--- election_year: 2021 party_id: londonreal party_name: London Real Party party_leader: Brian Rose political_spectrum: other victory: false government_outcome: opposition sections: - economy - taxation - health - education - housing - foreign-policy - environment - transport - law-and-order - welfare - democracy-and-constitution - energy - science-and-technology - local-government --- # London Real Party London Mayoral Manifesto 2021 * REBUILD LONDON'S ECONOMY * PUT 10,000 NEW POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET * ABOLISH THE CONGESTION CHARGE UNTIL 2022 * BUILD 50,000 NEW HOMES BY CHRISTMAS **BRIAN FOR MAYOR** **BRIAN ROSE** **YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR MAYOR** Printed by Metro Commercial Printing Ltd of Mowat Industrial Estate, Sandown Rd, Watford, WD24 7UY and promoted by Paul Frost on behalf of Brian Rose both of Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX. # BRIAN ROSE This manifesto is the result of eight months of detailed study and a lot of hard work. It exists for one simple reason – **I love London.** Since my first visit as a teenager **I have always felt an incredible affinity with the values and spirit of this city**, and it has always brought out the best in me. While it’s true I was born on the sunny beaches of California, it didn't take long before London stole my heart. Today I am a British citizen and a 20-year resident, my two children were born here, and I plan to be buried in this great city. **London has given me everything** – my career, my family and my purpose, and now it’s time to give something back. I’ve spent the last ten years inspiring audiences from around the world with must-watch content through my media platform, London Real. But, during the difficult times we have all endured, I realised there was more I could offer. And I saw our city – which I believe is the greatest in the world – being destroyed in front of my very eyes due to a complete lack of leadership. That is what prompted me to run for Mayor – the truth is that I had to do it. ## YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR MAYOR **I could not sit idly by** and watch big-party politicians run our city into the ground. Launching my campaign has been a challenging journey, but also one full of hope and excitement for our future. My manifesto, like my campaign, looks different, because **London needs a different approach.** It addresses the key issues faced by all Londoners, and is audacious as well as ambitious in its scope. That is because I care about our city. I care about our people. I care about our future. It’s time for an independent voice, fresh ideas, and a new direction. **Vote for me on May 6th, and I promise to dedicate my life to making London a world-class city.** ## GET LONDON BACK TO WORK ## IT'S TIME TO REBUILD OUR BROKEN ECONOMY **Getting London back to work is a huge challenge** – but it is only part of a much greater set of challenges. These are not small things: the societal upheaval we have all endured, the sacrifices we have all made, the price paid by so many people and businesses in recent months, have caused lasting damage. Recovery will depend in no small part on **regaining lost confidence** – it is confidence that will spark a return to business growth, it is confidence that will see us return to a more normal daily existence, it is confidence that will **spur London to lead Britain’s recovery** in the months and years to come. Covid-19 – and other viruses – will remain a threat not just to our city’s physical and mental health, but also to its economic health. It is essential our city has a robust plan for dealing with **future outbreaks**, one steeped in the learning of recent months and cognisant of the debilitating impact of prolonged lockdown on both wellbeing and business. London must have a plan that recognises the importance of balancing the significant direct risks from Covid with the indirect risks, including the impact on mental health and the crippling economic effects of lockdown. ## GET LONDON BACK TO WORK With that in mind, when elected, **I will launch two urgent programmes** – one to deal with the short-term threat to London, the other to look at the longer-term implications. Firstly, I will initiate an **intensive six-month programme** to **support our city’s businesses**, especially the thousands of small businesses which are the backbone of our economy. As Mayor, I can directly influence the tax burden our city faces, and I will ease that to help kick-start our economy. Secondly, there are clear, practical measures to be taken to ease the financial worries of businesses and to remove barriers to trade while the economy is struggling back to its feet. ## GET LONDON BACK TO WORK I will introduce a **six-month, post-lockdown business rates holiday** for Small and Medium Enterprises in Greater London, abolish the **Congestion Charge until 2022** to encourage travel into the capital, and implement science-based protocols to **safely get people back** to our city to work, shop and visit. ## BACK TO WORK & BACK TO PLAY FOR OUR CITY I will work with businesses in London’s financial powerhouse to **encourage the safe return of at least 25% of their workers**, while also looking at how flexible working practices can help reduce the risks from Covid-19. I will also stimulate key sectors like hospitality, culture, and tourism with expanded financial support and clear, properly researched protocols to help them rebuild stronger and faster. **THESE SECTORS ATTRACT BOTH INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC VISITORS MAKING THEM CRUCIAL TO REBUILDING OUR DEVASTATED ECONOMY.