5 Things I’ll Fight for as a London Assembly Member
Green New Deal
A Green New Deal for London must put social justice at it’s heart. The pandemic has shown us how quickly our society can be transformed. I want to work with trade unionists and community groups across our city to define what our climate transition can look like.
Climate change is a class issue and air pollution hits our poorest communities the hardest. Economic transformation must be the central pillar to London's Green New Deal. Let’s cover our city in solar, insulate our drafty homes and end fuel poverty.
Let’s continue divesting City Hall’s pension from fossil fuels, build up our Energy for London company; and support local councils creating their own community-owned energy companies.
2. Housing Justice
I’ve grown up in London watching so many people struggle to afford rent. The aspiration of buying a home in London continues to feel impossible for my generation. People across London are trapped in temporary accommodation, and the Right to Buy continues to decimate social housing. The housing system in this country forces people into homelessness.
We need rent controls, an end to illegal evictions and the rapid construction of social housing. We need accessible and spacious homes and an end to working class people having to live along our most polluted roads. Let’s shift the focus to human need, not private profit.
3. An End to Austerity
Poverty is political and is the consequence of political decisions. Whether that’s through the bedroom tax or the move to Universal Credit - inequality has been ingrained by the Tories. As so many communities continue to bear the brunt of 10 years of austerity, our political vision must be clear – we need equity at the heart of our economic recovery.
We need an end to austerity now and we need councils to be properly funded. We need a plan on the scale of the green new deal to change our very economic model while ensuring we prevent climate catastrophe.
4. Jobs for Londoners
If elected, I would be one the youngest London Assembly members. I’ve seen first hand how the jobs of my friends in the hospitality industry and other industries that have been decimated by the pandemic. I want to be a voice for young workers in London. We need a Green Recovery that actually stands up for young working Londoners and protects their mental health.
A Green Recovery means jobs, jobs, jobs; we need a Living Wage for all, and an end to the precarity caused by the gig economy.
5. Bringing our movement into city hall
The people most in need of political change have been shut out of decision-making. Who is in the room, or rather who isnt in the room, makes a huge difference to the policies made in our political institutions.
If successfully elected onto the London Assembly, I will bring our movement into City Hall. It is my priority to work with disabled people, LGBTQI+ communities, women and BAME folk who have had to fight for a seat at the table – it’s time they set the agenda.