Westminster City Council's Conservative-led administration marks 100 days in office this week, publishing a “Promises Made, Promises Kept” record of delivery across Safe Streets, A Clean City and Value for Money.
On day one, Cllr Caroline Sargent was appointed Westminster's first-ever Cabinet Member for Enforcement, giving safe streets a serious mandate at the cabinet table for the first time. Since then the council has agreed a real-time data sharing partnership with Lime, increased fines on dangerously parked dockless bikes by more than 200%, seized nearly 500 bikes from the city's streets, and convened Westminster's first ever Dockless Summit with operators.
The Conservative-led council has also worked with the police and enforcement partners to target crime hotspots across Westminster: Cllr Sargent has joined Met officers pulling rip-off pedicabs out of service, and Trading Standards have seized thousands of pounds of counterfeit goods from local high streets. The council has struck an industry-first data partnership with Airbnb to tackle illegal short-term lets, and has written to suspected illegal operators across Westminster. A city that works for all means homes for local families, not fraudsters. Enforcement action against anti-social behaviour is up by more than 270 per cent on the same quarter under Labour, with Community Protection Warnings up over 1,600 per cent and Community Protection Notices up over 500 per cent.
Putting Value for Money back at the centre of council decision-making is a key focus for this administration. That is is why Cllr Paul Fisher, Cabinet Member for Value for Money, launched an immediate review of every major contract signed by the previous Labour administration. His review has exposed £30 million of waste on dodgy contracts, on top of a £19 million reserves raid for a council tax freeze which was never more than an election gimmick. The Labour government is now raiding £100 million from Westminster's own budget, cutting the council's core funding from £219 million to £119 million. This is Same Old Labour: wasting residents' money and out of touch with Westminster's local needs and pressures. The council has launched its Budget Choices survey, asking residents directly what services matter most, with results shaping decisions ahead of the April 2027 budget.
The council is not letting Sadiq Khan off the hook on his ill-thought-out Temu plans for Oxford Street. Cllr Swaddle has demanded the postcode-level data behind his consultation to show local people’s opposition, immediately sought legal advice on a judicial review, but Westminster Labour's capitulation to Sadiq Khan had already left it too late to challenge. Led by Cllr Tim Barnes, we have pushed for answers on a Thursday night tube, step-free access, waste collection, emergency services, and public safety. These questions remain ignored, and we will continue to hold Sadiq Khan to account.
Westminster Conservatives promised to clean up Westminster after Labour's manage decline. That is why Cllr Tim Mitchell, Cabinet Member for City Management, has taken a serious approach to cleaning up Westminster's streets and public spaces. Graffiti removal has been stepped up, with 100% of reported offensive graffiti cleared within 12 hours and 94% of all other graffiti cleared within three days. The Conservative-led administration is also taking a common-sense approach to street improvements, halting and redesigning cycle schemes in Bayswater, Marylebone and St John's Wood after listening to residents, putting existing cycle lanes under review due to congestion and safety concerns, and scrapping 'floating' bus stops from every new scheme.
Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE, Leader of Westminster City Council, said:
“We stood before residents 100 days ago on a clear set of promises: safe streets, a clean city and value for money. We promised delivery, not more of Labour's managed decline and misspending. That is exactly what our record shows.
“One hundred days in, we have delivered on the promises that mattered. From tougher enforcement and a crackdown on dangerously parked dockless bikes, to exposing £30 million of Labour's waste on dodgy contracts on top of a £19 million council tax freeze that was nothing but an election gimmick, and holding Sadiq Khan to account on Oxford Street. Promises made have been promises kept. This is just the start of our delivery for Westminster and a City That Works for All.”
The past 100 days mark the first stage of our delivery programme, with further action on safe streets, a clean city, and value for money to follow in the months ahead.