** I will look at the lessons learned from specific stimulus packages already trialled with a view to operating a **six-month scheme to help our shuttered restaurants** come out of their enforced hibernation. I will also launch a **Work Out To Help Out programme**, to encourage Londoners to start exercising again and using the fantastic gym and sporting facilities which this city has to offer. ## GET LONDON BACK TO WORK We cannot sacrifice London’s culture. Churchill is famously credited with refusing to divert arts funding to the war effort with the riposte “Then what are we fighting for?” I will work to find long-term solutions that allow our **theatres, museums, galleries, concert arenas** and **stadiums** to operate safely and in ways that do not punish them financially. I will also promote the use of street parking spaces for outdoor seating to be used for our hospitality businesses free of charge for six months. **SMEs make up 98% of our economy** and, as an entrepreneur myself, I know only too well how badly many businesses and their hard-working owners have suffered. ## GET LONDON BACK TO WORK Small and medium-sized businesses are **the backbone of our economy**: we will look to them to support London’s economic renaissance. But first we must **support them**, helping them rebuild so that they can become the engine of recovery. My 30 years of real-world business experience mean I am by far the best qualified candidate to lead London’s businesses back to boom-time. As well as helping businesses now, we must look to the future. **The economic and mental health problems of the past year can never be allowed to happen again.** The response of London’s leaders to the pandemic was deeply disappointing. Not only was this great city far from being a global leader in terms of dealing with the virus, it was not even a leader in this country, and **our Mayor performed woefully compared with other metropolitan leaders** from cities such as Manchester. ## GET LONDON BACK TO WORK ## NEVER AGAIN: LEARNING LOCKDOWN LESSONS With that in mind, I intend to use the summer to ensure London never again goes into a period of Covid lockdown without a clear path out. I will convene a panel of experts from key sectors including health, both mental and physical, business, science, as well as emergency services and social care specialists, to ensure London has a robust plan to deal with future threats. We must learn lessons from places which handled the outbreak more effectively, and we must be better at explaining what steps are needed and for how long. **Historically, great fairs have often mirrored social, economic and political struggles.** The first modern world fair took place in London, in 1851, and one of its aims was to provide the globe with hope of a better future, after two decades of upheaval in Europe. As we seek to get our city working again, **London must be audacious and ambitious**. It is less than a decade since we hosted one of the greatest Olympics – and great events are in the DNA of our city. ## THE GREAT CELEBRATION With the Crystal Palace as its centrepiece, the Great Exhibition attracted more than 6 million people to Hyde Park from around the planet. Not only was it self-financing: the exhibition was profitable enough to fund Kensington’s famous museums, including the **V&A Museum**, **Science Museum** and **Natural History Museum**. Now is the time for London to be in the global spotlight again. MY FIRST MAJOR EVENT AS YOUR NEXT MAYOR WILL BE THE GREAT CELEBRATION, MARKING ALL THAT MAKES OUR CITY SYNONYMOUS WITH THEATRE, MUSIC, FOOD, TECHNOLOGY, ARTS, CULTURE & MORE. ## THE GREAT CELEBRATION The Great Celebration will also be a showcase for the **best of business, industry and innovation across Britain**, as befits such an event in the capital. **Kicking off at the start of August**, for one month, a series of free music festivals, theatre performances, all-night parties, street fairs, local markets and business networking events will help announce to the world that London is back with a bang. It will be a **celebration enjoyed by Londoners and visitors alike**, and a much-needed injection of joy – and cash – to our moribund economy. The fair will be subsidised by the Mayor’s office and supported by a relaxation of red tape around licensing and other logistical barriers. Our city will work closely with the arts and entertainment world, so neglected during the pandemic, to **put on a party that will make the world take notice of London**, its talent and its ambition. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC ### 10,000 NEW POLICE: BETTER TRAINED & DIGITISED Many of the headlines about London in 2021 have focused on violent crime, something that every citizen of this city should be outraged by. Since the present Mayor came to power in 2016, London crime **figures have risen year after year after year.** When he took office, London had 82.4 crimes per thousand population. That figure rose every year until it stood at 101.5 in 2020. Fast-forward to 2021 and **murder rates are at a three-year high in the capital**, despite lockdown. We must invest more in our police to get crime under control and at the same time address the underlying causes of crime. We cannot police our way out of this crisis by treating only symptoms. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC According to GMB research, **London lost almost half of its police staff** and 72% of its PCSOs from 2010 to 2020. London desperately needs to see all police numbers, and not just the headline-friendly roles, restored to adequate levels. This, inevitably, cannot be achieved overnight, because **police must be properly trained**. Lessons can be learned from other countries, and recent events have shown we must revisit training for all police around issues such as safe **restraint techniques** and **protest de-escalation**. Inadequate training leads to inadequate policing and, all too often, it is front-line officers who end up in the spotlight when things go wrong. **Simply put, we need to support our police.** ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC I have a fully-costed plan that delivers an additional 10,000 police and the training they desperately need. I will fight hard for further Government funds, but there are additional sources of revenue, such as an **Infrastructure Levy** on new developments, which will allow me to grow our police presence as we grow our city. Comprising a 3% tax on the increased property value of any new construction within 500 metres of a new TfL development, **my levy would potentially generate billions of pounds per year** that would be borne out of developer profits. **PROPER POLICING IS NOT CHEAP POLICING: HIRING & TRAINING 10,000 EXTRA STAFF WILL COST AROUND £300 MILLION IN THE FIRST YEAR.** It’s a common-sense approach that recognises more homes lead to more people in an area, which in turn leads to an increased burden on facilities such as policing. In addition, **around £1 billion of savings** can be made over ten years through increased digitisation of the police; **we must invest in better technology** now to free up resources and funds in the years to come. This is not a short-term plan for a quick headline; rather, it is an ambitious, achievable approach that addresses long-term challenges with long-term thinking. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC ### What do I mean by further digitisation of the police? 1. STREAMLINING THE REPORTING OF CRIME ONLINE AND IMPROVING POLICE EFFICIENCY. 2. MAKING DATA AVAILABLE ACROSS AGENCIES, PREVENTING INFORMATION FROM FALLING THROUGH GAPS IN THE SYSTEM. 3. REDUCING NON-DIGITAL ADMINISTRATION AND REPURPOSING, IMPROVING POLICE EFFICIENCY. 4. PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA TO MOVE BEYOND A PRESS RELEASE CULTURE. Crucially, I will look to build a police force which reflects the multitude of cultures being policed. I will also work closely with MPs and agencies such as the Courts and Tribunals Service to find ways of addressing the appalling logjam in our legal system, which is no longer fit for purpose. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC ## A VICTIM’S BILL OF RIGHTS I will seek to institute a **Victim’s Bill of Rights** for London and the wider country to ensure that victims are treated fairly and with dignity. The Bill of Rights will address four key issues: * Information * Protection * Participation * Restitution Existing victim’s rights legislation addresses these important areas inadequately, and I will work with key agencies to ensure **London leads the way in putting victims, and their rights, first.** ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC That means a better support system for victims and better training for those who support them, as well as additional legal help. **We must reappraise who is considered a victim.** For example, it is utterly unacceptable that a woman can be harassed on the streets of London and yet the man intimidating her is not even breaking the law. **I will not stand for misogyny** against anyone in my family and I will not stand for it against any other woman. As the leader of this city, responsibility for citizens’ safety must be taken seriously, and **change starts here.** ### The start of 2021 has been marked by a deeply disturbing wave of knife crime. There will be, and can be only, zero tolerance of knife crime and other violent offences; **those involved must** **face serious and immediate consequences.