Just to let you know some of the issues that Steve Bradley is campaigning on for the Lib Dems.
a) A huge chunk of the CCTV in Vassall not working
b) The empty Brixton children's centre on Mostyn road - brand new but not being used
c) The huge rent rises for council tenants this year - presumably not unconnected to the ALMO
d) Lambeth's missing 55 police - on the Met's own judgement
e) Quite a lot of very local issues due to the council being rubbish - such as the huge lamp post holes that are in the pavement everywhere
Err I dont think all of these are necessarily bad and some are outside the control of the council:
a) Vassall has more cctv than any other area of Lambeth (or probably London/ the UK) - I personally object to being filmed all the time. A few less cctv cameras would be even better.
b) Dont know about the childrens centre but I'm sure the council are not maliciously holding back on opening - have you tried contacting the council to ask when it will open/ what the hold up is?.
c) I think the rent rise is only 7% which ok is not ideal but the rent is still beneath levels in councils such as Southwark (Tory/LibDem control).
It also reflects the ongoing costs of bringing homes up to the Decent Homes standard (which is also why the ALMO will be created) - any (sensible) party in control of the council would have to do this in order to make the homes suitable for living in (and remember these are basic things like ensuring that all the council housing has central heating and double glazing - not luxury refits)
The only other option is to go down the route that Southwark has done and sell off lots of the council homes in order to raise the money for the home improvements - this is surely immoral at a time of housing need.
Let us not forget either the £3million fraud committed under previous Tory/Lib Dem control which is having to be repaid. And the previous administration as a parting shot left Lambeth with a very low level of reserves (way below the government's recommended level) and so the current council have to build up the level of reserves to cover unplanned expenditure (this is sensible, prudent financial policy but it unfortunately costs money now).
Inevitably also they are increasing the council tax now so that as we near the next council elections they can increase it by less (simple politics indulged in by every political party!)
d) As Police is a London-wide issue run by the mayor of London I dont see what the local authority can do about this, also its a problem of Met recruitment.
Besides I've never felt particularly unsafe in Vassall even walking across the estates such as Myatts Field South and North or Cowley and there do seem to be adequate numbers of police around. On the one or two occasions that Ive had a problem Police have always arrived on the scene within 5 minutes or so.
e) I'm sure that if local residents highlighted the issues to local councillors they would be fixed. Having a Liberal Democrat instead of a Labour Councillor would not magically make the holes disappear!
I think as well as blaming the Labour Council a number of these problems can be laid at the door of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat regime that ruled Lambeth from 2002 - 2006, I got the strong impression that they just did not care about Vassall and the surrounding Brixton areas.
Vassall was not their area or even remotely marginal so they neglected the ward. At least Labour at the council level and at the national government level is making efforts to try and address the long term problems caused ultimately by poverty and unemployment amongst the people.
As a concerned local resident (with professional interest in housing but no particular party allegiance - have voted LibDem, Lab and Green in the past) I think pragmatically I would much rather have a Labour Councillor as he will be able to bring benefits for the ward in the Labour Council (and remember we still have 2 more years until the next council election). And remember no one wanted this election - it was caused by the sudden death of our Labour representative who still had two years of her mandate left. It will be a fitting memorial for Liz Atkinson to elect a labour replacement.
stood down in favour of Respect who got a mighty 4% of the vote) - although to be fair the Greens have a list of target wards and Vassell ain't one of them.
