Sadiq Khan launches £50m ‘green new deal’ fund in pitch to Green Party voters
Sadiq Khan has created a £50m fund for green energy projects in a direct appeal to Green Party voters in the lead up to the mayoral election.
The mayor of London today announced the fund as a part of his “green new deal for London”, with the funds set to be allocated to programmes to reduce emissions across the capital.
Projects likely to be funded will include increasing the up take of London’s electric buses, more funding toward making homes energy efficient and the creation of new green spaces.
It comes after Khan pledged to make the capital carbon neutral by 2030 as a part of his May mayoral election pitch.
“I’m unapologetic at how ambitious my plans are for a green new deal for London because we can’t afford not to be ambitious when it comes to saving our planet,” he said.
The mayor has been actively trumpeting his green credentials in the past month in an attempt to win over people likely to vote for Green candidate Sian Berry.
One of his trademark policies has been the implementation of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez), which has contributed to decreases in air pollution in affected areas.
Khan used today’s announcement to ask Green Party supporters to lend him their vote for the upcoming 7 May election.
The latest polling from YouGov/Queen Mary University had Khan on 45 per cent, Tory candidate Shaun Bailey on 23 per cent, independent Rory Stewart on 13 per cent, Liberal Democrat Siobhan Benita on 8 per cent and Berry on 7 per cent.
“The Tory candidate and I are the only candidates who can win this election,” Khan said.
“Which is why I’m making a direct appeal today to Londoners who have previously supported the Green party to lend me their vote on 7 May so that I can stand up for our shared values and take action on climate change.”
Berry hit back at Khan on social media, saying he must not understand the voting system for mayor of London elections.
The electoral system sees voters preferencing candidates from one downward, with the two candidates with the most first preference voters progressing to the second round.
Preferences from eliminated candidates are then awarded to the final two candidates to determine the winner.
Berry said that this meant that it was not a two-horse race at all as it would be under the first past the post voting method.
She said: “Is it inconceivable that the current Mayor doesn’t understand the voting system for his own job?
“Seems to be what he keeps telling us.”
Bailey, meanwhile, criticised Khan for not having enough detail on his carbon neutral by 2030 policy.
“He is big on headlines but lacking in any detail on how he would hit a 2030 target, which his own union backer [GMB] calls ‘utterly unachievable,” he said.
“The Mayor should be focussing on tackling soaring crime in our capital instead of making more promises he will never keep.”