** Knife crime, though, is as much a symptom of underlying problems as it is a problem itself. If you fail to deal with the underlying issues, then you will never deal with the problem of violent crime itself. And that means **engaging properly with the communities** in which the bulk of such crimes take place. # TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC This involves authorities and agencies addressing potential causes: **poverty**, **fear** and **peer pressure** to name but three. And it means working to improve and help communities which are struggling with such issues and building the community connections which are so vital for dealing with these problems at source. I AM NOT IGNORANT OF THE HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL THAT GOES ON, LARGELY UNHERALDED, TO TACKLE THESE ISSUES. But something is clearly very wrong and, as Mayor, I will strengthen the links between my office and the many agencies which have been working on these challenges for many years. After all their hard work, **they must be heartbroken to see violent crime back in the headlines.** While I will seek to help those communities, and to work with those who have their best interests at heart, I will **not be a soft touch** when it comes to dealing with the criminals who are responsible for tearing parts of our city apart. Met Police figures have told me that **up to 90% of violent crime relates to the proliferation of gang culture** and we must have zero tolerance for gangs and the crimes they commit. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC Those who perpetuate gang warfare, who run county lines operations, who deal in hard drugs, need to know that I will work with police and other agencies to choke off their supply of young recruits at one end of the process, and hit the kingpins hard at the other. **And I will make sure there are sufficient police to do that.** It’s important to remember that, **when teenagers are stabbing teenagers, we have already failed as a society.** At the same time, I refuse to allow my mayorship to be just a talking shop. That’s because talk is cheap. **Ambitious policies are not.** ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC ### HITTING GANGS WHERE IT HURTS & A £100M SOCIAL BOOST I have identified new ways of funding additional police, and I have a realistic ten-year plan to do just that. But your Mayor also needs to identify additional ways of funding community support. This is where my **Corporates For Communities** plan comes in. Companies prefer to operate in safe environments. CEOs as well as staff want to be based in an HQ that is in a safe place to be. And companies want to help. Corporate social responsibility schemes are a fantastic force for good, and I intend to find ways to make them even more worthwhile, both for companies and communities. Jamal Edwards MBE Founder of SBTV Individuals such as **Jamal Edwards MBE**, founder of the SBTV music channel, **have shown what is possible**. Jamal has secured **six-figure investments** from businesses for London youth centres. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC This is where my 30 years of experience in finance, and as an entrepreneur, come into play. As your Mayor, I will build on Jamal’s successes to **scale up the funding of community services**, partnering with businesses to build and maintain community facilities fit for the 21st century. I will commit to raise **£1 billion in corporate funding** over ten years, to build or improve 250 community centres throughout London’s 32 boroughs, giving our young people the opportunities and support they need. This investment, via an *Accountability Infrastructure*, will service more than 1 million youth visits in the first year alone. It is the **longevity of this plan which is the real game-changer**: it allows these community centres to build up the crucial long-term relationships with young people that make a real difference. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC ### DRAGONS TO GET WEAPONS OFF OUR STREETS In 2018, artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry completed an ambitious project to build a 27ft sculpture of **an angel from knives** surrendered in weapons amnesties. The Angel has visited almost a dozen towns and cities, helping spread an anti-violence message, and its creators hope to eventually display it in London. I will launch a similar scheme in London – with the weapons being used to create a series of dragons, rather than an angel, as the City of London is guarded by 13 iron dragons. ## TACKLING THE CRIME EPIDEMIC The scheme will help police and communities **rid the streets of weapons** and, when the sculpture is complete, it will join the Knife Angel at the heart of a new permanent exhibition, dedicated to the depiction and celebration of community, struggle and peace. In this way, we will have communities, police, the arts and the public working together to create something remarkable, and to **make our streets safer** at the same time. **THE DRAGON SCHEME WILL HELP GET WEAPONS OFF OUR STREETS — AND CREATE A MEMORABLE MONUMENT TO COMMUNITY, STRUGGLE AND PEACE IN THE PROCESS.** ## SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS ### 50,000 HOMES BY CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR The shortage of housing in London is a symptom of an outdated planning system and of a **Mayor who has utterly failed** to get a grip of the housing problem. Sadiq Khan has allowed his housing policy to be stymied by Government interference – and **his woeful absence of plans** – to turn potential capacity into actual homes has compounded an already serious issue. In 2016, **he received £4.82 billion from the Government** to fund **116,000 affordable homes** by next year, a target that was pushed back to 2023 because of lockdown. ## SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS By December 2020, City Hall’s own figures show **he had started** construction on only **56,000**, fewer than half the number required, and had completed far less still. London requires a complete re-think about how to deal with the housing crisis. **I HAVE DRAWN UP DRAFT PLANS TO BUILD 50,000 HOMES IN BOROUGHS ACROSS THE CITY BY CHRISTMAS 2021.** I will focus on land owned by Transport for London which is unused and can provide acres of prime space, while also helping to fund transport and support communities. ## SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS TfL owns 5,700 acres of land, **equivalent to the size of the Borough of Camden**. As well as providing huge opportunities to expand London’s housing supply, this land is also an incredible asset, particularly for an organisation like TfL which is billions of pounds in debt. The homes will utilise **modular building technology** to quickly and efficiently deliver world-class, affordable places in which to live. ## AFFORDABILITY IS KEY, AND THESE MODULAR FAMILY HOMES CAN COST LESS THAN £100,000 EACH. Sites under consideration include **Hackney Wick, Poplar Station, Streatham** and **Morden**. **Plots will be located within half-a-mile of London’s transport hubs**, making commuting convenient, minimising environmental impact and helping drive footfall to existing transport networks, be they Tube stations, bus routes or cycle lanes. It is this sort of **joined-up thinking on key issues which London so desperately needs**, looking at housing, transport and the environment as a whole. I will be creating a revolutionary structure that **separates the land from TfL**, and puts it into a development limited company that is majority owned by the Mayor of London, with 49% held by private investors. # SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS Hackney Wick Modular Housing Artist’s Impression This company will be chartered to empower trusted developers to secure long-term financing, build **affordable housing** and develop the **best commercial assets possible at speed**. While delivering quality, affordable housing quickly is the priority, my plan will unlock potential housing projects for years to come. Some sites will be easier to develop than others, and the country’s outdated planning regulations may well slow some projects. **But I am looking at this challenge with a 30-year horizon**, which is somewhat unusual in mayoral politics, where the focus is so often exclusively on short-term benefits that may attract votes at the next election. ## SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS The shadow that homelessness casts on our city is very important to recognise. I have been actively involved with homelessness charities for a number of years, and am only too aware of the remarkable work they do. **A CITY CAN BE JUDGED BEST BY HOW IT TREATS ITS LEAST FORTUNATE, AND I WILL WORK TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE WITH NO HOME.** Both the public and private sector have a role to play, helping **homeless people not only find a place to stay, but to also find dignity.** My approach to London’s housing crisis will not be judged over a term or two in office, but at the end of my lifetime. **I will, however, build four times as many affordable homes in five months than the previous Mayor has built in five years.** My long-term commitment to doing what is best for London and Londoners will ensure the correct decisions are being made – and being made for the benefit of the city, rather than for short-term political gain. ## FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM ### RUN TFL LIKE A BUSINESS RATHER THAN A CHARITY London’s transport system is in a state of deep crisis. Transport for London is shockingly under-funded by international standards. **Our city has the most expensive public transport in the world** and it has been bled dry of resources by successive mayors who sought easy headlines at the expense of long-term planning. **I will ensure TfL is energised to behave like a business,** not a charity, using the land it owns to generate investment revenue by building housing and commercial developments. # FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM My plans to put transport infrastructure at the heart of our ambitious home-building programme will ensure that **I can run a reliable and profitable city transport network.