London Labour Councils On the side of Londoners Launch of the London Local Elections Campaign: Briefing
Labour on the side of Londoners London is a great city and its people make it strong. Times have been difficult for many Londoners, with the recession taking its toll, but the future for the capital is bright. As Labour s London manifesto has outlined, together with the people of London, we have rebuilt London s public services over the last 13 years with better schools and hospitals, more police and better transport. Labour has more than doubled the investment in health and education in London, overseeing the biggest hospital building programme in the city s history. We ve raised London s school standards through smaller class sizes and more than doubled spending per pupil. We ve opened 561 Sure Start Children s Centres and we ve put more than 6,000 extra police officers and 4,000 police community support officers on our streets. The result is that London is now a very different city than it was 13 years ago: crime is down, the rough sleeping so prevalent under the Tories has been dramatically reduced, new opportunities for our young people have been opened up, and access to sport and culture in the city has been widened. London is safer, more tolerant and united. But we believe our city s future can be stronger and fairer for all. Labour will support London s economy to secure the recovery, putting the capital at the centre of the high-tech skilled economy of the future. We will promote growth, new jobs and new opportunities for thousands of Londoners. We will invest in vital infrastructure projects such as Crossrail. One of Europe s largest construction projects, Crossrail brings a huge boost to the capital s transport system alongside thousands of jobs in construction, with the prospect of even more for London s long term future. Labour will help working families meet their aspirations, provide a good start in life for all London s children, and security and dignity in retirement for our pensioners. And we will protect our city s frontline services, because we have all worked too hard to see the improvements of the last decade thrown away by ideologically driven Tory cuts. Labour will maximise the huge potential of the Olympics - a once in a lifetime sporting spectacle here in our city, secured by a Labour Government. It is a huge spur for jobs and investment and our construction industry and it will provide a lasting legacy. An agreement signed between a Labour Government and the Olympic Boroughs will lock in the benefits of the 9bn investment in the Olympics for local people with the aim of closing the gap between East London and the rest of the capital. It means more jobs, more skills training and a high quality environment. It is precisely this ambition for London and Londoners that underlies the importance of having Labour Councils working with a Labour Government. For it is only with a Labour Government working with Labour Councils that we will we be able to build a future fair for all our local communities. It is only Labour that will enable people to shape their streets, their services and their communities. It is only Labour that will protect and improve local services. It is only Labour that will support communities. There is a clear choice. The Tories and the Liberal Democrats have shown by what they say and what they do that they do not share these priorities. It is Labour Councils that have strong values the values of Londoners. Labour on the side of Londoners 2
Labour Councils in London Labour costs you less All Labour Councils in London are freezing council tax this year (2010/11). Labour Councils led the way in the country by announcing last September that all eight Labour controlled councils in the capital - Barking & Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets - would freeze council tax this year (2010/11) at the same time as protecting and investing in frontline services. By contrast four London Councils are increasing their council tax this year three are Tory-run Councils - Croydon, Bromley and Bexley - and one Liberal Democrat, Kingston. It shows that Labour costs you less and protects frontline services. Labour Councils will be keeping council tax as low as possible, protect frontline services and cut out waste. We will have zero tolerance on anti-social behaviour, invest in education and activities for young people and invest in housing and good leisure services. Jules Pipe, Leader of Labour Group, London Councils Labour values As well as costing Londoners less, Labour councillors are driving good local public services and supporting all of our communities. If you look at the record of Labour Councils they have been improving services working with a Labour Government to open new schools, open new children s centres and open new or refurbish leisure centres and swimming pools. Labour Councils are building new public housing and are investing millions in refurbishing existing homes, bringing them up to a decent standard. Over the next four years Labour Councils will provide further help to communities, support new jobs and improve services, while driving out every pound of waste: Labour Councils will support the new Sure Start Children s Centre s that have been created and open more like the 16 centres opened in Lewisham, 17 in Haringey, 17 in Waltham Forest, 18 in Barking & Dagenham, 23 in Greenwich and 25 in Hackney. Labour Councils will back communities in their neighbourhoods using tough powers on antisocial behaviour and support local policing teams the Criminal Justice Pilot in Newham has seen over 100 people sentenced to carry out 4,000 hours of unpaid community work; and in Southwark, if Labour takes control, CCTV coverage will be expanded not cut as the Lib Dems and Tories have done. Labour Councils will promote fair, inclusive and cohesive communities in which all people can prosper and succeed - tackling poverty, deep seated problems and inequalities in whatever form they take. Fairness will be at the forefront of everything Labour Councils do like in Camden, which if Labour takes control, will reinstate the award winning Welfare Rights service that helps the vulnerable manage debts and which was cut by the Lib Dems and Tories who run the council. Labour Councils will improve affordable housing and use the new opportunities provided by the Labour Government to build new council housing, the first time this has happened in decades like Labour Councils in London 3
