and faith needs of trans and non-binary people, ` Greens will ensure the London Health on new measures, including reducing groups play a big part in London’s life have training on trans awareness and Inequalities Strategy addresses the inequality. Our economy chapter details and community. A Green Mayor will set inclusion. health inequalities experienced by deaf our proposal for a Universal Basic Income a standard for grants to the voluntary and disabled people and that the London pilot in London and job support for ` We will be champions for a better care sector to be at least three years in Health Board includes representatives of disadvantaged groups; these initiatives service, standing up for increased duration, and will make sure full costs deaf and disabled people. including overheads are covered by will support good health and reduce funding, better conditions for care grants. health inequalities. workers, and the development of more ` Child dental health is unequal across sensitive and specialised care facilities London. Poor dental health negatively ` Greens advocate for a trauma-informed ` Greens strongly opposed cuts to local and services for older LGBTIQA+ impacts children’s development and approach. A Green Mayor will work government public health budgets; we Londoners, and different faith and mental health. Improving child dental with experts in trauma and community will campaign to reverse these cuts cultural groups. health requires a partnership approach support to review and change all aspects and we will closely monitor effects on between dentists, parents, GPs, teachers, of how police and public services act London’s public health resilience, for ` We will listen to people with experience early years staff and health workers. A with respect to victims, witnesses and example vaccination rates, take-up of of homelessness about the support they Green Mayor will work in partnership to the wider community. health services by marginalised groups, need and require homelessness services implement supervised brushing schemes and any loss of activities and outreach we fund to monitor demographics (with and to ensure access to specialist dentist programmes. consent from people who use services) services for people with disabilities. A HEALTH INEQUALITIES so we can prov­ide targeted, appropriate ` We will lobby the Government to Green Mayor will appoint a specialist and tailored support for groups who AND ACCESS establish a publicly-controlled alcohol in children’s dental health to the Child mig­ht need it. control foundation, paid for by alcohol Obesity Taskforce. HEALTH INEQUALITIES taxation, which will fund public health ` To improve sexual health, we will support interventions to reduce harms caused by key services such as sexual health Greens will never accept the health alcohol. clinics as vital London-wide services. ACCESS inequality exposed across groups of Instead of clinics being dependent on ` We will help reduce the health A Green Mayor will work for equal access Londoners by the pandemic. It is a disgrace one local council’s overstretched budget, inequalities faced by people, to services for all Londoners.. that some communities experience more we will ensure that these services are predominantly from Black communities, ` We will improve public spaces for people adversity and poorer health outcomes than adequately funded at a London level. others when we can do much more to lift with sickle cell and thalassaemia with neurodiversity, dementia and other

64 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 65 he Green Party defines ‘drugs’ as reduce drug-related harm and save T synthetic or plant-based substances taxpayers’ money. that have a substantial psychoactive and ` We will use advice from experts, /or physiological effect, direct or indirect, examples of success in others areas on the human body. and where there is greatest need Whilst people of every social background to work with the health sector and AN EVIDENCE-BASED use drugs, deaths are highly linked to charities to provide: social deprivation: working-age men • heroin prescribing living in the most deprived areas of APPROACH TO DRUGS England have died at more than four • safe consumption rooms times the average rate. • Naloxone Rescue Treatment Today’s problems have been created • free drug safety testing by our drugs laws. Rising deaths and • education. increasing availability of drugs have ` We will work with the police to: come despite billions of government • Deprioritise the policing of cannabis spending on drug enforcement. To avoid including stop and search, and allow capture by police, drug dealers are for more police time to be spent employing increasingly brutal methods preventing violent crimes. to distribute drugs, often exploiting children in the process. • Implement diversion from the criminal justice system to support It wasn’t always this way. Until the services. 1960s, doctors regulated the distribution ` Taking heroin supply out of criminal of heroin through prescription to a hands and back under the control of small number of people. The medical doctors will radically reduce overdose treatment of people who use drugs deaths and will cut the bottom out of was separated from the punishment of the illegal, violent drug trade in our unregulated use and supply. city. In October 2019, the Green Party ` A Green Mayor will lobby the of England and Wales adopted the Government to reduce drug harms most forward-thinking drugs policy of through legalisation and implement a any party, informed by evidence and safer, regulated supply. The Greens’ based firmly on the principles of harm new national approach would mean reduction, community safety and an that drug supply will be regulated by opposition to profiteering. the Government, instead of organised ` A Green Mayor will implement and criminals and alcohol and tobacco support harm-reduction schemes corporations, who all have a financial in the capital, taking lessons from interest in people using drugs pioneering work in other parts of the harmfully. country and around the world which

sanderstock/stock.adobe.com disabilities. We will ensure that the transport in the city through healthy, of the current London Food Board, and • We will support and significantly principles of lifetime neighbourhoods accessible streets, fair fares, investment integrate it more closely with the public expand London’s street markets, and a dementia-friendly city are included in step-free access and toilets across the health work of the Mayor and boroughs. provide for them in major regeneration in new planning rules for streets and travel network and prioritise disabled and projects, and address gaps in local ` A Green Mayor will confirm London’s homes, and introduce specific design older passengers on non-emergency taxi council support. commitment to the C40 Good Food Cities guidance, working with relevant groups. journeys. declaration and Milan Urban Food Pact, • We will deliver a widespread aware- This includes improving signage, ` Greens recognise the crucial, unpaid Greens will take every chance to improve ness-raising campaign to help people reducing clutter and designing spaces to and difficult work done by those who are food resilience and the contribution a find good value, healthy food. improve navigation. carers (including young carers). A Green better food system can make to address ` Charities and voluntary groups are filling ` We will support a dementia-friendly city Mayor will lobby Government to improve the climate and ecological crisis. the gap created by increasing levels of by continuous training and information the carers allowance and ensure carers poverty. We will develop a co-ordinated ` A Green Mayor will commit to the London for front-line staff in all GLA group are provided with adequate respite and strategic response to food poverty in Right2Food charter, which includes organisations and do more to promote from their caring responsibilities, and London, working with boroughs to help supporting London councils to provide this training to borough councils and would review and improve carer-friendly protect, extend and ensure the nutritional universal free school meals to school- private companies that deal with the employment policies across the GLA quality of meals on wheels (ensuring aged children. public. group. Policies throughout our manifesto older people have at least one good meal recognise and support unpaid carers. ` We will work with key partners, such as every day), and free school meals. ` Currently, some communities and groups schools, community organisations and experience more adversity and services ` With better financial health, through food experts, to make sure all Londoners are less accessible to them. A Green welfare reform and strong policies to THE RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE, have access to good value, healthy food Mayor will work with boroughs and promote and strengthen the London within their neighbourhoods health authorities to improve access to HEALTHY FOOD Living Wage, we intend to reduce the appropriate services (for children and We know that the challenges people face • We will introduce new standards in need for food banks. adults). This includes through pan- planning so that every new home has in accessing healthy, affordable food are ` We will campaign for an urgent change London provision commissioned through space to grow food, whether on a large getting harder, with more than 400,000 to national policy that excludes children the GLA and those directly within the balcony or roof garden or in a garden children in London facing food insecurity. from families with no recourse to public Mayor’s control: or allotment plot. Rising inequality and poverty, small shops funds from free school meals, and fund • We will assist councils to deliver • Services designed to meet need. under threat from development into community-based groups providing projects to make the best use of all • Information provided in accessible housing, and markets under threat from lunches for these excluded children. available space, such as temporarily formats and different languages. squeezed local authority budgets all add vacant space, traffic planters, walls to ` We will fund school food improvement to the pressures that reduce our ability to • Providing pathways to employment for grow food. The projects will include officers covering every borough to advise grow our own food and afford what is in people with learning disabilities. access to equipment and engagement schools on procurement of nutritious the shops. ` A Green Mayor will connect the mental with residents. school meals and to promote food education opportunities. health and wellbeing small business ` Greens in City Hall follow in the footsteps • A Green Mayor will develop and sector with public sector opportunities of former Green Assembly Member implement a London-wide good food ` We will double the number of London via NHS social prescribing services. Jenny Jones, whose advocacy led to strategy to stimulate small and medi- Boroughs signed up to the Veg Cities the formation of London Food, of which ` The transport chapter outlines ways um enterprises to support access to campaign to 12 and champion water- she became the first Commissioner. A in which a Green Mayor will improve good food for all. only schools. Green Mayor will strengthen the role

68 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 69 ` We will work with boroughs to map their own food, offer more healthy food food poverty and identify opportunities including organic vegetarian and vegan to improve access to affordable healthy options, and remove all high fat and food by introducing new street markets sugar products from vending machines. and allotments in areas where it is hard ` A Green Mayor’s new Transport for to buy or grow food, and helping each London advertising policies will do more borough to produce a Good Food Retail to help stop unhealthy products being Plan and improve its own procurement advertised on the transport system. policies. | See MORE ABOUT our ethical advertising ` A Green Mayor will support and promote policies IN THE CHAPTER A MISSION TO the take-up of Healthy Start across TRANSFORM OUR ECONOMY London, working with health visitors and hospitals to help people buy essential, healthy food for children under 4 years THE RIGHT TO CLEAN AIR old. Air pollution is deadly, and deepens ` We will fund a strategic project to help inequalities across London. We need every schools in London to improve policies possible action taken to save lives, and for school meals and support childrens’ you’ll only get that with a Green Mayor. right to good food, and assist councils With Boris Johnson as Mayor, we were in making sure that holiday provision going backwards. He was glueing pollution is available for pupils who receive free campaigning for to the road, making the congestion school meals to combat ‘holiday hunger’. zone smaller, and he cancelled the gas- clean air ` In the London Plan, we will bring guzzler charge Sian Berry helped win as a evidence to bear on reinstating effective campaigner. new policies, which were removed by the But under Sadiq Khan we are still seeing osamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah knows This resulted in a historic first in 2020, Government, to create exclusion zones just half measures. This year, the wider the hidden costs of busy, congested when pollution from the south circular around schools where fast food shops R ultra low emission zone is vital to go ahead roads all too well. road was named as a contributing factor aren’t allowed, and allow councils to with, but it needed to reach London-wide to Ella’s death. resist a saturation of fast food shops in Her daughter Ella Roberta died in 2013 not half way, which leaves outer Londoners any part of their borough. from one of the worst cases of asthma Rosamund is a powerful grassroots out of many of the benefits. And we must recorded in the UK, linked to unlawful campaigner for real change on this issue, ` A Green Mayor will encourage vegetarian see the Silvertown Road Tunnel cancelled spikes of air pollution from the main road and her work and commitment has and vegan diets, through the use of and action taken to cut traffic on main near her Lewisham home. resulted in her becoming a health and advertising and communication channels roads not just residential streets. air quality advocate for the World Health and through procurement policies. Since then Rosamund has campaigned A Green Mayor will take all the action Organisation. tirelessly to demand action to clean up ` We will support schools, colleges, needed to respect everyone’s right to London’s air. She set up the Ella Roberta Rosamund is the Green Party candidate universities, hospitals, prisons, residential clean air. We will set the right targets, Family Foundation and her petition of for Greenwich & Lewisham in the London care homes and daycare centres to grow switch to green buses much more quickly, over 175,000 signatures forced the Assembly. Government to open a new inquest. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 71 invest in healthy streets, and bring in and cleaner vehicles in this manifesto, a comprehensive, fair system of road including an ultra low emission zone charging based on emissions. (ULEZ) for the whole of London, smarter, fairer road charging and investment in Greens are the only ones you can trust to accessible healthy streets. take pollution as seriously as Londoners need. | See more about our transport policies in our chapter A clear plan to keep LEGAL AIR FOR LONDONERS BY NEXT London moving YEAR AND HEALTHY AIR BY 2025 ` The vast majority of pollution sources are Tell the truth about health risks within London and within the reach of policies and powers the Mayor of London ` A Green Mayor will monitor air pollution already has. There is no excuse for any properly and publicise the data widely further delay and a Green Mayor will do so that people can better protect their everything necessary to achieve clean, health. We will ask people to cut car use healthy air in London in as short a time particularly on high pollution days. We’ll as possible. bring in community car-free days and increase charges within our new smart ` Despite progress over the last four years, road charging scheme to cut pollution London still has breaches of current legal when forecasts show danger. Tube dust risks limits for both particles and nitrogen dioxide pollution. We will address the ` We will boost funds for equipment and remaining NO hotspots by the end of support local communities to carry out brushed under the carpet 2 “We are particularly concerned about 2022, and put in place policies to achieve their own monitoring exercises, helping aroline Russell investigated the contract cleaners working on the tube. stricter World Health Organisation (WHO) improve public understanding and C problem of particle pollution on the No one is monitoring the health of limits by 2028 to protect Londoners’ identify local hotspots that need urgent tube as chair of the London Assembly these workers simply because they are health. action from Transport for London and Environment committee. Now as a not directly employed by Transport for local councils. ` Through lobbying Parliament, we will candidate for the Assembly again, she London. This is unacceptable.” ` We will develop and install continuous says: also push for the human right to clean A Green Mayor will prioritise tackling air to be enshrined in a new Clean Air Act monitoring equipment together with “When Sadiq Khan became Mayor in tube dust. We will take action to identify that will shift national policies. London new ways of providing public displays of 2016 he pledged to tackle pollution and any health harm and to reduce the cannot put up a wall to keep out all the real-time air pollution data on the streets poor air on the London Underground. exposure of workers and passengers to pollution from other areas but we can for example at bus stops, so people are However, it is clear that little progress tube dust on all underground lines. use our influence to change national constantly made aware of air pollution has been made, even in understanding and are prompted to change the way We will prioritise the health of laws to help. the possible health risks. they travel to avoid worsening the risks. underground tube workers and cleaners ` We will not accept any road controlled “There are very high concentrations of with a comprehensive tube dust testing by Transport for London (the red routes) ` Greens will make sure all schools, small particles in the underground and, regime, regular health checks and having illegal levels of air pollution. You colleges, universities, prisons, residential worryingly, we just don’t know if they appropriate protective equipment and will find many policies for fewer cars care homes, daycare centres and are harmful or not, and studies are being mitigation measures, following academic kept under wraps. research on long-term health impacts. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 73 hospitals are provided with air quality to oppose and protest against all new homicides and domestic murders both the start, and we are pleased the current audits and given funding to develop air incineration capacity within London. increased in 2019, and the least well off Mayor has set up and funded a new pollution and clean travel action plans to areas of London were affected most. This Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to work on ` Greens will raise awareness of the protect the people who use and work in is a crisis, but pulling together as a city reducing the deep causes and adverse environmental and health harms of wood these settings. there is much we can do. childhood experiences that underlie and coal burning with the goal of phasing increases in violence, learning from ` Planning policies and new funding out open fires and woodburners. When we find ourselves with rising crime examples in other cities. However, the streams will make sure all buildings we must look to the causes, and find ways ` Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) is VRU is not independent of the Mayor’s have the right air filtration systems and for the police to help prevent these crimes a term describing mobile machines, and Office for Policing and Crime, so a Green protection for people inside them from not just try to enforce our way out of transportable industrial equipment or Mayor will correct this and make sure the air pollution outside with priority problems. vehicles, which are fitted with an internal the VRU has complete independence and given to settings located on main roads. combustion engine and not intended This means more police in local teams, more funding to carry out its work, hold for transporting goods or passengers, based on our high streets. It means more the Mayor to account, and recommend Other sources of pollution for example cranes and generators investment in real prevention and a public changes to policing. on construction sites. The current health approach. And it means new ` We know that homes and buildings are ` Eliminating murders and violence to NRMM standards need to improve. A training and skills to deal with violence also responsible for a large proportion of meet our ambitions also must mean Green Mayor will bring forward world against women, help young people facing local air pollution. All buildings and indoor focusing on education and community- leading emission standards for NRMM problems, and to protect groups affected spaces, where health and safety or other level work to reach potential perpetrators throughout London from 2040 to 2030 by hate crime. duties apply, will comply fully with World and encourage them to seek help, with interim steps stage IV in 2023 and Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. creating more opportunities for stage V in 2026. ` A Green Mayor will refuse permission PREVENTING VIOLENT community and personal conversations ` Drone and laser light displays are far for new combined heat and power about difficult issues such as domestic cleaner than conventional fireworks. CRIME WITH A PUBLIC installations, incinerators, solid fuel violence, poverty, prejudice, relationships, For New Years Eve, a Green Mayor will burners, diesel farms or fracking, and HEALTH APPROACH masculinity, and morality and ethics. only use non-polluting displays and will And being honest about the limitations require plans to close any existing units ` A Green Mayor will set a city-wide goal encourage all public display organisers to of measures that primarily focus on by 2030. to aim for zero murders within ten years do the same. deterrence and fear. ` Evidence shows that incinerators, even in our city, along with dramatically modern plants, create huge air pollution reduced violent crime, and will work ` Sian Berry’s campaign since 2016 risks for people living around them, as SAFETY AND JUSTICE through a comprehensive public health to expose cuts to youth services and well as creating unwanted markets for approach to achieve this. win new funding through the Young The best measure of success of a police Londoners Fund (YLF) has been fossil fuel based waste and depressing ` At the beginning of Mayor’s Question service is the absence of crime and successful, but the funding so far does recycling levels. Greens in London have Time, a Green Mayor will publicly disorder. The first job of the Mayor and the not replace all the cuts that have been helped lead campaigns against new acknowledge all of the known murder Metropolitan Police Service is therefore to made under austerity. A Green Mayor incinerators and are opposing those victims in London since the last meeting, keep Londoners safe by preventing as well will expand the YLF further, and do proposed in Edmonton and Belvedere. alongside acknowledging those killed on as solving crime. much more to lobby Government to Alongside policies to cut waste and our roads. increase recycling, we will continue Our vision for London is one of zero reverse council cuts to budgets. Youth murders. It is so concerning to see the ` Greens have been pushing for a public work in London needs to be provided murder rate rising in London. Street health approach to preventing crime from at gold standard levels, accessible to

74 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 75 every young person not just those facing ` Local commanders will be empowered to difficulties – our young people deserve take more of a lead on policing strategies nothing less. for London. In addition, this provides the opportunity to diversify police leadership ` Within police budgets, a Green Mayor and build trust, in particular with will find new funding to expand London’s Black community. diversion and early interventions. This will include making support from the ` Greens will give police teams the time current Divert programme available to and resources to develop new local work every young person aged 18-25 who plans and areas of focus (for example to comes into police custody, (and similarly include burglary, robbery, vehicle crime for programmes for under-18s) and and fraud) in conjunction with revived expanding the number of youth workers Safer Neighbourhood Panels at ward and available in hospital A&E and their ability borough level. to support young people for longer and ` A Green Mayor will use every possible refer them to appropriate services and resource to bring more officers back into support. local ward teams and make them more ` A Green Mayor will never give up on effective, including recruiting new police pushing the Government to make youth officers with new Government funding, services a statutory service and to fund and making the case for more. YOUTH SERVICES councils to provide a comprehensive ` Greens opposed the closure of local programme of youth centres and youth police stations and neighbourhood hubs, workers. FUNDING SUCCESS like the one on Streatham High Street, in ` We will identify every possible way to 2017. We understand that staffing these hanks to campaigning work by ` Greens will never give up on pushing support youth services and support for contact points when officer numbers T Sian Berry throughout her term as the Government to reverse austerity young Londoners to thrive through GLA were low was difficult, but with our a London Assembly Member since measures and fund councils to provide budgets. plans to increase strength in local teams 2016, youth work in London has been a comprehensive programme of youth we will also plan to reopen and create supported with an extra £70 million, in centres and youth workers, and make more local shop fronts and bases for the teeth of biting government cuts to youth services a statutory service. RESTORE COMMUNITY councils. community police on our high streets. ` A Green Mayor will continuously add POLICING ` We will improve the diversity of the In the Assembly, Greens have researched to GLA funding for youth work and ` The Metropolitan Police Service currently Met to finally achieve a service that and laid bare the cost of austerity to youth centres across London. We will has 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs), represents Londoners, reintroducing council youth services in a series of identify every possible way to support which each look after several boroughs. residency requirements (along with annual reports. These show nearly half youth services and support for young These should be given more power, housing policies to allow more officers of all youth service budgets have been Londoners to thrive through GLA finances and responsibility to allow to return to living in the city) and setting cut by councils since 2011, and over 100 budgets. youth centres closed. policing in London to be more locally ambitious targets for the number of ` Our Assembly Members will continue focussed and accountable, including officers who are women and from Sian Berry’s latest report in March 2021, to listen to young people and gather re-establishing local police bases. African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and shows the additional impacts of the data on the impact of cuts on their pandemic making youth work in London lives and the services they need. even harder. 76 MANIFESTO for a new start DRAMATIC CUTS TO

LOCAL POLICE TEAMS BITEGreen councillors and Assembly candidates across London are listening ssembly candidates Andrée Frieze to local communities and hearing huge A (South West London) and Tim Kiely concerns about the impact on street (City and East) have researched the crimes like muggings, and a reduction in number of officers working in local ward investigations and convictions for crimes teams in their areas of London. like burglaries. They found a consistent drop, since Andrée, who is a Councillor in Richmond, LOCAL POLICE TEAMS: the current Mayor took over in 2016, says: “Richmond town, the busiest POLICE FRONT COUNTERS: in the number of police staff in each centre in the borough for residents and OFFICERS AND PCSOs SINCE 2012: DOWN FROM 9 TO 2 Safer Neighbourhood Team and a big tourists has no police station, and we SINCE 2016 drop in available police front counters can see the impact in longer response in the Central East area under both the times and more crimes in the area, previous and current Mayors. which has meant local businesses have stepped in with more security. Central East London These cuts have taken place against a background of a reduction in “This isn’t a sustainable way to build Government funding to London safer local communities, and these cuts In 2018, borough commands in since 2010. Officers have also been must be reversed. Only a Green Mayor Richmond, Wandsworth, Merton and will recognise the importance of local DOWN DOWN reorganised into larger Basic Command 53% 63% Kingston were merged into a single Units that consist of multiple boroughs. policing, and make local police team South West London unit, and Hackney Local policing has clearly suffered from strength a real priority.” and Tower Hamlets became a Central these changes. SW London Central East East unit. other minority ethnic groups to reflect the training and job satisfaction and the ranges from 2 to 28 days, meaning national register of domestic abusers to local community, including a target for ability to plan local work in a bottom-up evidence is often lost) and publicise help women identify and avoid risks from 50:50 gender balanced recruitment. way. This will help reduce turnover in these retention times so that victims violent partners. local teams and build up community know they have only a limited time to ` A Green Mayor will lobby for a temporary ` Sexual violence cases have more understanding and trust. report crimes. relaxation in rules that prevent positive than doubled in recent years but action in recruitment to accelerate ` We will expand the number of Police rates of detection and sanctions this process within the upcoming new Community Support Officers (PCSOs) NO MORE VIOLENCE against perpetrators have fallen. On recruitment drives that will set the scene back to at least their 2016 strength the Assembly, Greens have explored for a decade of policing. across London. AGAINST WOMEN problems within police teams facing huge workloads and inadequate ` We will introduce a clear strategy for ` We will replace arbitrary officer targets ` A Green Mayor will ensure that initiatives resources, the lack of contact time with identifying areas of underrepresented with more sophisticated frontline through the London Violence Against Independent Sexual Violence Advocates talent, increasing mentoring programmes capacity targets, with a particular focus Women and Girls (VAWG) Consortium (ISVAs), and challenges due to the and targeted training in order to actively on the capacity for neighbourhood and are fully funded to meet the needs of volume and intrusiveness of digital promote women and African, Caribbean, community policing. This will take into survivors of violence and those facing evidence required from victims (‘digital Asian, Latino and other minority ethnic account ‘abstractions’ of officers to domestic violence or harm. These strip searches’). group officers. Strategies similar to the police major events, and help to lobby for include advice and counselling, work to successful NHS Race Equality Standard a fairer settlement from Government to end harmful practices including female ` It is clear that not only more resources, will be adopted. cover our duties as a capital city, which genital mutilation and forced marriage, but new ways of working are needed falls far below London’s needs currently. and integrated support for young women across the board in sexual violence ` A Green Mayor will ensure that all Basic and girls. cases. A Green Mayor will institute Command Units in London sign up to and ` Safer Neighbourhood Boards and panels an urgent victim-led review of sexual follow the Home Office Best Use of Stop that represent local communities at ` Specialist support services for different violence in London working from first and Search (BUSS) scheme borough and ward level are run by communities are vital in making sure principles and leading to new resources, volunteers but need more funding and women feel confident in receiving ` We will review the role, relevance, improved police and support practices, support to increase their activity and appropriate and understanding support activities and staffing of all central police calls for changes in the law and any involve a wider range of Londoners in when they need help, and we will teams and taskforces, with the aim to other measures needed. London’s their work. We will work through an defend and promote these services divert resources to increase local team Victim’s Commissioner would take the enlarged engagement team within the across London, particularly in the face of strength further. lead on this work. Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime austerity and any future potential cuts by ` A Green Mayor will recruit, train and and provide new funding to double councils. assign more detectives to support local the membership and activity levels of ` We will also dedicate new resources to VICTIMS AND THE CRIMINAL teams and improve the overall ability these bodies within two years, and find support Independent Domestic Violence to investigate local crimes, alongside new ways to measure their impact and Advocates (IDVAs) within A&E and JUSTICE SYSTEM more capacity for local teams to obtain influence. primary care, and find new housing ` The interactions between victimhood, evidence. ` Alongside British Transport Police and funding to improve options for move-on adverse experiences, community ` We will work with local officers to review Transport for London, a Green Mayor accommodation for women leaving confidence and the risk of crime at a how their time is spent, look at whether will work to make the retention times for refuges. population level is a key part of the public health approach to prevention, pressure of time is keeping them in cars CCTV on public transport more consistent ` And we will redouble efforts, led by the and our new approaches to drugs and rather than on foot or bike, and improve (Sian Berry’s work has exposed this Assembly since 2018, to introduce a

80 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 81 violence in our policies in this manifesto such as showing pictures of large knives causes distress and hardship to those outcome of investigations and systematic are part of recognising this and building on social media and in presentations who can least afford to lose their bikes. learning. real prevention into our policies at every to primary age children, as well as ` Motorcycle-enabled crime is linked with ` Online reporting for less serious roads level. tactics like bringing in a task force to motorcycle theft and the increase in theft offences will be improved, working in a do mass stop and search after violent ` The creation of a Victim’s Commissioner has increased insurance and costs. We victim-led way to make sure the process incidents, that a focus on the trauma for London was an important step will continue to support efforts to prevent is simple, that it links seamlessly to the faced by communities and the need for forward for London. A Green Mayor and target motorcycle theft, and work retrieval of CCTV and other footage, and community support are not embedded will increase the resources available to with boroughs to increase security for that the outcomes of case investigations in police practices and training. We will the commissioner and the influence of parking bays. are reported back promptly. put in place a new programme to support the role, and involve them fully in new community-led and sensitive trauma- ` Victims of road crime need more support, ` Greens will lobby for traffic justice reform initiatives on hate crime, race equality informed support in local areas affected including where there is no prosecution. at a national level, aiming to secure and road crime to make sure victims’ by violence. We will make sure victim services are changes so that driving offences are voices are heard and involved in all new available and promoted to all those who included in reported crimes, and those decisions. ` Restorative justice has been piloted in are victims of road crime and crashes. that lead to death or serious injury are London and a number of other areas in ` A Green Mayor will change the approach Dedicated support organisations for treated like other violent crimes. Judicial recent years. It is time to expand this to witness and victim interviews, road victims and families will be better outcomes and effective sanctions should work to mainstream it within a major city, embedding psychologists and trauma signposted by these services. be focused on offences that carry the and London is the ideal city to do this. A experts to allow people to give their greatest risks, including speeding, Green Mayor will seek devolved powers ` Road crime will be better recorded and account in a trauma-informed setting. extreme speeding, red light running, and funding to make London a centre of reported by police. Driving offences that This extends the Forensic Interviewing close passing of people cycling, mobile good practice in restorative justice. kill and injure will be recorded alongside Psychology (FIP) service currently offered phone use, careless and dangerous the number of victims. to children who experience sexual driving, drink and drug driving as well as violence. This approach is particularly SAFER ROADS ` We will lobby the Government to include uninsured and disqualified drivers. We important for anyone who has road crime in the Crime Survey of will support campaigns to improve action experienced violent crimes, has a mental ` A Green Mayor will act with far more England and Wales and fund London’s against drivers who park on pavements, health condition and/or uses drugs. urgency on London’s Vision Zero Victim’s Commissioner to survey road and for dangerous driving charges to be strategy to eliminate road deaths with crash victims for levels of satisfaction pursued when speeding offences take ` Police training and support will be a comprehensive set of policies and with their treatment and results of their place through pedestrian crossings. expanded to make sure officers and priorities. Under successive Mayors, cases (including where no action is victim support services refer trauma ` Greens have been working to make getting to zero road deaths in London taken) and publish the results. There will victims to the right support services sure hit and run offences are reported, has been held back by under-investment, be an annual Listening Day for crash as a continuation of their duty of care including judicial outcomes, and the poor standards, and low ambition. victims and families within City Hall. to victims. This could include young lack of good data is disturbing. We will people that witness violent attacks being ` A Green Mayor will fully restore and ` We will invest in increasing standards publish full data on road crime in a new referred to counselling services. increase the strength of the Roads and of investigation for road crimes, and dashboard and make sure all statistics Transport Police Command, and fund a publish best practice standards for police are reported accurately and promptly. ` Police need to adopt a trauma-informed new team who will make cycle theft a attendance and action for fatalities and approach throughout their work on ` We will review judicial outcomes for all priority. Theft of bikes is a hidden crime serious injuries. Each fatal crash will be violence. It is clear from activities reported driving offences and seek to wave that puts many off cycling and reviewed with an annual report of the exposed by Green Assembly Members, reduce the variation between boroughs

82 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 83 and police command units. With more also causing huge risks in new buildings ` A Green Mayor’s online fire and home local police team capacity, police and those refurbished under the lax safety hub will include clear advice on priorities can be better focused on high- regulations of recent years. We will carry rights for tenants and leaseholders and risk locations and cuts to the support for out a major review of the transparency, access to find legal advice and support Community Road Watch sessions will be governance and quality of major works for mental health. reversed. of all kinds on social housing buildings. ` Greens proposed the first small business Resident voices were ignored and ` A Green Mayor will commemorate resilience support fund in the wake of marginalised at Grenfell, and resident road victims appropriately with a the Grenfell disaster, to support small empowerment and scrutiny must be minute’s silence on the World Day of firms whose business has been hit by at the heart of reforms in how these Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. emergencies. The Mayor set up a small contracts and works are planned and Alongside murder victims, she will fund, but we would make this permanent monitored. mark and acknowledge all the known to make sure there are no delays people killed on our roads since the ` Far too many Londoners still live in whenever emergencies strike, and that last meeting, at the beginning of each dangerous blocks, paying for waking small businesses can always get help Mayor’s Question Time. watches and unable to sell or move, straight away. while facing enormous bills for works. ` London Fire Brigade’s budget is This is a true scandal, and a Green overstretched and relies on reserves. Mayor will be a clear and loud voice for FIRE AND HOME A new long-term settlement from residents in making sure Government Government is needed so that our and building owners cover all the costs SAFETY firefighters can fulfil all the demands of of making homes safe. The Building dealing with fires, floods, terror attacks Safety Fund must cover all buildings, LEARNING FROM THE and other emergencies, while also regardless of height, and internal defects carrying out important risk prevention GRENFELL DISASTER not just cladding. and education work to stop future ` There must be justice for the people lost ` In the Assembly, Greens asked the disasters. A Green Mayor will push in the Grenfell Tower disaster, and we will Information Commissioner to issue the Government to make sure our fire support the Justice for Grenfell campaign advice on transparency so that residents service is funded properly through the to push for no more delays in prosecuting can know the fire risks in their council Comprehensive Spending Review to those responsible and learning the and housing association homes. A Green protect Londoners’ lives. lessons. Greens will always keep those Mayor will make sure every resident lost in our hearts, commemorate fully in London can monitor risks and take their deaths every year, and will make action, by collecting all published fire sure disaster responses are coordinated safety and risk assessments, as well as better so that no community ever again health and safety reports in a searchable feels abandoned, marginalised or ignored database. We will campaign for every if disaster strikes. landlord and freeholder to provide ` The Grenfell disaster was not only residents with fully accessible data on caused by cladding: internal defects are their homes, including major works.

84 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 85 ` We will improve transparency, working REAL JUSTICE with the Mayor’s Office for Policing The consent and trust of citizens is and Crime to give Londoners more paramount and we cannot have more information about how policing failures like the introduction of facial is planned and governed, and its recognition, the expansion of suspicionless effectiveness evaluated. stop and search or the discriminatory ` Existing intrusive tactics will be reviewed Gangs Matrix. and stopped if they cannot prove their Tactics like this sound good in soundbites effectiveness in improving public safety. but each of them, when studied by experts, ` We will expand the powers of the have been found to have operated in a London Policing Ethics Panel to be discriminatory way and failed to respect more proactive and extend its terms Londoners’ human rights. of reference to make sure it engages Recent failings undermine trust and break more with the public and citizens’ the basic principles of policing by consent, rights groups before making binding which have governed our police service recommendations. ever since it was first set up in the 19th ` The use of all new technologies and century.* tactics would be put to the test by the A DUTY TO RESPECT WORK WITH LONDONERS TO Ethics Panel alongside human rights legislation and our restored principles for RESET OUR CONTRACT WITH policing, with no trial or operational use by police permitted until this process had THE POLICE been completed. There will be complete EVERYONE’S RIGHTS bans put in place where technologies or ` A Green Mayor will sit down with Londoners, police officers and tactics fail these tests. community groups and review the way ondon is known for being a diverse and in life, we are all subject to the erosion of we police our city from first principles, STAND AGAINST HATE CRIME tolerant city, but we still have a long our civil liberties, with technologies like putting in place new processes to review L way to go before we are all equal and facial recognition creeping into our public new tactics, and focus on preventing ` Greens oppose racism, antisemitism, everyone’s rights are respected. spaces, and policing using more tactics like crime. islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia, spithoods and tasers. biphobia, transphobia, and hate speech Too many of us face discrimination ` We will begin with a Citizen’s Assembly and actions of all kinds against any and barriers because of who we are. Everyone in London should be able to live to review and restore the original minority group. Whether we are women, people of colour, a safe, fulfilling and joyful life, free from principles of policing by consent, and LGBTIQA+, disabled people, older people or discrimination, inequality and hatred, make recommendations for tactics like ` Hate crime on public transport is younger people, Greens will ensure that the and be able to trust public services not stop and search, the use of force and increasing and a Green Mayor will voice of every single Londoner is heard in to discriminate. Greens will remove new technology. make this a priority, making sure that City Hall every day. any barriers which stand in the way of strong communication and information everyone’s rights being respected. While some of us face specific barriers is provided to all Londoners for how to

* https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ 86 MANIFESTO for a new start policing-by-consent/definition-of-policing-by-consent 87 RESETTING THE WAY WE POLICE OUR CITY

