She said: “The Mayor has consistently exaggerated the success of his housing policies, claiming again and again that this is some kind of record. But the Government’s own figures show he is currently delivering less than his predecessor – despite record levels of investment – and that even if he reaches 50,000, it won’t be a record. He should stop misleading Londoners on such an important issue.”
Mr Johnson is a controversial figure who worries many in his own party for his habit of making off-the-cuff comments, exaggerating his achievements and generally “shooting from the lip”.
Now he has been embarrassed by official government figures which contradict his housing claims. They show that Ken Livingstone delivered more affordable homes in the three years before Mr Johnson was elected than in the three years since he assumed office.
Statistics from the Department of Communities and Local Government reveal that 40,760 additional affordable homes were delivered in London between 2005 and 2008 – more than the 38,840 which Mr Johnson claims have been delivered since he was elected.