Labour Councils in London in Greenwich where new homes are already underway; large numbers of homes will be built in Tower Hamlets; if Labour takes control of Hounslow and Ealing they will create a partnership with local businesses and housing associations to increase jobs and build new affordable homes to rent or buy; in Camden where under Labour the Tory/Lib Dems sell-off of council homes to private developers will be halted and in Islington Labour will deliver new affordable homes. Labour Councils will support good facilities for young people and the refurbishment and opening of new local schools with a rigorous focus on improving results - like in Hackney which will see its fifth new secondary school open this year. Labour Councils will work with the NHS and support local hospitals and promote better public health. Labour Councils will invest in cleaner streets, like in Hounslow and Ealing where if Labour is in power it has pledged a drive against graffiti, litter and dumping; in Barking and Dagenham shopping parades will get new investment and in Merton where street cleaning will be doubled if Labour takes control. Labour Councils are offering free school swimming to children and older residents and will provide a range of good local services and open new ones, like Lambeth which will be opening four new swimming pools and Lewisham which will be building two new leisure centres. Labour Councils will make sure the costs of services are fair. Labour in Hammersmith & Fulham would abolish the harsh home care charges the Tories introduced that target elderly, sick and disabled residents and Barnet Labour would scrap no frills, sink or swim, privatisation plans that will cost millions and force residents to pay twice for decent services. Labour Councils will support the recovery, local jobs and economic development boosting skills of local people and creating new apprenticeships - like Greenwich s recession buster jobs programme providing 250 jobs; Barking & Dagenham which is growing its large apprenticeships scheme, and Waltham Forest which has taken on 60 apprenticeships already and Haringey which will create 300. Labour Councils will support sustainable communities and tackle climate change, like Lewisham which will half its carbon footprint by 2014; Waltham Forest which supports the largest urban food growing cooperative in the capital, Labour in Camden would create a network of community gardening clubs; and if Labour takes control in Southwark, they would increase the recycling rate which is the 6th worst in the country under the Lib Dem / Tory Council. Labour Councils will support local communities and neighbourhood to shape their services and their areas - Lambeth is looking at further developing community and co-operative services while Labour in Enfield would introduce a community chest for areas to spend on local improvements with local people setting local priorities. Above all Labour Councils will create a London fair for all. We believe Londoners can have confidence in supporting Labour because London Labour Councils have been at the forefront of delivering better value for money and delivering better services. Labour Councils in London 4
London Labour local government campaign Labour has a very strong team of excellent and experienced candidates in London, from all walks of life and from all communities. Of our candidates, 40% are women and 32% from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. Labour currently controls eight councils - Barking & Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets. Labour is in coalition with the Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest. The three directly elected Mayors in London - in Hackney, Lewisham and Newham are all Labour and all three are running again. London Labour Local Government candidate Borough CANDS Female Barking & Dagenham 51 15 Barnet 63 28 Bexley 63 23 Brent 63 24 Bromley 60 20 Camden 54 20 Croydon 70 28 Ealing 69 21 Enfield 63 22 Greenwich 51 19 Hackney 57 22 Hammersmith and Fulham 46 16 Haringey 57 23 Harrow 63 22 Havering 54 13 Hillingdon 65 18 Hounslow 60 19 Islington 48 18 Kensington and Chelsea 54 22 Kingston upon Thames 48 13 Lambeth 63 25 Lewisham 54 21 Merton 60 20 Newham 60 20 Redbridge 63 16 Richmond upon Thames 54 25 Southwark 63 23 Sutton 54 19 Tower Hamlets 51 17 Waltham Forest 60 20 Wandsworth 60 19 City of Westminster 51 21 TOTALS 1854 752 London Labour local government campaign 5