reen Assembly Member Sian Berry G has consistently challenged the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner over the way new police tactics are being introduced. ` A big increase in officers carrying When new tactics are brought in, we the principles of policing by consent tasers, with a relaxation in rules that believe there should be a full public irreparably. During the current Mayor’s term said two officers should be present discussion, decisions made by ethics ` A Green Mayor will make the renewal Londoners have seen new tactics when they are deployed against experts and elected representatives and strengthening of fundamental introduced including: people. working with the people, and policing principles a major focus of transparency rather than the ‘use first ` Facial recognition cameras on the ` Mobile fingerprint scanners being their work, bringing officers and police explain later’ attitude we have seen in streets, including work with private used to check people’s identities staff at all levels into dialogue with recent years. companies to share facial data. on the streets against crime and Londoners as part of long-term and ` A massive increase in Stop and immigration databases. New equipment and tactics that far-reaching work that will include a introduce intrusion into people’s daily Citizen’s Assembly to work out how Search being conducted under ` Spit hoods being placed on suspects lives, impact on human rights or involve to rebuild trust and confidence in Section 60 orders, which removes the in custody, with plans made to use the use of force need to be discussed policing using these principles. requirement for reasonable suspicion, these on the streets too. or for reasons to be given to citizens well before they are used against for why they are being searched. the public or we risk breaking down prevent, react to and report hate crimes Traveller victims of race hate crime and potential for exploitation that this data believe a new approach and an end to or abuse they experience or witness. judicial outcomes. sharing creates. the current Gangs Matrix is needed. Work to standardise and communicate ` We will invest in policing and support for ` We will put the Prevent programme in ` We will make urgent provision for the CCTV retention times will also help with faith groups at risk of extremist attacks. London under permanent review, make end of intrusive ‘digital strip searches’ this. Every place of worship that wishes sure it focuses appropriate levels of that are discouraging survivors and ` We will make sure all police and it should have access to appropriate resource on right-wing extremism and victims from taking action against sexual GLA public service staff are trained advice, support to improve physical work to stop the conflation of legitimate and domestic abuse. The police and CPS to recognise all kinds of hate crime security and a dedicated police contact activities such as campaigning against must work with survivor representatives (including disability hate crime which for reporting concerns. racism and peaceful protest with to find ways to collect relevant digital is severely under-reported and under violent extremism. We will hold regular evidence from victims of sexual and recognised) and to assist victims in forums with groups and communities to domestic abuse, without taking and reporting crimes to the police or third SUPPORT FOR HUMAN discuss problems with Prevent and help revealing excessive amounts of irrelevant parties, and in giving advice on CCTV. RIGHTS AND PRIVACY find better ways to develop a positive private content to defence lawyers. counter-narrative. Meanwhile, we will ` A Green Mayor will also treat misogyny ` We will help police learn from recent ` A Green Mayor will halt the use of live campaign against Prevent as a national as a hate crime, following the lead of issues with protest policing, and review facial recognition in London’s policing, strategy. Nottinghamshire to have the police and demand that no further use is made the goals of policing non-violent protest, record, and treat more seriously, crimes of this technology until national policy ` We will roll back on the increase in stop focusing more efficiently on managing that are motivated by or exacerbated by has been debated in Parliament. We will and search and end the use of section the impact on traffic, maintaining safety hatred for women. Women as a group prepare evidence and demands for a 60 powers that allow for suspicionless for everyone and not on trying to simply facing discrimination are protected by national ban to be implemented except stop and search except in emergency shut down peaceful demonstrations, with equalities laws but not currently by hate under the most extreme and limited situations in small areas, authorised the huge resource cost involved. crime legislation, and this inconsistency by the most senior officers. We have circumstances, and only then under ` Our review of policing protests will also needs to be corrected by action and learned in the past that these tactics can exceptional scrutiny and democratic include working with disabled activists to evidence gathering, as well as changes be seriously counterproductive, and the oversight and evaluation for every create new guidance and standards for in the law. This will be backed up by creation of new policies and processes deployment. how police facilitate disabled people’s training and a wide communication of engagement with communities when right to protest and how disabled people campaign to women to urge them to ` We will make sure that data held on there is a risk of violence will be a key are treated on arrest. report misogynistic crimes. citizens that is not needed is destroyed. part of our review of policing from first Video data from police helicopters will principles. ` We will hold private security and the ` Greens are committed to the principle of be deleted in a time frame in line with private companies that hire them ‘nothing about us without us’ and we will ` We will consider in the light of the review the rest of policing standards. Records, accountable especially around the use involve disabled people’s representatives and recent changes and deletions from including biometric data, of those not of public space and how their rules more closely in policy-making at the the Gangs Matrix whether this approach, convicted of a crime must be removed are communicated to the public in a highest level across all areas of the which still maintains significant from the National Police database. transparent and proportionate way. Mayor’s work, including working with the disparities and labels people with police to tackle disability hate crime. ` We will work to stop all reporting by potentially out of date and discriminatory police of victims of crime to the Home terminology is the right way to reduce ` We will also ensure MOPAC collects Office, given the implications for risks. Given its history and failings, we and reports data on Gypsy, Roma and confidence in reporting crime and the

90 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 91 s part of her work on the London A Assembly Police and Crime Committee, Sian Berry led an WOMEN investigation in 2018 into the problems faced by women in the criminal justice of problem solving courts, as well AND PRISON system. as more use of of court disposals With Holloway Prison closing, women by police, to bring about a dramatic offenders from London are being placed, reduction in the number of London’s often for short sentences, far away from women who are counterproductively family and the support services based sent to prison for short sentences and in the city that can help make leaving for low-level and non-violent crime. prison easier. ` The establishment of women’s centres Women are more likely than men to be in the capital, as an alternative to sentenced to prison for a first offence. prison, and similar provision for young The investigation found that convictions women offenders. and short sentences for women, often ` Increased funding for the for poverty-related crimes like shoplifting establishment of a full network or non-payment of TV licences, were of supportive women’s centres very often counterproductive, leading specifically for female offenders and to lost jobs, homes and contact with those at risk of offending, including at children, potentially starting a new cycle the Holloway Prison site. of harm in the next generation. ` A new specific strand of Housing First There are gaps in far too many services provision from the GLA for women for women offenders and a completely leaving prison, recognising their new approach is needed. With a Green specific and complex needs, and more Mayor, this will include: work towards the effective application ` Police training must ensure that of Homelessness Reduction Act duties officers are equipped to take a to these Londoners. gender-informed approach to risk, ` Ensuring that full and comparable vulnerability and offending. We have data is recorded and published by City to see more early problem-solving Hall on the housing and employment intervention and diversion by the options and outcomes for women police for women offenders and more leaving prison in London. information available to police about ` More support for education and services that may help. skills training for women offenders, ` More community sentences from the especially to help women offenders criminal justice system, which should continue any education and skills be of higher quality and include more training they have begun in prisons on support and diversion and the use their release. care, education and legal aid and to Londoners who do not yet have UK aim will be to work with public services EQUALITY extend this to all residents of London. citizenship, working with voluntary and civil society in London to build an groups and boroughs to raise awareness environment where all those wishing to A Green Mayor will take action across every ` We oppose the Government’s new points of rights and campaigning to reduce make London their home feel welcome. policy area to address economic and social based immigration system, and will work costs and artificial barriers to becoming inequality. with Londoners and London businesses ` We will make sure there is no sharing settled in our city. Our policies for the economy show how to campaign against it of information between immigration ` While the coronavirus crisis and its enforcement and services under Greens always take the lead on fairness, ` The 130,000 young people who are consequences continue, we will push the remit of the Mayor, including with new ideas and policies for fair pay, currently without documentation in the Government to suspend rules that homelessness services. Where we do decent work and rights in the workplace. London, through no fault of their own, will prevent councils and the GLA from not have the power to change policy, we But too many groups of Londoners see a dedicated action plan from a Green claiming for support for people with will campaign hard for reform, and will face structural inequalities and direct Mayor, aimed at regularising all our No Recourse to Public Funds. This is review the impact of policies such as discrimination based on their race, culture, young citizens and helping families with inhumane and councils and the Mayor police sharing of immigration status data religion, gender, sexuality, age or other the cost of applications. We will continue must be supported to provide safe places and bring evidence of harm to policy- aspects of their identities. Solidarity is a to press the Government to give young to live for vulnerable people, whatever makers and MPs to bring about change. vital part of being a Londoner, and of being Londoners with insecure immigration their status. a Green, and our policies in this chapter status immediate regularisation and ` A Green Mayor will continue to stand up seek to fight for equality for all Londoners faster routes to citizenship. ` A Green Mayor will strengthen support against discriminatory ‘Right to Rent’ for citizenship ceremonies, and do policies aimed at turning landlords into and build a more united city. ` A Green Mayor will work with business more to celebrate these occasions with immigration officers and denying people | See more in our chapter groups to influence the Government to all Londoners, not just in the annual their right to a home. A mission to transform our economy lower the ‘intended’ migrant threshold ceremony in City Hall. for skilled workers to a salary that is ` The treatment of our Windrush elders is more typical of workers who fall into the ` In order to participate, everyone a disgrace that still continues. Too many PRACTICAL SUPPORT Regulated Qualifications Framework level should have the opportunity to become Londoners still await compensation FOR MIGRANTS 3 category. We will also work to remove proficient in English. We will help to and legal clarity. A Green Mayor will income thresholds from immigration coordinate better access to English for champion their cause and fight the ` Greens support freedom of movement. rules altogether. Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) government policies causing hardship London has been enriched by those education across London, with support ` We will set up a new City Hall service ` We demand an immediate halt of all who have come to make a life here. We for concessionary fees for ESOL for specifically to provide help for refugees Deportation flights. No such flights will champion the rights of EU citizens asylum seekers and refugees, better with the process of moving into secure should be happening from London’s living in London to keep their vote. We understanding of what works and clear housing in London, including help with airports. A Green Mayor will challenge will also fight for the return of freedom standards for providers, especially for tenancy deposits, after they win refugee the legality and morality of these of movement for our citizens to live and young people. work throughout the EU. status. Currently refugees only have 28 deportation flights and push for an end to days to find secure housing before losing the detention of asylum seekers, which is ` A Green Mayor will fight to ensure that their asylum accommodation and we will FIGHTING RACIST POLICIES costly, traumatic and totally unnecessary. all EU citizens in London have their equal campaign to extend this period too. rights restored for access to housing, ` A Green Mayor will work to end the employment, welfare services, health ` We will put together an action plan hostile environment in London, and to increase naturalisation for more mitigate its effects on our citizens. Our

94 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 95 Maangamizi campaign which includes forums with groups and communities to VALUING OUR DIVERSE a call for an All-Party Parliamentary BACKING AFRICAN, discuss problems with Prevent and help COMMUNITIES Commission of Inquiry for Truth and CARIBBEAN, ASIAN, LATINO find better ways to develop a positive Reparatory Justice for the trafficking of counter-narrative. Meanwhile, we will ` We will make sure every community in enslaved Africans, and we will support AND OTHER MINORITY campaign against Prevent as a national London has a voice in City Hall. A Green a permanent home for the Migration strategy. Mayor, along with a dedicated Deputy ETHNIC LONDONERS Museum. Mayor for London’s Voice will meet with ` A Green Mayor will embrace and ` Greens will reaffirm and highlight the representatives from London’s diverse ` A Green Mayor will confront racism and promote understanding between people contribution made by refugees, asylum communities and hold regular open-mic prejudice, including from an early age of different faiths and none, for example, seekers and those who move here to forums within City Hall. by broadening the London Curriculum to through supporting local-level interfaith work and do more to ensure people are share a decolonised education in school, able to be fully included in their local ` Greens in City Hall have fought for the forums, and encourage open working focussing on histories and role models community and economy. London Plan to recognise and protect and collaboration between faith groups, from a diverse range of ethnicities and the unique clusters of businesses and the police, schools, voluntary groups and ` A Green Mayor will improve the lives religions. community services that communities community organisations. of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in have built from the ground up, including ` We will make sure that under-recognised ` Greens have been successful in pushing London and promote their right to minority and LGBTIQA+ business holidays and commemorative days that for recruitment to City Hall, Transport for equal treatment at a strategic level. We clusters (for example the Latin Quarter celebrate our diverse citizens, such London, and London Fire Brigade jobs to will carry out a strategic review with at Elephant and Castle) as our ‘emerging as Windrush Day and Gypsy, Roma be anonymous at the shortlisting stage to boroughs to identify the need across heritage’ and will work to strengthen and Traveller Month, are adequately avoid race and gender bias. Anonymised London for suitable land for Gypsy, Roma these policies further and protect more celebrated in City Hall and promoted applications are an important step in and Traveller sites. We will work with of our diverse community and faith- each year. levelling the playing field for candidates boroughs to implement a negotiated approach to stopping places in London, based sites, of both historic and more ` A Green Mayor will promote a positive of all backgrounds. From 2021 we will oppose Government plans to increase recent significance, through our heritage narrative about the experience, history, work to extend this policy to contractors enforcement powers and criminalise strategies. cultural celebrations, diversity and value and into the Mayor’s Good Work Standard trespass, and support a London-wide ` Where different groups and cultures that people of African, Caribbean, Asian, for employers. standard for site management and require specialist services, for example to Latino and other minority ethnic descent ` We will expand the categories of ethnicity tenants’ rights. support survivors of domestic or sexual bring to our city. Greens on the London data used for monitoring and policy violence, we will fund these without Assembly promoted a positive message development to highlight communities ` We will work to address the workplace seeking to merge them into generic about Notting Hill Carnival at a time when that are not adquately recognised, for discrimination Gyspy, Roma and Traveller provision. politicians from across the spectrum example the Latino community. people face from many employers and wanted it changed, moved or even apprenticeship providers, and ensure ` Greens will support all our community cancelled. ` We will put the Prevent programme in police and the Mayor’s Office for Policing groups to celebrate champions and London under permanent review, make and Crime (MOPAC) record and act commemorate losses and historical sure it focuses appropriate levels of upon data on hate crime faced by the injustices. Examples of our work already resource on right-wing extremism and community. We will include Gypsy, Roma includes backing commemoration of the work to stop the conflation of legitimate and Traveller health and mental health in Grunwick strike, helping to win Assembly activities such as campaigning against the Mayor’s Health Inequality Strategy. and City Hall support for a London AIDS racism and peaceful protest with memorial, supporting the Stop the violent extremism. We will hold regular

