What's the Point of Sadiq Khan?
 

Just read an opinion piece on him, seriously what is the point of him, an attention seeking self publicist with little to crow about, his record is one of dismal failure at almost every level. Highlights include

Rise in violent crime, which he has responded to by creating the mayor's office for policing and crime at a cost of 7 million quid plus a year, you'd have thought that cash would be better served putting more police on the streets but then that wouldn't have given him the photo opportunities he can't help but seek.

Pitiful affordable housing rate of building despite his grandiose pre election promises, 80 000 homes a year was never realistic but the 5000 he has delivered was worse than bozos record

Presiding over transport fiascos that include crossrail being delayed, his answer was to throw more cash at it btw and a fall in the number of people using public transport, that to me is the most unbelievable part of his tenure, for the first time in generations fewer people are using public transport.


Worst mayor ever imo and the best reason to abolish the role, he wasn't the reason I left London last year but not having him represent me is certainly one of the biggest plusses for going as the sad thing is I think he'll get re-elected, still at least he has stopped going on about his dad driving a bloody bus, that is until he throws his hat in for labours top job, he clearly sees mayor as a stepping stone to PM, just like his predecessor, I hope they both come a cropper and end up disappointed

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

You are so right. he is a sham grandstander. His political New Year fireworks display proves that.

He got to power by promising a 4 year freeze on tube fares which has left him financially crippled being squeezed at both ends with falling passenger numbers.

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

Cross rail is pretty hard to pin on him. A project like that doesn’t miss over a year suddenly. The project was already well underway when he took office.

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

It doesn't have to a blunder from Johnson either. Crossrail is a massive project at least two levels removed from the Mayor's office (Mayor --> TFL --> Crossrail). The initial building work started in 2009. It's unlikely that everything was on time and on track until Khan arrived and then it misses a year. Especially since it's unclear what he possibly could have done to a project nearly completion to cause it. Especially since the funding, timetable, management structure, planning and companies involved where all decided long ago.

Some of the other stuff I think he is on the hook for. Although some of it has been happening for a while. I.E Police cuts have been happening since 2010. 9% police numbers have fallen by. Overall though he doesn't have any achievements to his name. The only good thing IMO is the single bus ticket fare thing.

---------- Post added at 08:49 ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 ----------

That said I don't understand why he is to blame for less public transport usage. It's not as if it's got expensive or less reliable. It's probably the rise of flexible working, uber and more cyclists.

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

He lied about not knowing it wouldn't be completed on time and tried to throw tax payer cash at it so he wouldn't get the blame, speaks volumes about his character if nothing else does

It's all gimmicks and photo opportunities with him, the pr budget has shot up whilst police numbers are slashed, it's okay saying he's not responsible for the cuts but he's responsible for squandering fortunes on crap like the mayor's office for policing and crime and the violence reduction unit

He promised record investment in public transport as well as fare freezes and look what's happened, cuts to the network, tube upgrades cancelled and that's without mentioning the complete mess he's made of the roads, the maintenance of which iirc is currently suspended presumably due to a lack of cash? But what does that matter as long as he got his attention grabbing headlines about fares being frozen

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

Well ultimately it needed more cash because of the overrun. I don't see how he would have avoided the blame as people would notice it's not opened yet.

He didn't create the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. That was already there. He has done a violence reduction unit based on something that worked in Glasgow to reduce violent crime. That was only a few months ago so it's hard to say if it's worth it or not, but something needs to be done to address the rise in violent crime. It's £7 million compared to the £110 million put into the Met from City Hall just last year. City Hall actually contributes more than it ever has done to the Met as of 2018.

I agree the freeze in fares was stupid. Although I think this is all an argument to increase the powers of the Mayor's office/London assembly. The government cut the TFL grant by quite a bit. As with the Met Office if London is to fund it's police and transport networks independently then it needs to be able to keep more of the money it generates to do so.

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

Don't think you know when you're well off in London. £708 spent per person on transport, where as it £289 per person in the North of England. (where we're rattling around in clapped out 2 carriage diesel trains - that were past their use by in the 1980's). Doubtless the income form the latest price rises will all be funnelled to the South East again.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...f-england-ippr

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

My sister who had lived there for 10 years had to move out of the Capital as with her reasonable salary it was a struggle later on from month to month with rental and other costs going through the roof as time went on..

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

Well that’s the problem, when you centralise so much of a country’s decision making and major business in one city, competition for space and resources drives prices up. The way London has been allowed to unbalance this country over the last 75 years is insane, and still there seems to be little more than lip service paid to fixing it.

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

In my line of work Den people get paid more and work shorter hours for working in London. Which even more farcical since most of them work from home.

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq Khan?
 

I usually watch the London New Year's fireworks but thank goodness I missed this political bullshit one and watched a local one from my bedroom window, drink in hand.

Sadiq is a disgusting individual, a total political self serving big nosed hack. Worse London Mayor ever!!!

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq Khan?
 

Sounds a lot like the last mayor really, maybe it goes with the post ?

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq
 

Absolutely agree 100% with your sentiments.

---------- Post added at 12:16 ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 ----------

Self serving for their own future political ambitions..

Re: What's the Point of Sadiq Khan?