** Additional revenue streams will be identified, including further advertising opportunities on TfL property, and smarter use of the data TfL generates every day. **WORKING WITH TRANSPORT EXPERTS, I WILL PRESENT AN AMBITIOUS TEN-YEAR PLAN TO REVOLUTIONISE LONDON’S LIMPING TRANSPORT SYSTEMS, WHILE PROTECTING VULNERABLE GROUPS FROM FARE RISES.** I plan to rejuvenate public transport, make it easier to walk and cycle around this beautiful city, and blend demanding environmental targets with **transport policies that are fit for purpose.** We also need to **end the long-running war on cab drivers** and, instead, welcome them and their electric vehicles as solutions, not impediments, to our transport problems. **Transportation is a crucial element of any thriving economy.** London must lead the world in building a transportation system that incorporates best-in-class technology, customer experience and environmental practices, while leveraging the innovation, expertise and accountability of the private sector. ## FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM As things stand, TfL is broken. Boris Johnson left it £9 billion in debt and, perversely, agreed to phase out £700 million of Government support. As for Sadiq Khan, he boasted of freezing fares but, three years into his mayorship, well before Covid struck, the debt had hit **£11 billion**. Crossrail has saddled TfL with additional hefty burdens and, in February, consultants on the project were given additional incentives, which were not revealed, to complete the long overdue project under powers granted for situations of urgency. Crossrail 2 looks to be going nowhere and the Bakerloo line extension is on hold. ## FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM In short, **TfL’s finances are in the bin**, thanks in no small part to Johnson and Khan, while maintaining and improving the network is becoming increasingly difficult. The situation was made even worse when **Transport for London’s credit rating was cut in 2020**, making it more expensive to borrow money. **IT IS TIME FOR A COMPLETE RE-EVALUATION OF THE CAPITAL’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, HOW IT IS FUNDED AND HOW ITS ASSETS ARE PUT TO WORK.** Without the root-and-branch reform I am proposing, **there is a very real risk of a catastrophic financial crisis for TfL**, forcing hard decisions to be made; the smart thing to do is make the changes before the catastrophe. At the same time, the long-running clogging of London’s transport arteries must come to an end. The relentless blocking of roads in our city forces more traffic on to **fewer routes**, **increases journey length and times**, and impedes emergency services. ## FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM ## GOODBYE TO LTNS, HELLO TO MORE CONSULTATION London's divisive Low Traffic Neighbourhoods strategy must be reviewed as an immediate priority. Introduced without adequate consultation by the present Mayor, LTNs cause traffic problems rather than solving them. **This lack of consultation has rankled** Londoners, and is now the most divisive issue in parts of the city. There is simply no need for this to have happened. Had the Mayor had the common sense to have consulted with residents and stakeholders over his plans, he could have avoided both uproar and unnecessary expense. ## FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM LTNs are purely a **revenue-generating tool**. Our plans to generate revenue elsewhere mean these unpopular schemes will not be part of London’s future. As Mayor, I will end them. When it comes to managing London’s traffic challenges, I will **commit to involving stakeholder groups as well as experts**. That means talking with residents, emergency services, transport specialists, environmentalists and others. IMPOSING POORLY THOUGHT THROUGH SOLUTIONS ON LONDON IN SEARCH OF HEADLINES IS OPPORTUNISM, NOT LEADERSHIP. As Mayor, I will **enshrine consultation at the heart of policy making** because, ultimately, the Mayor is elected to serve as well as to lead. And, as with my housing plans, my timeline will be 30 years, far longer than any Mayor could reasonably hope to serve. That is unprecedented for a mayoral candidate. I pledge to **set London on the road to a transport revolution**, one that other countries will look to for inspiration in the decades to come. That means **giving consideration to solutions that may seem audacious now**, but essential in the future. Electric cars and wind power fit that description, and London must be ambitious enough to lead the way in introducing the next revolutionary technologies. ## FIXING OUR TRANSPORT SYSTEM With that in mind, **it is time London got on the front foot when it comes to transport technology.