Live updates
Boris twitter Q&A
A taxpayer expressed his thoughts on the budget decision during the Mayor's monthly #askboris twitter Q&A this afternoon.
@mayoroflondon #askboris What's the best thing about being Mayor of London? ~x
From @MissByng on Twitter:cutting everyone'e council tax as i did when i passed my budget this morning ! #askboris @missbyng
From @MayorofLondon on Twitter:.@mayoroflondon @missbyng I think we may have preferred Police and Fire Stations rather than 7p a week
From @5tewartChristie on Twitter:Advertisement
Closures will almost certainly go ahead
First a protester was ejected from the budget meeting, then Boris himself. Now the planned closures of fire stations and police station front counters look set to happen. Our Political Correspondent Simon Harris recaps on the morning's events at City Hall.
Labour claim council tax freeze could prevent closures
Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green groups have been urging Boris to drop his planned cuts affecting the fire and police services.
London Assembly Labour Budget Spokesperson John Biggs, who moved the amendment to the Mayor's budget, said before the meeting:
"Boris has a clear choice, he can either cut council tax by one pence a day, or he can freeze it and use the money to keep our fire stations and police front counters open. By axing 12 fire stations and 18 fire engines Boris is jeopardising the safety and security of Londoners."
Conservatives criticise opposition's tactics
Conservative Assembly members criticised the move on twitter:
London Assembly LabLibGreens decide not to earn their pay by not holding the Mayor to account. #giveBackYourSalaries
From @AndrewBoff on Twitter:@simonharrisitv @itvlondon Labour, Lib Dem and Green members have made this body an embarrassing irrelevance. #GLA
From @JamesCleverly on Twitter:Boris ejected from meeting
The Assembly threw away its chance to give Boris Johnson a two hour grilling on his budget decisions this morning. With one Conservative member missing, Labour saw an opportunity to rush its amended budget through and voted to eject the mayor from the chamber shortly after the meeting began.
Before he left, Boris called the gathered Assembly members 'great supine protoplasmic invertebrate jellies' for not 'having the guts' to ask him questions, to chuckles from the public gallery.
However, the plan backfired when missing member Victoria Borwick - who was late because of tube delays - turned up and overturned the opposition's majority.
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Meeting begins with protest
Our Political Correspondent Simon Harris was at the meeting and tweeted that it started with disruption...
The London Assembly meeting begins with a protester shouting "will you resign Boris?" @itvlondon http://t.co/OkOyHg1OHy
From @simonharrisitv on Twitter:Public gallery is warned not to disrupt the meeting. @itvlondon
From @simonharrisitv on Twitter:Heated exchanges likely
Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green assembly members will try (and almost certainly fail) to force the mayor to amend his budget. @itvlondon
From @simonharrisitv on Twitter:Heated exchanges are likely in chamber at City Hall during the GLA budget meeting. @itvlondon
From @simonharrisitv on Twitter:The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) have refused to back the proposed fire service cuts that will see the closure of 12 fire stations, the removal of 18 fire engines and the loss of 520 firefighter posts.