From Beth Lister on Comment is Free:
Boris Johnson has decided to go back on his manifesto pledge to fund four new rape crisis centres (RCCs) in London. These centres provide long-term counselling and specialist care to women who have been affected by sexual violence. Having previously promised to spend £744,000, financed by a 20% cut in the mayor’s media and marketing team, Johnson now promises just £233,000. This is not even enough to keep the capital’s one existing centre open, let alone fund four more.
You can read the full piece here.
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3 Comments
The pledging and delivery of 4 Rape Crisis Centres in London are poles apart, unless the Mayor Boris Johnson funding is commensurate,with the human rights of women,that include sanctity,privacy and counselling if requested, after sexual attacks.
It is alarming that in 2009, only 6% of the total reported rapes to the Police, committed on the streets of the Capital, result in the prosecution of the offender.Why?
I support the idea that politicians should only put forward proposals they have seriously considered, including the funding aspect.
Dave Cameron wanted an end to Ya-Boo politicis, a goal I share but he seems to lack the determination to see it through.
6% may seem small to some but it is hard to know how good this is without more information. I believe such case often come down to he-said she-said
I don’t want to be too supportive of Boris here, but The Guardian’s correspondent has jumped the gun a bit – not helped by the Green Party issuing misleading press releases.
In a written answer to a question from the Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones in December, Boris Johnson said:
“I am committed to delivering additional rape crisis provision in London and my current budget proposals include £233k a year for this.”
A key deliverable of the London Violence Against Women Strategy, which will be launched for public consultation in April 2009, is ‘ensuring there is adequate provision for rape crisis services in London within this Mayoral term’. Research and consultation help us assess in more detail the rape crisis need in London and consequent budget needs. This work will then be used to inform funding allocations from April 09 onwards.”
Further questioning from London Assembly members during the debate over the Mayor’s budget in January seemed to confirm that Boris Johnson was determined to see these rape crisis delivered, and interestingly enough Jenny Jones seems to have accepted that money will be spent on new centres, because at Mayor’s Question Time tomorrow she has a question down that asks:
“How will the Mayor’s four new rape crisis centres complement London’s existing twenty-four hour rape havens in terms of access, location, and the services that they provide?”
I suspect that funding for the centres will come from a variety of sources, including from the Met Police budget and not all from savings from the Mayor’s media and marketing budget that, surprise surprise is not offering up quite the level of savings Boris thought it would during the election campaign.