Shaun Bailey has clashed with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan following claims {that a} £70 million challenge has solely delivered 109 jobs since 2017.
The declare was made in a brand new report by the Conservative London Meeting member, who’s himself operating to be Mayor of London in Might’s election.
Mr Bailey mentioned within the report that the mayor’s Good Progress Fund, launched in 2017, has solely delivered 1.8 per cent of the 6,000 jobs that have been promised.
The mayor’s workplace, nonetheless, says that almost 1,000 jobs have been created because of the scheme.
Shaun Bailey right now mentioned that Sadiq Khan’s jobs schemes “aren’t delivering” and has known as on him to evaluation them to see if any may very well be fast-tracked to assist London’s financial restoration.
Within the report, Mr Bailey mentioned: “Lots of the Mayor’s job-creation employment schemes are sluggish to grasp with many not anticipated to see outcomes for years to return. For instance, the Mayor’s Good Progress Fund price £70 million has solely created 109 jobs from three initiatives.
“That is regardless of a projection of making greater than 6,000 jobs from 83 initiatives. With job-creation key to London’s restoration, the Mayor ought to evaluation all schemes with the purpose of figuring out which might be accelerated to yield faster outcomes and a extra rapid enhance to London’s financial restoration.”
However a spokesperson for the Mayor of London has right now hit out on the claims and known as the report “full nonsense”.
Learn Extra: Sadiq Khan pronounces £5 million plan to assist financial restoration
The spokesperson mentioned: “That is full nonsense. The Mayor’s Good Progress Fund has to date helped create almost 1,000 jobs within the capital. It’s about way more than jobs, together with regenerating excessive streets, investing in native amenities and serving to Londoners play an lively function of their communities.
“Sadiq is working instantly with companies on a daring roadmap for the complete and secure re-opening of the financial system and final week he dedicated an additional £5 million to assist getting central London open once more, together with a brand new drive to encourage guests to return. In the meantime, the Authorities have revealed nothing by way of an financial or social restoration plan for London or the UK.”
The quantity quoted by Shaun Bailey in his report was offered by the Mayor of London at a gathering of the London Meeting in June 2020.
On the time, the mayor mentioned 109 jobs had been created because of accomplished initiatives, with 42 jobs created in Tower Hamlets and 67 in Southwark.
The mayor’s workplace right now mentioned the whole variety of jobs created by initiatives in all rounds of Good Progress funding to date was 932.