** As electric cars become increasingly popular, it is vital that cities have the infrastructure to charge them. ## A REVOLUTION IN TRANSPORT & WIRELESS CAR CHARGING I will launch a scheme, building on work already carried out in Europe, to look at the feasibility of introducing induction charging facilities: **wireless charging for cars.** Static charging is an obvious opportunity, but we should also consider dynamic charging, where vehicles can charge while moving on the road. Public transport, which utilises set routes and regular timetables, provides an ideal environment in which to test and develop smarter technologies – technologies which could benefit London for decades to come. **It’s time to use technology to get London moving again.** ## PUTTING DIGITAL FIRST EVERY PERSON SHOULD HAVE FREE INTERNET ACCESS Most of us take the digitisation of 21st century life for granted; indeed, we embrace it. Our laptops, our mobile phones, our contactless payments, our always-on connection to the world via the internet: our normality is a digital normality. **But not everyone is included.** Not everyone has a smartphone; not everyone has superfast broadband; not everyone has access to the internet. ## PUTTING DIGITAL FIRST In the 21st century, **I believe we should treat access to the internet as a human right**. I'm far from being the first person to think this: back in 2001, for example, Estonia became one of the first countries to classify such access as a human right. Estonia's digitisation scheme has reaped huge rewards in education, in particular during the pandemic. I believe that a city such as London, a world-leading city, should be at least as ambitious as Estonia, which has been independent for only 30 years. Organisations such as FutureDotNow are helping bridge the digital divide by providing equipment and training for those excluded from the internet. ## PUTTING DIGITAL FIRST Globally, there are even bigger schemes showing what can be done when mayors, big business, philanthropists and charities work together to help make internet access something that is available to all. In other cities such as Chicago, the *Chicago Connected* scheme is funding a $50 million project to ensure 100,000 students from families that are most in need will get four years of free, high-speed internet connection, so that their studies are not disadvantaged by **digital poverty**. **AS LONDON MAYOR, I WILL SUPERCHARGE THE WORK ALREADY BEING DONE TO HELP MAKE THE INTERNET ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.** Working in partnership with businesses, charities and other agencies, **I will launch an ambitious scheme to ensure no one in London is excluded from the digital world.** With technology partners, we will aim to ensure every person and business in London has access to free high-speed broadband. ## PUTTING DIGITAL FIRST ### A DIGITAL CITY FOR ALL, FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY In tandem with the relevant agencies, we will make sure people also have access to the kit and training required to use the internet. We will ensure technology start-ups are supported, promoted, and incubated, and **all local council interactions with small businesses are digitised**, with quick response times in order to stimulate the economy. When it comes to Londoners’ digital rights, it’s time we caught up with countries such as Estonia. ## PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS ## WHY LONDON MUST FIGHT FOR FREEDOM & LIBERTY During the Covid pandemic, **we have become accustomed to our liberties being curtailed**. We have grown used to having our movements restricted, and our interactions with other people banned, for the common good. But, simultaneously, much more disturbing issues of freedom have arisen. The Government’s police bill has signalled a willingness **to severely limit our right to protest** – we can assume the bill’s authors did not have pro-government protests in mind when they were drafting this chilling legislation. ## PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS On a global scale, **freedom of speech is threatened by companies as much as governments**. The digital mega-corporations are happy to make billions from their positions of power, but are also increasingly **abusing that power to censor digital communications**. Acting as judge, jury and executioner, they make their own rules about what we can and cannot say, and **violate human rights based on corporate policies** on a seemingly daily basis. These companies control far more communications than any individual government and and, as such, their censorship can be much more damaging. **Freedom of speech is that most fundamental human right**, allowing us to engage in open and honest debate to test and prove viewpoints. I believe a city such as London, one with strong tech credentials, **must be at the forefront of the battle to protect our freedoms**. That is why, as your next Mayor, **I will fight for digital freedom of speech** and take these Silicon Valley technology companies to task. ## PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS Our fundamental human right to free speech must be respected in all places, including digital platforms, meaning we can all: * **Access information, uncensored, as long as it does not break the law** * Publish legal information on any platform **without being censored, banned or deplatformed** * Exercise **freedom of the press**, respecting the right of any journalist to publish their work without censorship I will also champion the **right to protest**. The Government is using Covid as cover to restrict democratic freedoms that no country should be without. **This is not a minor issue.