The Tory Capital Threat There is a clear choice between Labour and the Tories in London. Labour has high expectations for local public services and will support the economy as the recovery takes hold. But London faces an unprecedented triple threat from the Tories a change most Londoners will not be able to afford. A Tory Government, a Tory Mayor and Tory Councils will threaten jobs and the economy, abandon public services and create a postcode lottery on everything from job seekers allowance to social care. It means the end of social housing as we know it and no frills, sink or swim councils where you only get a decent service if you pay twice. The Tories are using London as a place to experiment with polices that would be a disaster for the country. The Tory threat to frontline services London s public services face a triple Tory hit. Life for Londoners, looking after families and managing time and costs, will be made more difficult, not easier. David Cameron wants to lead a Tory Government which would cut services now, letting people sink or swim. The Tory Mayor, Boris Johnson, refuses to guarantee the future of local police teams and will cut the number of police by 455. 1 And he has hiked up fares on a single bus journey by a third. In Tory Town Halls, Tory localism, means anything goes increasing charges and cutting services. As Cllr Eddie Lister, Leader of Tory Wandsworth, explains to Tory councils: increase charges [for local services] as far as possible beyond inflation and it s worth taking a trial and error approach. If a Tory Council shuts a youth club or community centre: Successfully managing the PR and the media will be important and in major cases, a carefully thought out campaign will be needed to win the day. 2 Self-styled Tory Barnet Budget Airline Council shows the Conservative philosophy in action, with no-frills, sink or swim services where people pay twice, once in council tax and then again in top up charges to get a decent service. It is looking at all services like youth clubs and rubbish collection 3 for cut backs or extra charges. This is deeply unfair - only the wealthy can get the services they need. It is one thing to put up with the very basics for a couple of hours but another for the everyday services that people need. The Tories are a threat to public services and a change Londoners can t afford. The end of social housing as we know it There are nearly 800,000 households in public housing in London. But they face an unprecedented threat from the Tories. Two months ago the Tories said they would protect and respect rents and tenure in their policy document. Now the Tories have airbrushed out the words protect in their manifesto. 4 Boris Johnson has gone back on his pledge to build 50,000 affordable homes for London over three years and has housing policies which Shelter s former Chief Executive said perpetuate the wealth and class divisions in the nation s capital. 5 And the Leader of Tory Hammersmith & Fulham Council, Cllr Greenhalgh, who heads up the Tories Local Councils Innovation Unit, said social housing as we know it makes no sense. 6 The Tory Capital Threat 6
There have been meetings between Cllr Greenhalgh, City Hall and Grant Shapps, the Tories Housing spokesman, which have drawn up Conservative priorities to: equalise rents between sectors ie introduce market rent levels and create one form of rented tenure using the assured shorthold tenure. 7 Tenants face seeing rents double or triple and forced into six month tenancies with security of tenure cut to a twomonth notice to quit - the end of social housing as we know it. And tenants are finding out that other Tory Councils are looking at similar plans. It is a change that millions of tenants across London can t afford. A postcode lottery The Tories have confirmed there will be a postcode lottery for public services from schools and hospitals to social care to job seekers allowance (JSA). Last month they let slip the changes to JSA, giving control to councils so no frills Tory authorities can cut unemployment benefit. We know this as Philip Hammond said there are huge potential savings - ie paying people less. 8 This will mean a lottery in unemployment benefits, increasing insecurity for those who have lost their job. A family on one side of the street could find themselves worse off than an identical family on the other. It is a change that Londoners cannot afford. The Lib Dems lack of Leadership The Liberal Democrats offer little to London. Their failure to mention Crossrail in their manifesto shows that they re not serious about securing London s recovery and their claims to fairness are undermined by their commitment to end Government payments to child trust funds, which have already given almost 600,000 children in London a better start in life. They have also pledged to significantly scale back popular first time buyers schemes. They have few ideas of their own and are supporting the Tories on the ground. The Liberal Democrats are working in alliance with the Tories in Camden, Brent and Southwark and together they are cutting local services. While the few Lib Dem Councils run councils are losing the trust of voters, like in Islington. Only with Labour Councils working with a Labour Government will Londoners be able to stop the Tory threat and build a better future. 1 Final Draft Consolidated Budget for 2010/11, Greater London Authority, 10/2/10 http://legacy.london.gov.uk/gla/budget/docs/1011bud-draft-all.pdf 2 Cllr Eddie Lister, Tory Leader of Wandsworth, Big Ideas, Building on Conservative Fundamentals, Localis 2008. 3 Barnet Cabinet paper 21 Oct http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/ democracy/reports/reportdetail.asp?reportid=8580 4 We will protect and respect the rights of social tenants Pg 5 Labour s Two Nations, Conservative document, 14 Feb 2010http://www.conservatives. com/news/news_stories/2010/02/~/media/files/downloadable%20files/ labourstwonations.ashx. Protect is absent from the Conservative Party Manifesto 5 Tory home truths for London s poor, Adam Sampson, Guardian Comment is Free, 20/1/09 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/20/ boris-housing 6 Pg 32 Principles for Social Housing Reform 2009 http://www.localis.org. uk/images/localis%20principles%20for%20social%20housing%20 Reform%20WEB.pdf 7 http://www.localis.org.uk/images/discussion%20note_concentrations%20 of%20deprivation.pdf 8 Philip Hammond, the Tory Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury let the plans slip when he spoke to the New Local Government Network annual conference on 27 January this year. The Tory Capital Threat 7
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