96 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 97 ` Greens will improve access to digital SUPPORT FOR ALL AGES services for older people including ` A Green Mayor will increase the powers access to broadband at home and and capacity of London’s Youth Assembly via mobile devices. This is even more to make sure of a real voice and real important as local authorities move more influence for young Londoners within City of their services online. Work to improve Hall. familiarity with online services can ` The Green Party was the first to support also provide valuable intergenerational votes at 16, and we will commit to a contacts. target of making sure young Londoners ` Many households fail to claim council have this right at least by the time of the tax exemptions for dementia and we will 2024 London elections. make sure City Hall resources are used ` We will work with schools to “poverty to promote this benefit. proof” the school day, including hunger | FOR MORE ABOUT new powers for the and period poverty, and make sure young Youth Assembly see our chapter CHAP- people are involved in efforts to reduce TER A PROMISE TO SHARE MY POWER holiday hunger. ` We will fully involve the Youth Assembly SUPPORT FOR and young people’s representatives in the study and scrutiny of the excessive LGBTIQA+ RIGHTS and discriminatory use of school ` A Green Mayor will dedicate a suitable exclusions and off-rolling, and to GLA owned building to create a Lesbian, co-create an action plan for GLA-funded Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, work. Questioning/Queer, Asexual (LGBTIQA+) ` A Green Mayor will appoint an Elders’ community space to serve as a much Champion, a representative in City needed hub for people, particularly Hall with the task of monitoring and young people and an older generation co-ordinating the effects of all the marginalised by commercial venues, Mayor’s policies on older people. seeking information and support to be confident in their sexuality or gender ` We will recognise the expertise and identity. energy of older people by encouraging employers to offer more part-time and ` We have backed the building of a London flexible work as an alternative to full-time AIDS memorial to ensure the lives lost work or sudden retirement. We support are not forgotten. We have already living wage roles that give employees a helped win Assembly and Mayoral team guaranteed amount of hours, not zero- support for this project, and we will hours contracts. support this work until it is complete.

LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 99 ` We will help more communities and ` We will fund LGBTIQA+ awareness ` We will appoint a disability equality ` We will include more policies aimed local authorities designate LGBTIQA+ training for staff within the GLA who policy adviser and create a new forum at improving access in the Good Work venues as assets of community value commission all kinds of services, and for for London Deaf and Disabled People’s Standard for employers, and ensure and continue to support the London- delivery staff in commissioned services. Organisations to feed into policy all service providers working on behalf wide designation of our emerging development, particularly on housing, of the GLA demonstrate a track record ` A Green Mayor will establish a heritage through the London Plan. We crime and transport. of providing accessible and inclusive coordinated approach to data collection will also support London’s boroughs and services and employing people with to ensure that the needs of LGBTIQA+ ` We will commit strategic, long-term neighbourhood forums in applying other disabilities. Londoners are clear, and to assess the investment to community organisations planning protections to prevent their impact of all GLA work on these groups that tackle inequality, poverty and ` Special Educational Needs (SEN) and closure. of Londoners. discrimination against deaf and disabled therapy provision across London is ` A Green Mayor will implement policy to people, including funding to expand not adequate and this has a long-term ` We will embed community-led principles make London the most trans-inclusive advice, advocacy provision and hate impact on the education, development in all of these actions to ensure there city in the world. crime support services. and employment prospects of is ‘nothing about us without us’ with. people with additional needs. We will ` Too many trans people face barriers in Achieving this will mean appropriate ` A Green Mayor will recognise the use partnership working, lobbying accessing healthcare, employment and funding for projects is required from the social model of disability and ensure Government and the adult education housing. Discrimination and violence start, and more long-term thinking rather that all people are able to benefit from and skills budgets at the GLA to address are a day to day reality. A Green Mayor than the short and piecemeal grants that jobs, homes, skills and all the other these gaps. will launch a commission into the tend to be given for specialist initiatives. opportunities we can provide. needs of trans Londoners, with a goal ` We will help spread best practice and ` We will commit funds to the London of developing a trans rights strategy for learn from Transport for London’s ‘Steps Access Forum and to making public London. ENABLING ALL OUR into work’ internships programme transport and more underground to encourage more employers to run ` Greens will work with GLA group DISABLED CITIZENS stations accessible for more people with supported internships as a pathway into organisations and local authorities disabilities and mobility difficulties more Many of the most damaging changes being work for local young people with Special to ensure they are sensitive to the quickly with new funding. made to how disabled people are supported Educational Needs (SEN). needs of trans and non-binary people, are being made by the Government at a ` Greens will ensure the London Health have training on trans awareness and national level. But we can help in London Inequalities Strategy and London Health inclusion, and act on discrimination. by building a better city where more people Improvement Board address the health Greens in City Hall have already helped can participate without being confronted by inequalities experienced by deaf and introduce policies that allow for gender- artificial barriers. disabled people. neutral honorifics (including Mx) in official documents within the GLA. ` Greens are committed to the principle ` We will do more to ensure that of ‘nothing about us without us’ apprenticeships, other initiatives for ` We will produce a LGBTIQA+ Housing and to involving disabled people’s skills and employment (for people Strategy for London. This will work with representatives more closely in policy- with qualifications and experience) are local councils to build a pan-London making at the highest level across all tailored to help disabled people achieve support pathway of accommodation and areas of the Mayor’s work, including their potential and that the Access To support services for LGBTIQA+ people. working with the police to tackle Work scheme is promoted to employers. disability hate crime.

100 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 101 DEMOCRATIC POWER WORK FOR MORE ASSEMBLY POWERS BRING DIVERSITY Greens are strong advocates for INTO CITY HALL strengthening the role of the London Assembly to better hold the Mayor to Greens on London Assembly committees account and for more checks and balances have pioneered new ways of bringing in our governance. community-level evidence into investigations, conducting research and ` We will push for a change from a two- holding open-mic sessions in recent years thirds Assembly majority vote being to hear the voices of the Gypsy, Roma and needed to veto or amend mayoral Traveller community, EU citizens, social strategies or the budget, to a simple housing tenants, people living in cold and majority. damp homes, people living in temporary ` We will press for the Assembly to have accommodation, women in the criminal the legal power, like Parliament, to justice system and property guardians. summon any witnesses responsible ` We will make sure that future Assembly for policies and services that affect scrutiny even more fully involves relevant Londoners to appear before them. communities and groups, including setting the scope of investigations, and POWER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE hearing evidence directly from those A PROMISE TO affected. The characteristics and diversity The power of young people’s voices has of guests giving evidence to Assembly been shown by the impact of young climate scrutiny will be monitored and made activists and school strikes, and the work public to drive improvements. Greens have done in the London Assembly SHARE MY POWER to support youth services was prompted ` We will make sure that public meetings directly by the voices of young campaigners in City Hall encourage diverse in 2016. reens believe that real change doesn’t will hand over power directly to citizens at communities to be engaged and A Green Mayor will embed the voices of get handed down from above: it comes the right level to make decisions, and help participate in democratic processes, so young people in City Hall scrutiny and from below, from the grassroots. Londoners win more control over their own that their experience directly informs G policy making. lives, homes, and communities. policy and other decisions made. We will live up to our values and principles ` The Green Party was the first to support of leadership, and make sure the power we We will also change how budgets are ` We will work through improved training, votes at 16, and we will commit to a win in City Hall is shared with the people of controlled, which kinds of organisations mentoring, promotion, recruitment target of making sure young Londoners London, in as many ways as possible. win funding from the Mayor, and boost the practices and retention to ensure that have this right at least by the time of transparency and quality of information GLA staff at all levels are diverse and As well as bringing a wider range of diverse the 2024 London elections and will we provide to hold us, and each other, to reflect the population of London. voices in to shape decision making, we account.

102 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 103 campaign nationally for the right to vote made available to better promote the at the age of 16 in all other elections. Youth Assembly particularly to stu- dents currently underrepresented, and BOTTOM-UP ` A Green Mayor will increase the powers to forge better connections between and capacity of London’s Youth Assembly members and schools, universities and LEADERSHIP to make sure of a real voice and real youth organisations across London, influence for young Londoners within City enabling young Londoners across the Hall. The changes we will make include: city to feed into its work. • Nominations for the Youth Assembly • The Youth Assembly will also be able will continue to happen through local to propose a budget amendment, borough democratic processes, but sponsored by the Assembly and put with six additional members, to allow to the vote during the annual budget for new nominations from students meetings. at London colleges and universities, • Youth Assembly members would not be raising the age limit for these members full time as almost all of them would be to 21 in education or training, but they will • There will be a number of Youth As- be remunerated for the time required sembly Mayor’s Question Time ses- to do their work, at the London Living sions every year with the Mayor. Wage. No-one should be deterred from • The Youth Assembly will also be able taking part in the Assembly because to submit written Mayor’s Questions they need to do part-time work outside using the same system as Assembly of school and college. reens believe that decisions should be ` Championed social housing residents’ Members, with the Mayor required to G made closest to those they affect. rights in the Housing Committee, answer. These questions and answers SUPPORT OUR EUROPEAN producing a major report looking at will be published on the GLA website. In City Hall, Greens on the London resident rights and engagement. • The Youth Assembly will be resourced UNION CITIZENS Assembly have worked to improve to hold proper scrutiny meetings simi- bottom-up leadership in London and ` Put forward budget amendments ` A Green Mayor will never abandon our lar to an Assembly Committee, in order one million European Union (EU) citizens. making sure everyone’s voice is heard. to boost funding for community-led to investigate issues, make recommen- housing, the promotion of co-ops and We will campaign for European Union We have worked to Involve those directly dations, and write reports. The London to fund renters unions. (EU) citizens to retain the vote in local affected by policies in the production Assembly would support them through and London elections and for settled of reports and recommendations by And we have called for real their powers of summons, making sure residents to be given a new right to the Assembly, including social housing co-production in the London Plan the Mayor’s team, and representatives vote in future General Elections and residents, women in the criminal justice process, which Sian Berry has pledged to of other bodies over which the Assem- referendums. system, property guardians, people carry through if elected Mayor. bly has summons powers, attend to be affected by cold, damp homes, and held to account by young people. | SEE MORE POLICIES FOR EU CITIZENS This manifesto includes new ways precarious workers. We have also: IN OUR CHAPTER A DUTY TO RESPECT to amplify the voices of Londoners, EVERYONE’S RIGHTS ` Expanded the use of open-mic including a new Elders Champion, • Resources and secretariat staff will be sessions to gather evidence directly and more powers for London’s Youth from Londoners in Assembly work. Assembly, including to propose budget amendments. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 105 good practice in proportional value-for- MORE POWER ECONOMIC money and social impact assessment DEMOCRACY into all our work with the VCS. FOR LONDON ` Much of the work described elsewhere in this manifesto, such as diversion of espite more than twenty years of BRING POWER CLOSER potential or first-time offenders from the D having a Mayor and Assembly, too TO THE GRASSROOTS criminal justice system, and initiatives many vital decisions affecting London like enhanced social prescribing are still made by Whitehall. ` A Green Mayor will introduce policies, depend on a wide range of participatory budgeting for up to 20 per VCS organisations being available for Greens have consistently pushed for cent of the GLA budget by 2024, helping referrals, and known to practitioners. more powers to come from Government boroughs and resident groups make Greens in City Hall would work with to City Hall. spending plans, which are then put to the the VCS to make sure voluntary and ` A Green Mayor will put the case for full people to choose where best to spend community activity in London is well planning and housing policy devolution funds. documented and networked, with good, for our city. In the Assembly, Sian Berry as well as education and the criminal ` We will reform the boards of all GLA up to date information available to all has already pushed the current Mayor justice system and many aspects of organisations running London to involve relevant public services, including GLA to do more to ask for rent control environmental policy, such as waste a wider range of citizen representatives, group organisations. powers, but the housing crisis means management, flood protection and not just those from expert bodies and we need much more control over the energy. industry. homes we live in. CONTROL OVER YOUR HOMES ` In all our work, we will bring in more ` Greens have long argued that the ` A Green Mayor will support independent ` We will lobby for full control of collaboration with the voluntary City of London Corporation needs to renters unions to expand, with grants for traffic laws at a London level, so and community sector, particularly become more like a London borough, London-wide and local groups supporting that the Mayor and boroughs can with minority, ethnic and disabled with its police service brought into the private renters’ rights. make decisions that will simplify Metropolitan Police, and its archaic communities. A Green Mayor will meet enforcement of parking and speed privileges and assets brought into a with community organisations more ` Guidance for estate proposals will be rules, and the process of making rationalised devolution agreement often than they do with business groups. rewritten with fewer exceptions, proper changes to streets through traffic appraisal of all the options available, and between the GLA and Government. ` Volunteer, civic, community and faith orders. with strong requirements for resident-led Greens in Parliament and in City groups play a huge part in London’s planning to be supported from the start ` Other taxation policies like council Hall will continue to put the case for life and community, but too many of the process. tax and stamp duty should be fully assessing the benefits of this. voluntary and community sector (VCS) devolved to London, as well as powers ` Many of the policies we want mean organisations struggle with premises and ` Existing ballot exemptions will all be to determine new taxes like a Land working with other city mayors and covering staffing and core costs. A Green reviewed, and requirements for a final Value Tax, and a Tourist Tax on hotel local government across the UK to put Mayor would aim to provide no grants say for residents to be used as part of visitors. the case for more devolution to their to the VCS that were shorter than three decision-making will be extended into planning policies in an early amendment ` Just as in Scotland and Wales, the areas and regions alongside London. A years, and would make sure full costs, to the London Plan. Mayor and London Assembly need Green Mayor would be a campaigning including core expenses and evaluation, a direct say over the NHS, including Mayor, forging coalitions of cities and were covered by grants. We will embed the legal right to information, and regions across the country to win a scrutiny over its function in London, fairer balance of power for everyone. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 107 ` London will have its own Social Housing transport groups to develop new plans Commissioner, charged with supporting ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION and services. tenant rights and participation in council ` Greens will require all technology and social-rented homes. They will be DEMOCRACY DEMOCRACY projects across the GLA group to use a tenant themselves and supported open standards and encourage the use with the resources needed to empower CITIZENS AGAINST OPEN UP LONDON’S of open source software as much as resident groups across London. CLIMATE CHAOS GOVERNANCE AND DATA possible to aid enterprise and innovation. ` We will set up a People’s Land Commission, to map and identify land ` We will set up an independent Citizen’s ` A Green Mayor will share regular suitable for community-led development, Climate Assembly on the climate and information with Londoners so they are and protect land supporting local ecological emergency, recruiting a informed of key decisions, updates and needs, like playgrounds and community representative group of Londoners to are encouraged to share their evidence gardens. serve for a year at a time on a permanent and opinions and take part in scrutiny. body, supported by and working with ` We will open to the public all formal ` City Hall funds and programmes to back the London Assembly Environment meetings that discuss major investment new co-ops and community-led housing Committee. projects will be extended, and we will decisions and clamp down on the listen and act on the problems and ` The Climate Assembly will be given unnecessary use of ‘reserved’ papers for concerns of leaseholder rights and high the resources to inform and educate non-confidential items. Londoners about the climate emergency, costs of major works.. ` With a Green Mayor, the information and and build links with community-level models underpinning all strategies and ` A Green Mayor will give councils and action across London. community land trusts the first option on key decisions, will be published in the GLA land that is able to be earmarked for ` The Climate Assembly will be helped London Datastore, including live tables new homes. to make links with citizens and similar and data wherever possible. bodies in other towns and cities, to bring ` Residents and campaigners should | SEE MORE IN THE CHAPTER the best, people-powered ideas into all not be denied the ability to show how FRESH THINKING FOR HOUSING our work. alternatives to a Green Mayor’s policies ` We will change the rules for Mayoral could work, so the information we decision-making so that every budget publish will also include fares data and plan and official decision report in City agreements, and commercial income, Hall includes an assessment of the permission for which will be included in impact on climate and ecology, to help all new contracts. reduce our footprint every time we make ` We will work with public, private, charity new policies or spending plans, and so and community partners to share and that we can be held to account. update data, for example with citizen | SEE MORE IN THE CHAPTER science projects to maintain records of WE WILL CREATE THE GREENEST pollution and other environmental data, CITY IN THE WORLD and with housing, cycling and public

