General election 2024: What do Labour and the Tories promise for London?

Last week, the four main parties, the Conservatives, Labour, Greens and Liberal Democrats launched their manifestos for the general election.

But what are they offering London and its nine million inhabitants? We’ve taken a look and broken down some of the key pledges.

Conservatives

The Conservatives manifesto which promises the UK “a clear plan, bold action and a secure future” mentions HS2, the ULEZ and housing in relation to London. The Tories have promised they “will not introduce pay per mile road pricing and will ban mayors and local councils from doing so.” 

They have also pledged to reverse Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ tax stating it “only has a ‘moderate’ or ‘minor’ effect on pollution”. “The expansion impacts thousands of people living around London who had no say in his election and can now no longer afford to get to hospital appointments or where they work or study. We will reverse it,” the manifesto states.

They have also promised to introduce local referendums to new 20mph zones and low-traffic neighbourhoods if they win.

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HS2

The Tories also mention HS2 in their manifesto. The document states: "We will complete HS2 between London Euston and the West Midlands and support the growth of the rail freight sector." They have also promised to redirect £6.5bn, which was going to be spent on redeveloping the area around Euston to developing transport across the country.

“We will spend £36bn of HS2 savings on transport projects that will benefit more people, in more places, more quickly," the manifesto says. “Every penny saved in the North or Midlands will be spent there. Savings from our new plan for Euston, which will see 10,000 new homes built, have freed up £6.5bn for transport across the rest of the country.”

Housing

Regarding housing, the Tories have pledged to raise density levels in inner London to those of European cities like Paris and Barcelona. “We will ensure the London Plan delivers more family homes a year, forcing the mayor to plan for more homes on brownfield sites, like underused industrial land,” the manifesto reads.

They have also pledged to regenerate major sites like Euston, Old Oak Common and Thamesmead. You can read the Conservatives full manifesto here.

Labour 

Labour has promised to bring the railways into public ownership.  “Great British Railways will deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services; along with ensuring safety and accessibility,” the manifesto reads.

There is also a commitment to allow mayors a “role in designing” the services in their area. During the mayoral election campaign Sadiq Khan pledged to bring suburban rail services under Transport for London’s control if re-elected as mayor of London. The manifesto doesn’t state whether Mr Khan will be allowed to do this.

Buses

Labour has also promised to grant new powers to local leaders to franchise local bus services and will lift the ban on municipal ownership. “Labour will give mayors the power to create unified and integrated transport systems, allowing for more seamless journeys, and to promote active travel networks,” the manifesto reads.

In April Mr Khan pledged to establish a new London bus company, which would bring some of the capital’s 675 routes into public ownership. Labour says the move would see the vast majority of services returning to public ownership for the first time since 1994.

Housing

Labour has also committed to preserving the green belt. “Without changing its purpose or general extent, Labour will take a more strategic approach to greenbelt land designation and release to build more homes in the right places,” the manifesto reads.

Mayor Khan, has previously said that he intends to stop 'inappropriate attempts to de-designate the Green Belt', and that 'boundaries should be changed only in exceptional circumstances.”

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto promises to clean up sewage-soaked waterways and create a new watchdog focusing on the difficulties of Thames Water.

“We will end the sewage scandal by transforming water companies into public benefit companies, banning bonuses for water bosses until discharges and leaks end, and replacing Ofwat with a tough new regulator with powers to prevent sewage dumps,” the manifesto reads.

According to party proposals, legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping into bathing waters and highly sensitive nature sites would come into force by 2030.

Green Party

The Green Party has pledged to build 150,000 new social homes a year and push for rent controls. Its manifesto reads: “Green MPs will push for rent controls so local authorities can control rents if the rental market is unaffordable for many local people.”

The Greens have also promised a new stable rental tenancy and an end to no-fault evictions.