Adam Smith Institute

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Into the red

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into-the-red

With the news that the Green Party’s London mayoral candidate Sian Berry has urged her backers to give their second preference votes for the current mayor Ken Livingstone and visa versa, it is worth taking a look at what the Green Party is offering London.

Here are a few of the policy ideas straight from Berry’s website:

  • “I would use the Mayor's planning powers to require all new large business developments to provide affordable premises for small enterprises, amounting to at least 50% of the total trading space.”
  • “As Mayor, I would ensure all public employers pay their workers a living wage of £7.20 an hour and roll this out to cover companies who want to get contracts with public bodies as well. And then I'd shame any private employer who refused to follow suit.”
  • “Closing London City Airport and using the land as a new Green Industries Park to encourage new enterprise in the growing environmental sector, especially manufacturing.”
  • “As Mayor, I will have solar panels up and running on 100,000 roofs by 2015. And I will give free loans to householders, community groups and businesses to make use of new, clean energy technology.”
  • “A 20 mph city-wide speed limit on all but a small number of major routes, will bring a dramatic improvement in road safety and help smooth traffic flow.”
  • “Demand the write-off of housing debt so London can get building social housing again.”

It is essentially a dummy’s guide on how to financially cripple the capital and by consequence the country. Scary stuff.