108 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 109 KEEP PUBLIc SPACES PUBLIC

oo many of our new public spaces Mayor to publish strict guidance in the for all public spaces, no matter who T are being controlled by corporate form of a Public London Charter for new owns them. rules and councils placing ‘public space developments. However, we have waited ` We also oppose the introduction protection orders’ (PSPOs) across nearly two years and a draft has only just of Public Space Protection Orders wide areas, banning activities such as been consulted upon. (PSPOs) by councils if they are not busking and rough sleeping and making Meanwhile, developers and shops have fully justified and highly specific to many non-criminal acts subject to court been found to be using facial recognition real problems. We see no reason to proceedings. in CCTV, while arbitrary rules continue to introduce fines and court action for In 2016, Sian Berry pledged to push for be applied to spaces including the MORE activities such as rough sleeping and policies in the new London Plan that London estate where City Hall itself sits. begging. We will campaign for the mean new publicly accessible spaces repeal of national legislation allowing ` Greens believe that public spaces must must be governed by local authority PSPOs to be introduced by local be governed in the most democratic bylaws, so that any rules must be authorities and for the introduction way possible and will put in place clear created transparently and accountably. of a ‘right to roam’, similar to laws in policies and guidance so that local Scotland. We succeeded in winning new planning people and councils are able to set policies and a promise from the current clear and democratically agreed rules public bodies and companies across REDUCING INEQUALITY London. Working with unions, we will The gap between the richest people in help workers to make this demand to London and those with least is too wide, their employers directly. and inequalities have got worse after a ` We will also set a goal to eliminate decade of austerity, cuts in support, and pay gaps, including for gender, African, policies that allow those at the top to Caribbean, Asian, Latino and other exploit others. minority ethnic groups, and for disabled And far too many people still struggle on and LGBTIQA+ Londoners, in all GLA low wages, not the real London Living organisations by 2024, and to extend the Wage that would cover the basics for you monitoring and publication of these pay and your family and allow you to save for a gaps to all organisations benefiting from rainy day. GLA contracts. Green policies aim to narrow the gap, ` The London Living Wage does not A MISSION TO and lift everyone out of poverty, with discriminate by age, but the National the support of a basic income, a proper Living Wage allows for young people living wage, and stronger security in to be paid far below what is needed in employment. London to survive. This discriminates TRANSFORM OUR hugely against young people, especially care leavers, who do not have support NARROWING THE GAP from family. We will campaign for this to A Green Mayor will take action across every change and pressure organisations that policy area to address economic and social are not already accredited Living Wage ECONOMY Employers to seek accreditation inequality. ` We will conduct research to expose ` The accreditation for Living Wage ondoners are crying out for a new new opportunities for young people, and unfairness and the consequences of poor Employers does allow for apprentices start, and Greens are ready to roll up Londoners of all ages. practice, cuts to public services and bad to be paid below the London Living our sleeves and transform this city. L We have bold new ideas to close the gaps policies that make inequality and unequal Wage, which is also deeply unfair. A Green Mayor will bring new thinking to in our welfare system that the crisis has chances for our citizens worse. Greens in City Hall have tried to change our economy, and a mission to transform exposed, through a basic income. this policy and a Green Mayor will ` To directly address unfairness within how London does business. A green redouble efforts to bring apprentices Creating new and worthwhile jobs is the GLA group, we will introduce an 8:1 recovery means making London the city into official Living Wage policies, while a huge part of our plan. Our essential maximum pay ratio at City Hall, and best prepared for the future, as well as taking practical action and requiring all small businesses will get more security seek to roll this out to all GLA Group a city that builds on our strengths to GLA group organisations to continue to and support, and we will back a more organisations by 2024. recover quickly and sustainably from the pay apprentices a London Living Wage circular economy that uses fewer natural coronavirus pandemic. ` Through procurement policies and the and ensure that London Living Wage is resources, and which makes London more Good Work Standard we will work to included in al procurement policies and Our goals don’t just include economic resilient to future risks as well. make this pay ratio a standard for all contracts. resilience, but also stronger safety nets and

112 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 113 ` A Green Mayor will implement the Assembly for trials of a basic income ` We will increase and make permanent anonymous (name, age, gender removed) in London. THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY the small business resilience support recruitment through all services directly ` We will work towards a circular economy fund created in the wake of the ` We will invest at a London level in within their power and lobby for other for the city. A Green Mayor will be Grenfell Tower disaster to support welfare advice, strengthening specialist employers to do the same. looking beyond an economy based on small businesses. This will provide services, including immigration advice consumption and waste, and to redefine temporary bridging support and advice to ` Our Rent Commission for London will and support for disabled people, and growth with a focus on benefits for the businesses when major incidents affect rebalance the definition of a London playing a role in coordinating provision economy and the population as a whole. footfall and business viability. Living Rent better to take account of across London. Our core goals are to: the wage gaps faced by households | SEE MORE IN THE SECTION OF THIS CHAPTER ` We will support the start-up and scale-up led by women and African, Caribbean, CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES • design waste out of the system based of healthy, low-carbon, circular food Asian, Latino and other minority ethnic on renewable sources of energy as economy businesses, with a programme Londoners. much as possible, for existing and new markets and traders to sell more fresh produce and help ` A Green Mayor will investigate and take • make the fullest and continuing use of A NEW ECONOMY regenerate high streets. action to reduce the ‘poverty premiums’ existing resources, and faced by those on low incomes. NEW WAYS TO MEASURE • concentrate on social capital as well as ` Creating and developing new funding Examples include the cost of energy the functional purpose of items. streams for new green businesses, and when paid by a pre-pay meter. Working LONDON’S PROGRESS training to support the huge need for new with poverty campaigners and consumer ` The goals we set for London policies A STRONGER, MORE skills in energy saving and the circular organisations, we will expose further matter. The way we measure progress economy, will be a mission and a priority examples and campaign for changes in in our city must change. A Green Mayor RESILIENT ECONOMY for a Green Mayor, to make London a hub regulation and for good practice from will focus on new measures and targets ` We will more fully involve businesses, of a strong, sustainable green economy. businesses serving Londoners. rather than endless economic growth to: both large and small, in closing the | See more about our GREEN NEW DEAL evidence gaps on risk and preparing | See more about our Rent Commission • build a more resilient local economy AND how we will support food for London in our chapter policies and programmes for climate businesses in our chapter Fresh thinking for housing • reduce inequality adaptation. This will involve a full reboot Create the greenest city in the world • cut carbon to achieve our 2030 climate of London’s Resilience Strategy and a targets new research team in City Hall dedicated RESTORING WELFARE • reduce resource use across every part to evaluating climate risks in partnership DECENT WORK THAT PAYS AND SECURITY of our economy with the business community. Workers are facing so much uncertainty, and we must make sure no Londoners are ` While a Green Mayor will not have control • promote biodiversity and bioabundance ` A Green Mayor will negotiate with left behind, and that everybody has enough of Government welfare policies, we will • ensure basic needs are met government for financial support for to pay for a decent life. take action to make a difference through • respect all human rights London’s businesses and industries that are suffering from the impact of A Green Mayor will use every lever we can our policies to pilot radical new ways to • achieve genuine financial health and the coronavirus pandemic. This will to make work better in London, starting support people with a Universal Basic wellbeing for all. Income and a new Creative Autonomy be included in the London Resilience with the organisations within the GLA and Allowance. In March 2021, Green Strategy. acting as an exemplary employer. We will Assembly Members won the support of use our powers as a customer to make sure other employers follow our example.

