On Wednesday 4th March as Sadiq Khan kick-started his re-election campaign, he announced that jobs will be his top priority if he was re-elected as Mayor of London. Calling for 1945-style programme to rebuild London’s economy he pledged to maximise City Hall expenditure to support London's recovery with the aim of helping over 300,000 Londoners who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
In his statement, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “We have had a dreadful year, but there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel for Londoners. We owe it to everyone who has lost their lives, to the key workers who have done so much to keep us safe, and to all those who have suffered to ensure we build an even better London after the pandemic.
“It is clear from the Government’s budget that the Tories don’t have the ambition or the vision needed to do that.”
Recalling the achievements of the 1945 Labour government, Sadiq further promised that a ‘top priority’ for his second term will be protecting Londoners' jobs and helping to create new jobs to replace the more than 300,000 lost in London. The Mayor has also pledged to continue his relentless focus on tackling crime, building council homes and cleaning up the city's air.
As an example of his commitment for further engagement with small business heavily impacted by the pandemic, the Mayor visited Hot Milk, a local business in Bounds Green. The café has been supported by a £5000 Back to Business grant from City Hall, and raised over £12,500 through Sadiq’s Pay It Forward London initiative.
"In 1945, a Labour Government rebuilt Britain from the ashes of war. I am hopeful that with the right support from the Government, working with London’s businesses, we can help get the 300,000 Londoners who have lost their jobs during the pandemic back into work quickly.”
Citing the elections on 6th May as “a two-horse race” between him and the Conservative candidate, Shaun Bailey, the Mayor believes Londoners have to choose between someone who will stand up for London and the Conservative candidate who won’t stand up for London in the face of the most anti-London government in living memory.
He has also urged ministers to help him deliver a post-war style recovery package of investment in London and requested the Chancellor to replace the furlough scheme when it comes to an end with a new jobs guarantee linked to in-work training and apprenticeships. He has previously stated his proposal of getting central London’s economy back on track with £5m of investment dedicated to attracting Londoners and domestic tourists back into the West End.
