It is not a traditional form of election campaigning. Just weeks before he seeks a third term, Sadiq Khan is to add £37.26 to his share of average council tax bills, a rise of 8.6 per cent. This takes the Mayor’s slice of the Band D rate to £471.40 - nearly £200 more than when he came to power.
Clearly, this is a risk for Khan, with Tube and bus fares also rising at the same time. Not least because this is still a cost-of-living crisis. Inflation may be falling but that means only prices are rising more slowly and Londoners continue to tighten their belts this Christmas. Yet it is a calculated risk. The reality is that the Mayor has to operate under tight budgets, soaring demand and precious few tax-raising powers.
