With less than 100 days until the General Election, London First has today released its ‘Manifesto for Jobs and Growth’, which sets out what we want the new government, whatever its make-up, to focus on after 7 May.
London has long been seen as one of the best cities in the world in which to work and do business, but as our population swells beyond the 8.6 million mark – surpassing its 1939 peak – the strains of London’s success are beginning to show.
Our established global competitor cities- and our new rivals in the East- are all investing in their futures; our capital needs to do the same to remain competitive.
But this is not just about London: joint working between London and the rest of the UK is vital to support economic growth for the country as a whole.
In our manifesto, we set out our priorities to enable London to continue to compete and thrive, helping drive economic growth not only in the capital but in the country as a whole.
A Manifesto for Jobs and Growth: Making London the best city in the world in which to do business.
Our key demands for the next government are:
1. Infrastructure
Expand and improve transport infrastructure to meet the needs of London’s rapidly expanding population:
- build an additional runway in the South East
- maintain momentum on Crossrail 2
- provide certainty of long-term funding to support London underground upgrading
2. Housing
Take urgent steps to tackle the housing shortage, giving the Mayor and London government more powers to build the 50,000 homes per year that the capital needs.
3. Skills
Improve skills of London’s workforce and manage migration effectively to ensure London’s position as a world leader for talent is maintained and strengthened:
- devolve funding and powers to ensure London manages its own skills strategy for Londoners
- provide an immigration regime that welcomes those who contribute economically to our country
4. Tax
Ensure changes to tax policies support economic competitiveness: recognising that tax reform impacts our ability to compete for talent with other cities.
5. Europe
Play an active and positive role in Europe, leading reform of the European Union from within so EU membership works even better in the UK’s interests, focusing on completion of the Single Market in services as a priority.
By the early 2030s, our population is set to reach 10 million. To manage the pressures and harness the opportunities this presents, we need to act now. If we get it right, we will see world-beating income growth, greater job opportunities than rival cities, a diverse and shock-proof economy, more homes and better transportation. Get it wrong, and we will be out-paced by our global competitors and quality of life and cost of living issues will become even bigger challenges than they are today.
We believe that our Manifesto asks are what London needs to keep it at the top of its game.