The London Assembly has turned down Green Party plans for a drug consumption room and other initiatives aimed at improving city life
London: The London Assembly recently shot down a proposal from the Green Party that included plans for a drug consumption room and other community projects. They wanted to spend £15.6 million on things like public toilets and pedestrian crossings, but most members felt these ideas just wouldn’t work.
The Green Party pitched their ideas as part of an amendment to Mayor Sadiq Khan’s budget. They believed these changes could really help Londoners. A big part of the funding was supposed to come from a £1 increase in the congestion charge, which they claimed would bring in an extra £13 million a year.
One of the more controversial proposals was the drug consumption room, which would have been a pilot program. It aimed to let people use their own drugs under the watch of health professionals, similar to a new clinic that opened in Glasgow. The Greens argued that such facilities could improve health and reduce crime.
They also suggested spending £100,000 on a commission to look into rent control in London, along with doubling the investment in public toilets on the Tube. However, Labour member Krupesh Hirani called the whole package “unworkable,” especially the drug room idea, saying it needed more legal backing.
Hirani pointed out that the mayor was already investing in public toilets, so they should wait to see how that goes before adding more costs. Conservative deputy leader Emma Best was against raising the congestion charge, calling it “eye-watering,” and she doubted the Greens’ funding claims.
After a vote, the amendment was rejected by a wide margin. If it had passed, the mayor would have had to respond, but he wouldn’t have been forced to include it in his budget. Green leader Caroline Russell expressed disappointment but thanked supporters for their efforts.
She vowed to keep pushing for these initiatives, emphasizing the need for better drug harm protection, more public toilets, and safer crossings. Meanwhile, Reform UK’s Alex Wilson criticized the lack of collaboration on his own budget ideas, which included a knife crime taskforce.
Overall, it seems the Assembly is not ready to embrace these proposals just yet, leaving many Londoners wondering what the future holds for these important issues.
