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Sadiq Khan has capitulated to the trade unions – and Londoners are paying the price.
This is yet more desperate stuff from Sadiq Khan. After eight long years of being our Mayor, Sadiq is still up to the same old tricks.
Over the weekend, we were treated to his latest stunt: coughing up £30 million of our hard-earned cash to placate his friends in the RMT, who have given Labour nearly £200,000 since 2017 to try and avoid any awkward Tube strikes before he is up for re-election.
Clearly the embarrassment of facing 140 strikes under his watch, far more than his two predecessors combined, was too much for him to handle.
Especially when he promised no strikes on his watch, when he was campaigning back in 2016.
Over the weekend, he stepped in to throw taxpayers’ money at the problem and try to make it go away.
Even TfL negotiators were caught by surprise when the backdown was announced late on Sunday, mere hours before the strike was scheduled to start. This isn't what leadership looks like.
It's nothing but a spineless capitulation to union demands, with Londoners footing the bill.
£30 million - that's a whole month's takings from his unfair and punitive ULEZ expansion tax, a burden that hits the poorest Londoners the hardest.
And what do we get for this enormous price? A suspension of industrial action, not an all-out cancellation.
Be in no doubt that the RMT will be back on strike after the election, if not earlier.
They know Sadiq Khan is a pushover – his re-election campaign is funded by trade unions, after all.
They will demand more and more, causing chaos on our transport network to force his hand. We may well have exchanged strike today for worse strikes tomorrow.
Other unions are already taking advantage of the situation.
Aslef, who gave nearly £500,000 to the Labour Party since 2017, know the Mayor is an easy target and has demanded a 12 per cent pay rise. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, thanks to Sadiq Khan's continued weakness.
His surrender isn't about fairness or supporting workers.
It's about a Mayor too ensnared in his party's union web to make unbiased decisions. If Sadiq Khan remains Mayor for another four years, expect more strikes, more disruption, and more taxpayer money squandered to keep the unions quiet.
Imagine the good that £30 million could have done if it hadn’t been taken from the Ulez taxpayers who need it.
Instead, Khan's reckless spending has prioritised union appeasement over people’s livelihoods.
His approach to union negotiations is symptomatic of a larger problem.
Time and again, Sadiq Khan has always put his own interests first. Londoners deserve a Mayor who treats their money with respect, not as a slush fund to buy temporary peace to help his re-election prospects.
We need a leader who can be firm with unions, who isn’t going to be bulldozed into costly concessions.
London is crying out for a Mayor who can bring balance and fairness back to the negotiating table.
Someone who understands that responsible governance means spending taxpayer money wisely and standing up for the interests of all Londoners, not just the union barons. In May, we can make it happen. I promise to restore sanity to TfL’s finances.
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The days of kowtowing to union demands at the expense of the public interest will be over.
I will bring back a firm but fair approach to union negotiations, respecting workers' rights but not allowing the city to be held to ransom.
Sadiq Khan's £30 million giveaway is a wake-up call.
It's time for leadership that's accountable to the people, not someone in the pocket of the trade unions.
Elect me, and I'll be that Mayor – someone who stands up for London, getting the best deal for everyone.
Susan Hall is the Conservative mayoral candidate for London.
Responding to the article, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "The absolute worst outcome for Londoners and businesses would have been a week of strike action this week causing huge disruption in the capital. The hospitality industry alone warned of a £50m loss of income if strikes had lasted throughout the week. The Mayor has always said that negotiation and talking with workers is the best way to settle disputes, while the Government’s approach has seen years of strikes across national rail, the NHS and education."
“Negotiations have been ongoing related to the annual London Underground pay review for 2023-24, a time of exceptionally high inflation. As agreement could not be reached within the resources available to TfL, the Mayor has taken the decision to allocate additional funding to TfL as part of the City Hall budget process.”