** Throughout history, protest has been a vehicle for some of the most important changes enacted in this country and around the world. ## PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS ### SPEAKING OUT FOR THE RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT Be it political and social emancipation or slavery, the right to work or the right to oppose war, environmental issues or political struggles, protesting is a legitimate and, indeed, crucial tool for citizens around the world. As individuals, we probably agree with some causes more than others, but we don’t get to cherry-pick which causes are allowed a voice, and **which are to be silenced if the Government’s policing bill is passed.** When you shut down protest, you shut down opposition. When you shut down opposition, you kill democracy. The spirit of Speakers’ Corner must be championed and, as Mayor, I will stand up for the right to protest – even if those protests are against me. It’s your freedom. Don’t give it up. ## PRIORITISING OUR ENVIRONMENT ### WHO SAID IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN? There’s a good reason behind the lack of an environmental section in the early pages of this manifesto. I believe **the days of corralling environmental issues into a green section are behind us**, and that environmental awareness should be baked into every relevant policy, not sprinkled on as a lime-coloured afterthought. And so, throughout this document, you will see policies that are designed to promote a healthy environment. My plans for housing utilise TfL land that is wasted at the moment and, crucially, close to transport hubs, minimising additional travel and making maximum use of our existing transport infrastructure. **MODULAR HOUSING ITSELF IS ALSO BUILT TO HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, WITH MODERN LEVELS OF INSULATION AND ECO-FRIENDLY BUILDING MATERIALS.** ## PRIORITISING OUR ENVIRONMENT My transport plans are similarly eco-aware. I prioritise electric taxis, and my plans to trial induction technology are about getting London ready for the next era of clean transport developments. London’s ambitious Great Celebration will also be used to promote environmental themes as well as being environmentally friendly as possible. These are just examples of the approach I will take as Mayor. I will protect trees and encourage bees too but, at its heart, **my mayorship will strive to adopt environmentally-friendly approaches by default.** Being green is not about stealth taxes, about revenue generation disguised as environmental concern. Nor is it a policy. **Being green is a mindset, and it is that mindset I intend to bring to my mayorship.** ## MY FINAL THOUGHTS Life all comes down to a few moments, and this is one of them. Now we are living in one of the greatest times in the history of London. A time of great tragedy, great resolve, and great opportunity. The perfect chance to once again show the world how our positivity, diversity and inclusiveness can help overcome what seem like almost insurmountable challenges. We have the chance to **design and create the London we will one day be proud to hand over to our children and grandchildren.** Or we can choose three more years of the same promises, the same failures, and the same excuses from the same old two-party system. London is my home too, and I want the very best for my home. That’s why my manifesto is so ambitious. It’s a glimpse of how things can be, if only we have the courage to do things a little differently. Now is not the time to play small. Now is the time to dream big. Now is the time for an independent voice, fresh ideas, and a new direction. ## MY FINAL THOUGHTS On May 6th you can make a choice. **A choice for progress.** **A choice for accountability.** **A choice for innovation.** **A choice for prosperity.** **A choice to win.** Together we can make London a world-class place to live, work and visit once again. As your next Mayor of London, I look forward to leading our great city in a new direction. **I look forward to listening to you.** **I look forward to serving you.** I look forward to showing the world we are the greatest city on earth. Thank you, Brian Rose BRIAN FOR MAYOR BRIAN ROSE YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR MAYOR BrianForMayor.London Printed by Metro Commercial Printing Ltd of Mowat Industrial Estate, Sandown Rd, Watford, WD24 7UY and promoted by Paul Frost on behalf of Brian Rose both of Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX.