This is quite encouraging…
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has announced £1.4 million to improve the provision of rape crisis centres in London.
This funding over three years has been found through efficiency savings achieved since the Mayor took office and is an important step in delivering the manifesto commitment to tackle violence against women.
Trumpeting it as 1.4 million is still a bit sneaky, because that’ll come out as under 500,000 pounds per year – considerably less than promised 744,000. However, it’s nearly twice the amount that was threatened in December, so this remains a positive development.
A press release from the newly launched Boris Keep Your Promise campaign (also on twitter and facebook) expresses the necessary scepticism…
Responding to the Mayor’s announcement of 1.4 million pounds for ‘Rape crisis provision’ comedian Lucy Porter, spokeswoman of the Boris Keep Your Promise (1) campaign says:
“We welcome the Mayor’s announcement but we are seriously concerned as his manifesto pledged to ‘act immediately to provide long-term funding for four Rape Crisis Centres in London.’ (2) but 389 days into his administration he has still not delivered and makes no clear or specific assurances this time, either. There is a striking lack of detail or specific commitments on when and to whom this promised funding will be given.
As they say: “Deeds not words, Mr Mayor.”
Tags: 2 Comments
2 responses so far ↓
I appreciate you are the Boris Watch web site but I am now beginning to suspect that this endless attack on the Mayor for his admittedly insincere campaign promise of 4 new rape crisis centres for London is now being engineered to cover up Labours failure to support independent rape crisis centres.
1 why isn’t London Councils funding Croydon RC. Have they done something appalling or have they like other women’s groups fallen victim to the Labour patronised women’s groups who are appropriating sexual violence support work to inflate their budgets eg Eaves and other refuges who are poaching in this area because their financing under HA rules is so restricted (eg no recourse to public funds ie most HAs live of manipulating the HB system).
2 If London Councils has not given sexual violence support funding to for instance Eaves where has it gone? Why has there been a cut?
3 It was Labour that cut the funding to London Rape Crisis because of political antagonism to its politics, and in fact Croydon was one of the beneficiaries of this cut. And London Councils is Labour controlled. But then Labour is promoting SARCs over RCC aren’t they?
So what I am saying is that whilst its good that Boris has coughed up some money this is not the real story about the lack of rape crisis support in London. This has been caused by Labour arrogance and unfortunately a compliant and Labour arse licking women’s sector.
Having to rely on Boris’ off the cuff election pledge is not the solution to Rape Crisis Centre funding.
I find it nauseating that people like you who are will use anything to make a cheap political point are latching on to this.
And as for the Greens.
I don’t remember them every challenging Ken and Anni about their lack of support for Rape Crisis centres.
The Boris keep your promise twitters should really check their facts and comedians shouldn’t try and make cheap political jokes about issues that are so significant to women. The women who have been keeping up the pressure on Labour (which is what Boris is cashing in on – imagine the Tories secure funding for 4 RCCs and Labour has done nothing over 12 years) are the Rape Crisis Federation and related campaigns. Really the degeneration of feminism into adopting the latest fashionable position by 3rd wave feminists is not helping women’s politics.
If they really cared about Rape Crisis Centres they would be twitting Harriet Harman and Vera Baird to find out why they are stabbing autonomous women’s organisations in the back.
In the mean time if anyone actually cares about the issue of violence against women in London you can contribute to the consultation at http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/crime/vaw/
“I am now beginning to suspect that this endless attack on the Mayor for his admittedly insincere campaign promise of 4 new rape crisis centres for London is now being engineered to cover up Labours failure to support independent rape crisis centres.”
Really? Well, that’s a bizarre assertion, but if you want to make it then that’s up to you. All I can do is restate that this blog isn’t partisan, add that the Devil will ski to work before I vote for Labour and suggest that you substantiate your allegations before presenting them.
It certainly was an “insincere…promise” – more bluntly it was a campaign pledge that he personally restated. Moreover, inquiries as to, y’know, when he was going to act on his words were waved off or ignored. I think that’s eminently worth drawing attention to and, although we may differ on that point, others agree with me: for example, the London Feminist Network, the Lilith Project and the North London Fawcett Group. Perhaps you feel that they’re just “cover[ing] up [for] Labours failure“? I’m sure they’d be amused to hear it.
“I find it nauseating that people like you who are will use anything to make a cheap political point are latching on to this.”
Really? Well, I find it mildly bemusing that, though you don’t know me, my politics or my – in reality, lack of – affiliations, you suggest that I’ll “use anything to make a cheap political point“. Perhaps you have the powers of ESP?
Well, as it happens I don’t, I’m not and baselessly suggesting otherwise will only reflect badly upon yourself. That the centres were starved of funds is the fault of Labour, absolutely, but the fact that they continue to be is largely down to the Mayoralty. As I’ve said, Boris made a promise, he’s tried to avoid it and – especially considering the waste elsewhere – I suspect he could fulfil it. If he can be pressured into doing this then pursuing the point will have been entirely worthwhile, and, yes, holding Boris to account is really the point of this weblog.
Cheers,
Ben