Kennedy's London promise

Charles Kennedy today promised to make London a "safer and greener" city as he unveiled his plans for the capital.

The Liberal Democrat leader pledged an extra 2,000 police to ensure every London neighbourhood had its own "dedicated community police team". These will be backed by an additional 1,095 community support officers.

The proposals form the main focus of the party's manifesto for London, launched today. It also sets out plans to improve transport, tackle the housing crisis and protect the environment.

In his foreword Mr Kennedy praised London as one of the "great capitals of the world." But he said crime had become a "routine experience" for many.

He said: "London should be a place where crime or the fear of crime is not a routine experience. London should be a place where journeys around the capital cease to be stressful and unpredictable and become easierand more reliable." The document says plans to replace council tax with a form of local income tax would leave half of Londoners better off.

Under the scheme half a million pensioners would pay no local tax, while the average London family would be ?420 better off, the manifesto says. It points out that scrapping council tax would dispense with Labour's planned property revaluation.

On transport, the Lib-Dems would end the private-public Tube partnership, bringing maintenance and upgrades back "in-house".

To improve railways, the party proposes streamlining the franchise system, with fewer, larger train-operating companies. Savings from the roads budget would be used to improve safety at the capital's stations.

The London manifesto repeats the party's national policy to introduce smaller class sizes. Money saved from scrapping the Child Trust Fund would go towards cutting infant class sizes from 30 to 20 and junior class sizes to an average of 25. Mr Kennedy promised to use London's 90,000 empty homes for affordable housing and to work with retailers and transport companies to turn unused spaces around shops into homes.

There are also plans to improve recycling and urban design.

"London recycles only 13 per cent of its waste and our air pollution is worsening. London's streets remain dirty and its major roads are devoid of greenery," the manifesto says.

The document echoes the Tory plan to let the London Assembly block the Mayor's plans with a simple majority rather than the two-thirds vote needed now.

Responding to the manifesto, Tony McNulty, Labour's London election spokesman, said: "The Lib-Dems say they want more police, but they have voted against more funding for the police in the London Assembly at every opportunity. The Lib-Dems have pledged to scrap the pension credit, winter fuel allowance and free TV licences."