The Labour group on the London Assembly today expressed horror as the Mayor slashed almost half a million pounds from his environmental budget. The cuts come on the same day Boris tried to shake-off his negative environmental image in a speech to the Environment Agency.
Labour’s environment spokesman, Murad Qureshi, said: "On the very same day Boris tries to re-invent himself as pro-green and pro-environment, the reality at City Hall is true blue. He has decimated the environmental department and slashed their budget. Boris’ anti-climate change views are well known, he is a Johnny come lately to environmental matters. It wasn’t so long ago he was siding with George W Bush on Kyoto and likening belief in climate change to a stone-age religion. His actions in office suggest he hasn’t changed his mind – whatever he says to the Environment Agency today.
"It appears Boris can only see projects in terms of the cost on a balance sheet. He can see the cost of everything, but the value of nothing. How does he expect us to believe he has any real vision for London when he can only see as far as the next budget cut and until he wanted to get elected in London was a borderline climate change denier. Londoners will see through his cynical Damascene conversion."