London Assembly to Vote on Mayor's Final Budget
The London Assembly is scheduled to vote on Mayor Sadiq Khan's final draft budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year on February 26th. The outcome of the vote could have significant impacts on funding for various city services across the capital.
- The Mayor's final budget proposes a record £1.26 billion for policing and crime prevention, more than double the amount from the previous Mayor's final budget. This includes £4.5 million to specifically target mobile phone theft gangs. - An additional £142.6 million was added to the final draft budget compared to the January version, largely due to higher-than-expected business rates and council tax returns. - Key allocations from this new funding include £50 million for youth services, £29 million to combat violence against women and girls, £20 million to implement recommendations from the AI and Future of Work Taskforce, and £20 million to trial "fares innovation" on public transport. - The 25-member London Assembly can amend the Mayor's budget, but this requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass. - With the current political composition of the Assembly (11 Labour, 8 Conservative, 3 Green, 2 Liberal Democrat, and 1 Reform UK), any amendment would need cross-party support to reach the 17-vote threshold. - The budget proposes a 4.1% increase in the Mayor's portion of the council tax, which would bring the annual bill for an average Band D property to £510.51. - The budget documents confirm funding for ongoing transportation projects, including the continued development of the "Superloop" bus network and £400,000 to advance the business case for the West London Orbital rail line.
