Carta do Boris/Letter from Boris

Dear MANUEL,

My New Year's resolution is to keep you regularly updated on what we're doing at City Hall with a monthly missive. We've started the New Year at City Hall with a laser-like focus on getting all Londoners through the economic downturn. To help pensioners travel to hospital appointments, I've extended the Freedom Pass to 24-hour operation. To help those looking for work, I've granted a half price discount on buses for those on Income Support and Job Seeker's Allowance.

Now more than ever, politicians need to do everything they can to help. Just as Londoners have to tighten their belts, so must we. My budget for this year will find over £100 million of savings across the GLA group, enabling me to freeze the council tax for the first time in 8 years and still deliver 500 extra police officers, improve local parks and trees and maintain investment in public transport.

There will be a particular focus on beefing up the police presence at suburban rail stations - one of my key election pledges.

You will have heard the Labour Government intends to build a third runway at Heathrow, flying in the face (so to speak) of all those whose lives will be made a misery through increased noise and pollution. I think this is sheer madness. I have pledged to support a legal challenge to this decision, and will use all the influence of my office to prevent it going ahead.

We also have a fantastic new police Commissioner in Sir Paul Stephenson, who will focus on the priorities of dealing with knife crime, getting police out on the beat and protecting us against terrorism.

I did my bit to celebrate the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States, by raising their flag outside City Hall for the day.

Even though the headlines may scream doom and gloom, I believe, just as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore said in 'Apocalypse Now'; "One day this war will end". I will work day and night to ensure that happens.

All the best,



Boris Johnson