Boris accused of letting women down again


by Chris Barnyard    
4:11 pm - August 3rd 2009

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London Mayor Boris Johnson was today slammed for announcing just one Rape Crisis centre, and not the three promised in his original manifesto.

In a video (below) he offered just £635,000 over three years to support women suffering from rape and domestic abuse. He had originally promised £744,000 a year for four years – a cut of nearly 2 million pounds.

BBC News report

Responding to the Mayor’s announcement, Boris Keep Your Promise campaign spokesperson Matilda Mitford said:

While any amount of Rape Crisis funding is always welcome, today’s announcement is in truth a huge £2 million cut, cynically spun by the Mayor as a funding announcement. Since his election Boris Johnson has made repeated changes to his original Rape Crisis pledge and when confronted by our campaigners only a few weeks ago, Boris reaffirmed his manifesto commitment to fund an extra 3 rape crisis centres showing himself as Mayor of Spin.

She added:

According to today’s announcement, each year he will have given less to Rape Crisis than his ‘chicken feed’ yearly second income, a far cry from his grand promises during election time. Until Mr Johnson makes good on his original manifesto commitment of £744,000 a year and three new centres, we can only assume that he is giving as little as he can get away with. Trying to score political points at the cost of some of societies most vulnerable women is no way to defuse this row.

More:
Tory Troll: Boris Johnson and Rape Crisis Centres: The Facts
Mind The Gap: Boris finally announces funding for Croydon…

Boris announcement

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About the author
Chris is a regular contributor to Liberal Conspiracy. He is an aspiring journalist and reports stories for LC.
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Reader comments


1. Mr Eugenides

How is an extra £700,000 a cut? Am I missing something?

If you spend more money on something, it’s a funding increase. If you spend less, it’s a cut.

Is Boris spending more on rape crisis centres, or less?

2. Kentron

(I’m simply following the figures in the article.)

He originally promised £744,000 per year for four years, i.e. £2,976,000.
He is now offering £635,000 per year for three years, i.e. £1,905,000.
That represents a reduction in proposed outlay of £1,071,000.

How £1.07 million becomes “nearly 2 million pounds” I’m not quite sure, but it’s definitely a cut.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    : Boris accused of letting women down again http://bit.ly/T17ms

  2. Liberal Conspiracy

    : Boris accused of letting women down again http://bit.ly/T17ms

    [Original tweet]

  3. sunny hundal

    BBC News sees through the Boris Johnson spin on Rape Crisis funding – http://bit.ly/T17ms (@BKYP )

  4. Charlotte Cooper

    RT @pickledpolitics: BBC News sees through the Boris Johnson spin on Rape Crisis funding – http://bit.ly/T17ms (@BKYP )

    [Original tweet]

  5. Lucinda Holmes

    rt @PennyRed http://bit.ly/T17ms @mayoroflondon offered £635,000 over 3yrs original promise £744,000 per year for 4yrs = cut of 2 million

    [Original tweet]

  6. sunny hundal

    BBC News sees through the Boris Johnson spin on Rape Crisis funding – http://bit.ly/T17ms (@BKYP )

    [Original tweet]

  7. Charlotte Cooper

    RT @pickledpolitics: BBC News sees through the Boris Johnson spin on Rape Crisis funding – http://bit.ly/T17ms (@BKYP )

    [Original tweet]

  8. Twitted by lucinda104

    [...] This post was Twitted by lucinda104 [...]

  9. Rape convictions: Why no info? « Feminist Philosophers

    [...] this is on the back of a cut in the region of £2mill for rape crisis centres in London, thanks to Boris Johnson (the London mayor).   Leave a [...]

  10. sunny hundal

    @salihughes Boris accused of letting women down again http://bit.ly/T17ms

  11. Sali Hughes

    RT @VictoriaPeckham @sunny_hundal: @salihughes Boris accused of letting women down again http://bit.ly/T17ms

  12. Sali Hughes

    @VictoriaPeckham RT @sunny_hundal: @salihughes Boris accused of letting women down again http://bit.ly/T17ms”





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