Sadiq Khan was last night accused of prioritising self-promotion over keeping London safe after new figures revealed that his press office costs have surged by 25 percent.
GLA Conservatives Leader Susan Hall said that the rise was just the “tip of the iceberg”, and that the Mayor had “consistently and shamelessly” wasted money since he was elected in 2016.
The data shows that the cost of the Mayor’s press office has increased sharply from £730,000 during the final year of Boris Johnson’s time at City Hall to £920,000 this year. The number of press officers have also increased since Khan came to office.
The Mayor’s overall office costs have also increased dramatically; in 2015/16 the taxpayer paid £3.8 for the Mayor’s Office, but this has subsequently jumped by nearly 60 percent to £6 million.
Commenting, Susan Hall AM said:
“At a time when Londoners are feeling more and more unsafe in our city, having to contend with an increasingly congested transport network and finding it harder than ever to get on the housing ladder, it beggars belief that Sadiq Khan has spent more money on promoting himself.
“Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Ever since he was elected, Sadiq Khan has consistently and shamelessly prioritised wasting money on waste, PR and bureaucracy while entirely failing to get to grips with the biggest challenges facing our city.
“In the final weeks of Khan’s mayoralty, it isn’t too late for him to change course. The Mayor could use his last budget to cut the frivolous spending and instead invest heavily in making London safe. If he did, perhaps Londoners might believe that he’s on their side.”
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