Published: November 15th 2011 - at 8:45 am

Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer


by Sunny Hundal    

In the wake of the August riots Boris Johnson said help for local traders was on the way. He said:

Small businesses need urgent help to repair damage and get goods back on the shelves and the High Street Fund will help to do just that.

The fund would be “easy to apply for” and cash would be paid out “as swiftly as possible”, the Mayor said.

But the Mayor’s growing reputation for money mismanagement is showing itself again.

The Financial Times had this shocking revelation yesterday:

Out of 586 businesses that applied for an immediate £2,000 under the scheme, nearly half have yet to receive an answer, let alone a pay-out.

At the time it was set up, Sir William said grants would be made “within a matter of days”.

It is now three months since the riots took place.

The FT quotes one trader:

Kirkland Pratt, a Hackney restaurateur, said he had applied for both funds, but had not received any money.

“It is a joke,” he said. “They say they want to help but they don’t care about us. You should see the state of my restaurant – it is still leaking.”

Ken Livingstone should be pointing this out as another sign of Boris’ misplaced priorities and incompetence.

Boris Johnson’s administration is currently planning to borrow £110 million, using up all of their current borrowing capabilities, on pet projects such as a cable car.


---------------------------
    Share on Tumblr  


About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
· Other posts by


Story Filed Under: News


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


Reader comments


Why should taxpayers compensate businesses for the rioters’ crimes? It’s not their fault that insurers won’t cover them.

Richard – in general, the victims of violent crime are compensated by the state when their attackers don’t have any money to sue. But that isn’t the point, is it? Boris made the commitment, and his administration has failed to deliver it through ineptitude. This is a Bad Thing.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer http://t.co/3aT2fBri

  2. sunny hundal

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  3. Kerry Abel

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  4. David Stockdale

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  5. ann brook

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  6. E R Light

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  7. Son of Robespierre

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  8. Emma

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  9. Mancunian Candidate

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer http://t.co/3aT2fBri

  10. Peter Kenyon

    @sunny_hundal Astonishing:..Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/Rpn6OtQ1 <Astonishing? He's a Tory

  11. Martin Paul Hume

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  12. Jean Pierre

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  13. Alex Braithwaite

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/B52jGVLA via @libcon

  14. Eamon Walsh

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer http://t.co/3aT2fBri

  15. Super Pennie

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  16. Lambeth NUT

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer http://t.co/3aT2fBri

  17. Janet Graham

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer http://t.co/3aT2fBri

  18. Janet Graham

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  19. Noxi

    RT @sunny_hundal: Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/Gb9iyj8W

  20. Tim Ireland

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  21. Michael Bater

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/IPZDHBZn via @libcon

  22. Justin B

    RT @sunny_hundal: Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/D9qgrISk

  23. SymeonBrown

    RT @sunny_hundal: Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/D9qgrISk

  24. Geoffrey Pearson

    RT @sunny_hundal: Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/5OK5HICN

  25. Geoffrey Pearson

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  26. Lynda Constable

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  27. j sheeran

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  28. Ben Raza

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  29. Lord Toby Harris

    RT @sunny_hundal: Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/Gb9iyj8W

  30. Dunc

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  31. HOODNEWS LONDON

    Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer http://t.co/3aT2fBri

  32. Christian Wilcox

    More incompetence from Boris on the #Riots: http://t.co/UMaAOsOn. @ken4london needs to get back in asap. #Croydon #Labour ( @GavinBarwellMP

  33. Our World Our Say

    Oh Boris, how we despair. Three months after #ukriots, support small businesses were led to expect remains elusive: http://t.co/wB6WoTx2

  34. Matty Mitford

    Boris Johnson fails shop owners hit by the riots. http://t.co/4YI4dVaD

  35. Andy Bean

    Oh dear, @mayoroflondon FAIL: Three months later, Boris fails riot-hit businesses after offer | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/shxj5jnX

  36. Marina Kim

    Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/DlkWlr4Q

  37. Purbeck Pashmina

    RT @sunny_hundal: Astonishing: three months later, Boris still hasn't helped riot-hit businesses despite promise http://t.co/Gb9iyj8W





Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

 
Liberal Conspiracy is the UK's most popular left-of-centre politics blog. Our aim is to re-vitalise the liberal-left through discussion and action. More about us here.

You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
LATEST COMMENT PIECES
» Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll
» Criticism of Obama for its own sake: a reply to Mehdi Hasan
» Do older people really need more NHS healthcare?
» There are alternatives to the reckless ‘Plan A’
» On Beecroft: it is already quite easy to sack people
» Why Cameron’s claim of 600,000 jobs created is plainly wrong
» By using age to allocate NHS funding, Lansley rewards Tory voters
» The rise in domestic violence deaths is not an “isolated” problem
» Adrian Beecroft highlights mindset of Tory right
» The US is now a model for the Eurozone to save itself
» The IMF plan to revive the economy doesn’t go far enough
» The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think






49 Comments



94 Comments



24 Comments



59 Comments



10 Comments



26 Comments



24 Comments



69 Comments



44 Comments



25 Comments



LATEST COMMENTS
» pagar posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed'

» Chaise Guevara posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll

» Nathan Hulse posted on How Newsnight demonised a single mother

» re posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll

» Cylux posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic"

» Trooper Thompson posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll

» Barrie J posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll

» Chaise Guevara posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll

» Chaise Guevara posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic"

» Chris Smith posted on BBC misrepresents gas story to help 'deniers'

» Just Visiting posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic"

» Trooper Thompson posted on UKIP higher than Libdems over May

» Trooper Thompson posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll

» Cylux posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic"

» Tim Worstallt posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll