Mayor of London

Sadiq Khan praised for rolling out free school meals for all primary pupils in London for another year

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/sadiq-khan-praised-for-rolling-out-free-school-meals-for-all-primary-pupils-in-london-for-another-year/

The move will save families up to £1,000 per child over the two-year period, according to analysis by City Hall.

The Mayor of London is being praised for rolling out free school meals for another year for primary school pupils across the city, as families grapple with the cost of living crisis with millions more pushed into poverty under Tory austerity and soaring bills.

Sadiq Khan put forward plans worth £140 million to extend universal provision of hot meals for the 2024/25 school year, after piloting the approach in state-funded primaries across the Capital from September.

The move will save families up to £1,000 per child over the two-year period, according to analysis by City Hall.

The Mayor of London said that he was ‘thrilled to extend this lifeline for another year’.

Research from the Child Poverty Action Group, shows that nationally, around 800,000 children who are living in poverty are currently missing out on free school meals, due to restrictions on eligibility.

Khan’s scheme provides lunches for every other London pupil not already covered under government funding.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/sadiq-khan-praised-for-rolling-out-free-school-meals-for-all-primary-pupils-in-london-for-another-year/

Continue ReadingSadiq Khan praised for rolling out free school meals for all primary pupils in London for another year

London facing 45C days ‘in foreseeable future’, mayor Sadiq Khan warns

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/18/london-facing-45c-days-in-foreseeable-future-mayor-sadiq-khan-warns

London faces the “incredibly worrying” prospect of enduring days that hit 45C (113F) due to the worsening climate crisis, its mayor, Sadiq Khan, told the Guardian at a climate summit in New York where governments have gathered to discuss how to best cope with searing temperatures.

Khan said an interim independent climate resilience report for London had found the capital could experience multiple 45C days “in the foreseeable future”, potentially buckling various basic functions of the city. “It means the Underground is not fit for purpose, some of the homes are too hot in the daytime, care homes and schools too,” Khan said.

“It means we have to adapt for those temperatures now. It’s now time for those who are delaying action to wake up and smell the coffee because this is happening now. It’s now and it’s happening to us.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/18/london-facing-45c-days-in-foreseeable-future-mayor-sadiq-khan-warns

Continue ReadingLondon facing 45C days ‘in foreseeable future’, mayor Sadiq Khan warns

Sadiq Khan rubbishes Tory minister’s Ulez ‘cash grab’ claims

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Traffic in South London.
Traffic in South London.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/sadiq-khan-rubbishes-tory-ministers-ulez-cash-grab-claims

LONDON Mayor Sadiq Khan has rubbished claims made by Tory Transport Minister Mark Harper about the extension of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez).

As the expansion of the zone to cover all London boroughs came into force today, Labour mayor told BBC Breakfast that Mr Harper had made factual errors in his criticisms of it.

“If it was a cash grab, as the government is saying, just to raise money, I’d have acceded to their demand to expand the Ulez without proper consultation and a proper scrappage scheme.”

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Mr Khan said: “In a couple of years’ time, TfL has predicted there will be no additional money made because the number of non-compliant vehicles will decrease.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/sadiq-khan-rubbishes-tory-ministers-ulez-cash-grab-claims

Continue ReadingSadiq Khan rubbishes Tory minister’s Ulez ‘cash grab’ claims

Sadiq Khan gives impassioned defence of decision to expand ULEZ

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“If you saw the 30 GPs with the largest number of respiratory problems, 24 of those are in outer London.”

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/sadiq-khan-gives-impassioned-defence-of-decision-to-expand-ulez/

The Mayor of London has given an impassioned defence of his decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across all London Boroughs, saying that he had seen the devastating consequences of air pollution.

Appearing on LBC, Khan highlighted how there were now ‘third fewer children being admitted to hospital with asthma related illnesses caused by air pollution’ as a result of ULEZ.

Tweeting a clip of his appearance, the Mayor of London wrote: “I took the decision to expand the ULEZ because experts believe it will save lives. It wasn’t an easy one, but we cannot delay action when toxic air is linked with conditions like cancer and dementia. Air pollution particles have even been found in the brains of unborn babies.”

Khan went on to tell listeners on LBC: “We know that ULEZ is effective. How do we know that? Because in central London when we introduced the ULEZ we saw a reduction of almost 50% of the toxicity in our air, there are third fewer children being admitted to hospital with asthma related illnesses caused by air pollution, we’ve expanded it in London and we’ve seen a further improvement of 20% in our air.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/08/sadiq-khan-gives-impassioned-defence-of-decision-to-expand-ulez/

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London water firms slammed as city’s rivers see nearly 2,000 sewage dumps in a year and are ‘only caught out twice’

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April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

https://www.mylondon.news/news/london-water-firms-slammed-citys-27195198

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been urged to clamp down on sewage dumping in London’s rivers, as the capital’s water companies have only been prosecuted twice in four years. This comes after data has revealed that 31 of the city’s waterways saw 1,809 combined overflow discharges, resulting in raw sewage being pumped into London’s rivers and streams for over 7,000 hours in 2022.

A freedom of information request sent by the Liberal Democrats to the Environment Agency last year revealed that the organisation took action over pollution in London rivers on only eight occasions between 2017 and 2021, and just two incidents resulted in prosecutions.

Mr Khan pledged in July 2020 to reduce water pollution incidents by 30 per cent by 2025. Hina Bokhari AM, the Liberal Dems’ London Assembly environment spokesperson, said: “It is clear from the sheer scale of raw sewage entering London’s waters that the UK Conservative Government has utterly failed to get to grips with this problem. Sewage dumping is endangering human health, our wildlife and our tourism industry across London and the whole country.

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https://www.mylondon.news/news/london-water-firms-slammed-citys-27195198

Continue ReadingLondon water firms slammed as city’s rivers see nearly 2,000 sewage dumps in a year and are ‘only caught out twice’