114 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 115 ` The current London Living Wage ` We will establish a dedicated Mayor’s calculation is flawed in how it estimates Good Work Fund (GWF), which provides FOR ALL OUR housing costs and no longer includes (as help to employers who wish to improve it did while the GLA calculated the rate) a business practices and reach the Good buffer to allow for saving for unexpected Work Standard, particularly small KEY WORKERS costs. It is clear that the London Living and micro businesses, and to support Wage needs to rise to account for innovative working practices including a these additional needs. A Green Mayor shorter working week. will adjust the methodology in time ` We will ensure that no-one in any of the for a Green London Living Wage to be organisations under City Hall’s control introduced in 2022 at £14 per hour. receives more than eight times the salary ` We will commission the GLA to carry out of the lowest paid worker in each body. its own calculations of the correct Living ` We will set targets for eliminating the Wage for London each year, commit to pay gaps for gender, LGBTIQA+, African, pay every GLA employee at least this Caribbean, Asian, Latino and other rate by 2022 and include the higher rate minority ethnic groups within the GLA, in the Mayor’s Good Work Standard the and include maximum pay gaps in the following year. Mayor’s Good Work Standard so that reens in City Hall and across London Greens in Hackney have been ` We will address inequalities that employers who are part of the scheme are working hard to support the campaigning to unionise food delivery G remain within Living Wage policies can make similar plans. essential people who work in the public drivers, who are paid as little as £2 for apprentices and under-18s, and and private sector to keep London safe, an hour. Hackney Greens have been ` We will help deal with the fact that many work to bring many more businesses healthy, transported and supported. talking with the drivers and distributing workers can’t afford the increased cost into accreditation as Living Wage information to them, and to residents, to of Employment Tribunals by addressing We have exposed how many nurses and Employers, focusing on the night time raise awareness. cuts in funding to advice agencies. police officers are forced to live outside economy (where half a million workers the city, putting us all at risk. And we Caroline Russell has also consistently are currently paid less than the London ` We will ensure that the GLA monitors have put forward amendments to the supported the working rights of Uber Living Wage) and those that employ employment practices within all kinds of Mayor’s budget to help fund more homes drivers and their unions. These mainly larger numbers of young workers, who employers in London and the extent to for key workers at a truly affordable African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and still face serious discrimination by age which workers’ rights are being enforced London Living Rent. other minority ethnic Londoners work within the Government’s ‘Living Wage’ or eroded by any Government changes long hours for low pay, with no sick or in the law and services. We will publish Bus driver wellbeing is a serious factor policy. holiday pay and constant worry about the our findings and use them to lobby for in the safety of the bus network. ` Within the Mayor’s Good Work Standard loans on their cars. changes and improvements. Shockingly some bus routes still have we will support and promote all the no toilets so drivers spend their break We have spoken up on many occasions Good Work Principles set out in the ` A Green Mayor will promote co-operative looking for a cafe with a toilet rather than for Uber drivers – putting forward a conclusions of the London Good Work business models and trade union having a rest. motion calling on the Mayor to make Commission, including on fair pay, recognition to employers, empowering workers’ rights a condition of licencing to workers to press for better pay and Green Assembly Member Caroline autonomy, wellbeing and learning. protect these drivers from exploitation, conditions. Russell has pushed the Mayor to agree and successfully pushed for their voices to provide toilets for London’s bus drivers to be heard in the Transport Committee. on all bus routes. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 117 ` A Green Mayor will constructively engage and benefits of employees on full-time ` We will aim to increase the rights of with unions representing all employees contracts. parents to request that schools set up CREATING NEW of agencies of the GLA and contractors, on-site childcare. ` We will also continue to support OPPORTUNITIES including transport workers, the fire precarious workers in the gig economy to ` Parents who have children with special ` A Green Mayor will pilot a Universal service, cleaners and support staff of all unionise to improve their rights at work. educational needs need a great deal Basic Income in London with a major kinds, as well as unions representing As long as Uber fails to protect users more support than they are receiving, new three-year pilot, working with at work that is regulated by the GLA, from risks, be a decent employer to its and more suitable childcare. least 1,000 Londoners who would be including taxi and private hire drivers, drivers, and comply with the standards guaranteed a basic income without and with unions representing precarious ` We will put pressure on the Government expected of private hire companies by conditions, along with support and workers. Greens support the right of to enable the owners of micro- Transport for London, we will continue to careers advice. The pilot would aim all workers to organise and collectively businesses to achieve equal access to oppose its licensing as a fit and proper to gather evidence and support for a bargain with employers. high quality and affordable family care operator, while supporting the workers’ through better support, so that small basic income as a national policy, and ` In the workplace, people from African, rights of private hire drivers who drive on business owners do not have to choose the potential wider impacts on health, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and other the platform. between their family and their business. wellbeing and the use of other services minority ethnic groups are subjected would be tracked and evaluated. to racism, discrimination and micro- ` We will also set up a family-friendly work ` In parallel with a Universal Basic Income aggression. We will commission work SUPPORTING FLEXIBLE AND team in City hall to work on our priorities pilot, a Green Mayor will introduce a to examine this and develop robust for better working rights for people who FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORK scheme to give a cohort of young people recommendations, implement them are currently excluded. This team will: in London a new Creative Autonomy within the GLA and publicise them so All jobs should have a default presumption • Develop initiatives to encourage the Allowance. This would provide additional that all types of employers can take in favour of flexible working, and lockdown development of more parent-led support for young people starting small action. has shown how many different jobs can accommodate flexibility. childcare businesses and seeking creative and ` Construction companies which have • Work with businesses to create more arts careers. The results of each trial The pandemic has resulted in a great been involved in blacklisting Trade flexible employment opportunities would be evaluated to show the relative many people now having additional caring Union activists will not be invited to benefits of each approach to different responsibilities, so this must be done in • Tackle pregnancy and maternity dis- tender for contracts by the GLA until crimination in the workplace cohorts of Londoners. they have: Identified the steps taken to a way that improves opportunities and • Create more opportunities for older and ` We will also fund a number of smaller remedy blacklisting for affected workers; quality of life for parents and those with disabled Londoners to enter work. To micro-pilots of universal income support, Identified the steps taken to ensure caring responsibilities, as well as older and achieve this, we will fund and support focused on clusters of people and blacklisting will not happen again; and disabled Londoners who wish to remain improved (and flexible) training and businesses of different kinds and their given assurances that they do not any employed. career advice for these citizens. customers, for example disabled people, longer employ individuals who were ` A Green Mayor will lobby the Government a local retail or manufacturing business involved in blacklisting. to bring in legislation to ensure that cluster, or Black-owned business, to childcare needs can be adapted to and ` We will continue to advocate for workers examine the impacts on the wellbeing met, with changes to Universal Credit (in in the ‘gig economy’ who are on zero and security of diverse Londoners. hours contracts to earn at least a London the absence of a basic income) to make ` Greens will campaign for Government Living Wage and have the protections childcare more affordable for recipients. support to expand both our Universal Basic Income and Creative Autonomy

118 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 119 A WORKING RENT

he value of local business is not just To help build a register of comparable quantitative analysis and case studies. ` Transport for London, as a large public T economic and cultural, it’s also social. evidence, the EETG has produced GOTA is asking that rents shouldn’t be landlord of small business space will Local businesses directly feed into their an app with Founders & Coders that more than 80 per cent of an equivalent be monitored to ensure the highest communities and, if they shut down, could assist small businesses to share conventional commercial space. standards and best practice are there are profound impacts on their information and increase transparency maintained, to set an example of how ` A Green Mayor will value business areas for years to come. on rent levels. Both Hackney and Tower sustainable, socially positive business success by social impact not just by Hamlets Councils are currently providing owners can, and should, be supported. Even before the pandemic, one of the the balance sheet. data for this app to help small business biggest concerns of small businesses ` Transport for London will be required tenants with their rent reviews, enabling ` Working with London Trades Guild, was the cost of workspace rent in to publish a rental register for full them to gather the information they need Guardians of the Arches and the New London and the loss of affordable transparency on rent levels. Other in negotiations. Economics Foundation, a working business space to developers. landlords in the public, private and rent formula will be developed and Green Assembly Member, Caroline third sectors will be encouraged to In 2018, the New Economics Foundation implemented to include amongst Russell, has been working with the voluntarily do the same. (NEF) and the East End Trades Guild other things consideration for public London Trades Guild, Guardians of (EETG) survey reported: “over half of good such as living wage employers, A Green Mayor will always listen to the real the Arches (GOTA) and NEF towards respondents said they could not afford businesses with training schemes, experts, the businesses on the ground. understanding rental affordability among year on year rent rises of more than social enterprises, those using green small businesses. To do this they are ten per cent.” This situation has been energy or contributing to the circular building an evidence base alongside seriously worsened by the pandemic. and repair economies. Allowance pilots with additional funding guarantee five days of paid leave each working with communities to determine in the capital – who own over 100,000 so that more Londoners can benefit year (based on a worker doing full-time what is needed in each area. square feet of commercial space - will be from these policies while we prove their hours) for any kind of formal learning and called on to provide a new tenant-related ` We will set up a register of ‘meanwhile benefits and push for national policy training they wish to undertake. business statement that can be used to use’ temporary spaces (such as empty change. hold them to account in their dealings commercial properties in high streets with their tenants. (Transport for London ` We will work with education providers, and business districts) available to help ARTS AND CULTURE FOR ALL has already undertaken this for business businesses from all industries, and arts and cultural organisations tenants in railway arches). Continued existing successful mentoring and The arts and culture sector in London is ` We will help small arts organisations and rent breaks will be necessary in some outreach schemes to establish Careers world class and has been especially hard existing and emerging artists to benefit cases to allow the survival of businesses for London, a service tailored to support hit by the pandemic, with many jobs, fully from our new tiered cost system under threat due to the effects of the London’s most disadvantaged groups: careers and venues on hold, awaiting the for advertising on London’s transport pandemic. long-term unemployed people, parents return of live audiences. network, addressing any further barriers of pre-school children wanting to return ` Rents across the GLA group of ` A Green Mayor will ensure that grants to promotion for smaller creative to work and older unemployed people. organisations will be made known, are made to arts venues, including businesses that emerge. This would aim to establish and improve small music venues, to ensure live supplying data to relevant organisations best practice in careers advice, including performance survives the coronavirus and apps, so that business tenants information on working rights and pandemic, and lobby for support A RECOVERY STRATEGY across the GLA estate can compare their training opportunities, and help reach out for workers and artists, not just deals, and so that businesses across to schools, colleges and adult education organisations. FOR SMALL BUSINESS London can use this transparent rent providers to make sure their services Small businesses, especially in the City data as evidence in negotiations for their ` Greens in City Hall have supported are reaching all Londoners in the best of London and West End, have suffered own rent reviews. the protection of our grassroots possible way. a catastrophic loss of footfall from office music venues, which are being lost ` We will set a target for 33 per cent of all workers and tourists staying at home. ` Careers for London will also focus on at an alarming rate, initiating work to GLA contracts to go to self-employed, Many other small businesses are struggling individuals or groups who have lost change planning rules to ensure that micro and small businesses by 2025. employment due to the pandemic, and to stay afloat, with rent and business existing venues are not threatened by ` A small business owner will be made support them in identifying retraining and overheads to cover without any reliable noise complaints from new residential chair of the London Enterprise Panel and employment opportunities. income. developments around them, and by focus the GLA’s economic development ` We will also push through a new improving practical support for listing ` A Green Mayor will define a fair, budget on support for small businesses Jobs Guarantee scheme for London’s venues as assets of community value. affordable Working Rent for small and co-operatives. most marginalised groups, involving A Green Mayor will step up this work, businesses in all areas of London. Where ` The GLA group’s London & Partners five thousand new one-year long job review how well planning rules are necessary, landlords will be incentivised will be refocused to ensure more help placements anchored around a decently working and increase practical support to offer rent holidays to ensure survival comes to start-ups and smaller firms, paid 32-hour week. for licensing and planning for new and through the inevitable consequences existing venues. of the Pandemic and the effects of who will gain more access to promotion ` We will campaign for a new right to paid Brexit. Rents will be transparent so at home and across the country. London ` A Green Mayor will include in planning time off work to undertake learning and that businesses can make relevant & Partners will put together a new Local rules a requirement for a range of training, and take action through the comparisons. Economy Strategy to build a city that is Mayor’s Good Work Standard, within cultural spaces, including arts and music resilient, inclusive and locally focused. which employers would be expected to venues, to be built in new developments, ` In support of tenants, major landowners

122 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 123 ` We will increase awareness of the ` We will create a procurement system London Growth Hub through engaging that enables business owners from DEFENDING ESSENTIAL OUR DIGITAL ECONOMY more closely with local authorities, local small firms to have equal opportunities INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES ` A Green Mayor will strengthen the role of libraries and Business Improvement to access contracts as their larger London’s Chief Digital Officer, to support ` The existence of a range of spaces Districts (BIDs). counterparts – particularly businesses the continued development of London’s for businesses that make, repair and owned by African, Caribbean, Asian, digital industries, push harder for the ` The GLA will work in partnership with re-use goods within the city is essential Latino and other minority ethnic groups. development of ultra-fast broadband and local colleges, the London Growth Hub to the development of a more resilient, protect public purpose and worker well- and London businesses (including micro ` A London-wide register of vacant high circular economy. We will closely monitor being in digital development. and small businesses) to identify specific street units will be created to help small progress and further strengthen policies skills gaps, increase the number of businesses, start ups and community in the new London Plan to better protect ` We willl set up at least one Community apprenticeships and grow understanding groups who are looking for short-term industrial and light industrial land. Enterprise Zone within GLA-controlled of the support available through the lets to find potential spaces for their land, with the infrastructure to support ` We will continue to stand up for existing apprenticeship levy, T-levels, and work. small and social enterprises working on small businesses in areas experiencing targeted courses. digital products and innovation to support ` A dedicated business strategy will be regeneration and coronavirus recovery a circular economy. ` We will push for more Government set up for realising the full potential plans, especially those in railway arches. support for apprenticeships and make of African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino ` Competent ‘full fibre’ infrastructure ` Planning policies and public bodies must skills vouchers available for small and and other minority ethnic groups, partners must be chosen to deliver a 1 respect and support small businesses, micro businesses in London to access and women-owned businesses. We gigabit (Gbps) network to homes and involving them in regeneration and export, digital marketing and sales skills will develop and adopt best practice businesses at prices that are fair and recovery plans from the outset. support. approaches to procurement and business affordable to all Londoners by 2024. support for African, Caribbean, Asian, ` We will work to seek to increase the Businesses with access to affordable ` We will establish new town centre Latino and other minority ethnic groups supply of workshop and studio spaces gigabit broadband will be increased by funds financed by the business rates and women-owned small businesses. for smaller firms. at last 20 per cent in the first year of a paid by large retail developers and This work will also include a London- Green Mayor. with contributions required as a part ` Permitted development rights, allowing wide mentoring service for these groups of gaining planning permission. The for unregulated development or ` A Green Mayor will ensure of business people. funds would be run by boards made up conversion of buildings from business comprehensive promotion of the Gigabit of representatives of local businesses, ` All businesses in London will be use, may be imposed by Government, Broadband Voucher Scheme via the residents and community groups. supported to ensure they optimise and we will work with local councils to London Growth Hub and business access for disabled staff, suppliers and help gain further exemptions for specific support partners. ` We will ensure the London Recovery customers and have appropriate facilities areas and units. Board supports high streets and markets ` The Mayor will continue supporting in place. across London by fostering partnership ` Low-cost street markets, will be the work of the London Digital Security working between landlords and tenants, encouraged and developed, whether Centre (LDSC) and promote practical sharing best practice and creating established or on a pop-up basis, methods of dealing with the risk of online innovative support mechanisms such ensuring that individuals and small fraud and cyber crime. as turnover-based rent, rent step-ups businesses can use markets as an (low to start, then increasing) and using opportunity to make sales and gain empty spaces for local business pop-ups experience in buying and selling. at affordable prices.

124 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 125 A BANK FOR LONDON AND BUSINESS RESILIENCE BETTER FINANCIAL HEALTH ` A Green Mayor will create a new TO EMERGENCIES Community Bank for London, working with councils and the City of London corporation. It will specifically be tasked with providing loans and finance to small businesses as well as to individuals and families in crisis. It would also be an ethical choice for London’s savers. Regional banks of this kind are a common feature around the world and this idea is long overdue for London. ` We will create a new strategy for financial health in our first 100 days. This will aim to address cross-cutting issues relating to health and deprivation affecting the financial health of mall business needs support to be reduce the long-term shocks to Londoners. For this strategy, we will S resilient to economic shocks caused small local businesses from a range bring together voluntary and community by the disruption of business from the of unexpected major events would sector organisations working with coronavirus crisis, extreme weather have huge value at a London level marginalised Londoners, education events, disasters like the Grenfell Tower in preventing the loss of the small providers, technology innovators, and fire and terrorist attacks such as those businesses upon which our city’s local financial service providers to provide experienced at Finsbury Park and economies depend. access to affordable credit, help with Borough Market, or catastrophic flooding budgeting and financial advice. Green Assembly Members proposed a from major burst water mains as seen in budget amendment in 2018 to make ` Every local authority in London will Camden Passage in Islington. this fund permanent with an initial be asked to identify gaps and lack of Insurance will cover the physical £1.5 million from business rates, with capacity in local welfare, money and debt restoration of businesses and loss of the Mayor’s office able to give grants, advice services, to review their own debt stock, but loss of footfall and trauma can mentoring and other support. collection practices. Each borough would affect whole areas in less measurable be asked to produce its own financial ` A Green Mayor will make the business ways, and small businesses can find it inclusion strategy. emergencies fund a permanent part of hard to recover from a temporary loss of the support City Hall offers, to enable ` Many people still lack access to a bank business of this kind. business communities affected by account. Migrants, Gypsy, Roma and For Grenfell and other tragedies, the traumatic events in future to rebuild traveller people, homeless people, people Mayor created a £300,000 emergency their local economy and contribute leaving abusive partners, young people fund in 2017 to help the businesses to the economic resilience of their affected. A permanent fund to help community and our city. LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 leaving local authority care, disabled enterprises that provide lower impact people including those with learning and essential services and products, disabilities and poor mental health and such as arts and culture, green A GREEN LONDON ASSEMBLY others, can all struggle to provide the industries and the circular economy. necessary documentation for a bank ` One in twenty advertisement spots, in account. We will closely monitor the There are three ballot both physical and digital media, will Constituency candidates: rate at which businesses are going papers in this election. be reserved for art and creative works ‘cashless.’ This may have a serious After your votes for Mayor, Bexley & Bromley: produced by Londoners that have effect on financial exclusion. We will you also choose Assembly Mary Ion no commercial value, extending the engage with businesses and banking Members to represent your Brent & Harrow: principle behind the treasured Poems Zack Polanski Benali Hamdache services to ensure all businesses vital to local constituency, and Emma Wallace on the Underground and Art on the people’s daily lives in London continue to represent you London- Underground series into more areas of City & East: taking cash. wide. On the London-wide the arts, including music, visual arts, Tim Kiely ballot paper you vote for ` We will create a Money Advice Week digital creativity and theatrical work. Ealing & Hillingdon: every year, and use our new advertising a party and every vote Marijn van de Geer ` The range of restricted advertisements Ben Fletcher Hannah Graham policies for Transport for London to help counts in putting more will be extended to include adverts Havering & Redbridge: promote financial education, local advice Greens on the Assembly. aimed at children, the promotion Melanie Collins services and credit unions. of arms companies, flights (and London-wide candidates: Lambeth & Southwark: holidays that involve flying), any Claire Sheppard 1. Sian Berry advert whose creative premise is to Merton & Wandsworth: PUBLIC TRANSPORT Peter Underwood Kirsten de Keyser create unhappiness with London life, 2. Caroline Russell Pippa Maslin ADVERTISING FOR GOOD public transport or the normal ageing (and North East London) South West London: process, as well as cars of all kinds ` A Green Mayor will work with Londoners 3. Zack Polanski Andrée Frieze to create a new, tiered charging policy and the promotion of private car travel. (and West Central London) for advertisements on the Transport Westminster Station, where high profile 4. Benali Hamdache lobbying campaigns aimed at MPs for London network. This will provide 5. Dr Shahrar Ali Jarelle Francis Andrée Frieze access to advertising space at very frequently takeover large areas of space low cost to public bodies, charitable including ticket barriers and escalators, 6. Rosamund Adoo-Kissi- Debrah (and Greenwich & organisations and local small would no longer be available for this Caroline Russell Rosamund Adoo- Kissi-Debrah businesses, with progressively higher purpose. Lewisham) prices for advertising products and 7. Ben Fletcher services which have an adverse impact 8. Hannah Graham Emma Wallace Tim Kiely on resource use and overall wellbeing. 9. Peter Underwood

` Under the new tiered system, the (and Croydon & Sutton) Dr Shahrar Ali Mary Ion highest costs would be paid by 10. Kirsten de Keyser commercial products whose advertising (and Barnet & Camden) seeks to increase the use of resources, Pippa Maslin Marijn van de 11. Jarelle Francis Geer with intermediate tiers for profit-making (and Enfield & Haringey)

Claire Sheppard Melanie Collins 128 MANIFESTO for a new start Back in 2002, we stopped Transport for Sian also took over the work I had started Greens on the Assembly have played a Good ideas and London from getting rid of their tiny £5m on the right of tenants to have a decisive crucial role in defending civil liberties. As budget for cycling and when we had the say on the redevelopment of their estates a member of the Met Police Authority I clear Green vision decisive say over the Mayor’s budget and made it one of her top priorities. Sadiq successfully pushed the Commissioner to By Jenny Jones, Green Party between 2004-08, investment in cycling, Khan was pushed to include it as a Labour change the definition of domestic extremist Peer and former London walking and road safety went up to levels manifesto promise in 2016, but then and take thousands off the police database, that could make a real difference to backtracked when he published his draft including myself. Greens have also taken Assembly Member people’s lives. guidance. the lead on changing planning rules to stop private developments imposing restrictive As the Mayor’s green transport adviser, I Sian won the unanimous support of the rules about access to areas that should be commissioned the report that led to cycle Assembly for binding ballots for residents, public spaces. hire and cycling superhighways being and twisted the Mayor’s arm to enforce this introduced by Boris Johnson. The vertical as part of any Mayoral funding for schemes. Often the biggest green gains have been walking maps you may have used in Unfortunately, this didn’t stop the Mayor on the environment. We used our leverage central London were part of a package of signing off of dozens of major regeneration over Ken Livingstone’s budget in 2005 to improvements for pedestrians in London. plans without any ballots just before he get a team working on renewable energy changed the policy. within major planning developments. And of Greens are good at innovation and many course the Greens initiated the declaration of the ideas we put forward become This whole saga is a reminder of why of a climate emergency by the Assembly mainstream thinking years later. Having having Green Assembly Members is great, two years ago. This manifesto is worth reading elected greens helps speed up that but a Green Mayor would be better. process. Almost 20 years ago, we got Ken Much of our success has been in stopping because many of the ideas in here will Safer streets are a priority for any Mayor, Livingstone to set up a London register for backwards steps from whoever is Mayor. be turned into action. Elected Greens in but this takes strong communities that same-sex partnerships and City Hall led the Greens spent eight years working with London have an amazing track record of bobbies on the beat can work with. Sian way as a venue for an initiative the rest of the local community to scupper Ken doing that for the last twenty years. has produced two reports showing how the country followed. Livingstone’s plans for a motorway-sized youth centres and services for young As Mayor, Sian Berry will work with others road crossing in East London. Sian has We also won the creation of the London people have been decimated by austerity. to ensure that our vision of a more equitable had to spend an equal amount of her time Living Wage Unit to encourage companies She explained the impact of closing youth and less polluted London becomes reality. working with local people in the same area to pay a more realistic minimum wage. centres and put forward amendments to If she is returned as a London Assembly to try to stop Sadiq Khan finishing Boris the Mayor’s budget that prioritised youth Member then she will use the mandate Setting the terms of debate is a Green Johnson’s plan for a major new polluting services. Finally, the Mayor shifted and now voters have given her to work with others to speciality. Sadiq Khan launched his road crossing, the Silvertown Road Tunnel. has provided funds for the past three years. change things for the better. re-election campaign a year ago talking It is not hard to see from this why about winning powers to regulate rents. Sian has won changes at national level as When I was elected to the first London a strong Green voice on the London Sian Berry wrote to him nearly six years well. As chair of the Housing Committee Assembly in 2000, few London politicians Assembly is so important, but is also ago with this exact idea and has spent the she published a report on the plight of understood the need to act on climate why Sian Berry as Mayor will be so last five years at City Hall pestering and property guardians, who pay rent to live change and even fewer saw the need to much better. bother about air pollution. Greens were the making the case. It’s great that he has in empty buildings, and have few legal only political party out celebrating when adopted the idea, but can we trust him to rights. I took Sian’s work to the Minister, Ken Livingstone introduced the congestion follow through? who promised new guidance to incorporate charge. many of the report’s recommendations.

130 MANIFESTO for a new start LONDON GREEN PARTY 2021 131 To get involved in our campaign to transform London, contact [email protected] or JOIN visit www.sianberry.london OUR Team @sianberry sian_berry facebook.com/sianberrygreen

Promoted by Nick Barnett on behalf of Sian Berry and London Green Party, all at The Biscuit Factory, J215, 100 Clements Rd, London SE16 4DG. Printed on FSC sustainable paper by Scanplus Print Group, 61 Imperial Way, Croydon CR0 4RR. All photos with Sian and Londoners were either taken pre-coronavirus or conducted in accordance with social distancing guidelines.