London Assembly Prioritises Police and Tube Accessibility in Budget Direction
The London Assembly has delivered a clear message to the Mayor regarding potential additional funding, insisting that any extra financial resources secured by City Hall should be directed toward two critical priorities: supporting the Metropolitan Police and accelerating the programme to make Tube stations step-free.
Budget Motion Passes with Cross-Party Support
During a recent All-Assembly Plenary session examining the Mayor's draft budget for the 2026/27 financial year, Labour and Liberal Democrat members united to pass a motion establishing these spending priorities. The motion specifically states that should the Mayor's final budget position benefit from greater funding levels than initially assumed, the additional resources should be allocated to the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London.
For TfL, the motion explicitly references funding the network's ambitious target of making 50 per cent of London Underground stations step-free by 2030. The vote saw Labour and Liberal Democrat members in favour, while the nine Conservative Assembly Members voted against the proposal. Both the Green and Reform groups chose to abstain from the vote.
Giving Direction on Uncertain Funding
Krupesh Hirani, the Labour Assembly Member representing Brent and Harrow who proposed the motion, explained its purpose was to provide clear guidance. He highlighted that compared to initial consultations in December, the Government settlement has been better than expected, and significant uncertainty remains regarding the financial impact of business rate reforms on City Hall's income.
"What we want to achieve as a Labour group at the Assembly is to outline priorities," Mr Hirani told reporters. "If we are in a position where funding does become available than had been expected, [this shows] where we'd like the Mayor to allocate some of that funding."
He emphasised that policing remains a major concern for London residents, while transport network accessibility represents another fundamental priority. "Making sure that the basic maintenance and renewals are completed, and also to make sure that it's accessible for everyone," he added, noting that feasibility studies for step-free stations require actual funding allocation to become reality.
Non-Binding but Influential Vote
While the Assembly's vote is non-binding and does not compel the Mayor to accept its outcome, it does create political pressure and requires an official response. The Mayor must now address why he will either accept or reject the proposal when he presents his final budget next month.
A spokesperson for Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed that "The Mayor will consider these amendments before publishing his final budget in February." This indicates the Assembly's direction will form part of the final budgetary deliberations, even if not automatically adopted.
Mr Hirani expressed disappointment that the motion did not receive unanimous support, stating: "It's disappointing to see that it wasn't unanimously supported and that other parties are not supporting our calls to prioritise the funding on policing and on our transport network."
Context of Existing Commitments
The debate occurs against a backdrop of existing financial commitments. The Mayor has already budgeted £1.22 billion for the Metropolitan Police in the draft budget, with the Home Office contributing more than double that amount. Meanwhile, TfL's step-free access programme represents a long-term infrastructure challenge requiring sustained investment beyond routine maintenance.
The Assembly's intervention highlights how potential windfalls or improved settlements from central government could be strategically deployed to address pressing concerns around public safety and transport accessibility across the capital.
