The 2014 Southwark Labour Manifesto

Just a quick note to highlight the Southwark Labour Manifesto ahead of the Council Elections on 22nd May. It's really important that the people running your council have clear vision of how to improve Southwark and the values that underpin that approach. This manifesto shows that Southwark Labour Party is all about making our borough a better, fairer place for the people who live here.

Amongst Southwark Labour councillors, this document is seen as very important and will guide everything we do over the next four years (if elected!) It is our opportunity to put in front of people a programme for change and to ask for endorsement. That's why we were so determined to deliver on our manifesto from 2010, and why we will do so again.

Since 2010 Southwark Labour Councillors have delivered on our promises. This includes:

Free healthy school meals for all primary school children
A £1million-a-year Youth Fund to help young people with education, training and employment
Helping 1,500 find work as a direct result of our employment support programmes
and regeneration schemes since 2010
Freezing Council Tax for four years
Doubling the recycling rate (plus introducing food waste recycling)
Introducing the London Living Wage for all council staff and contractors
Nearly 400 new apprenticeships created
Halving the cost of meals on wheels

Highlights from the 2014 Labour manifesto are below. We will...

Make swimming and gym use free for all residents in Southwark – the first council in the country to do so
Build more homes of every kind including 11,000 new council homes
Support 5,000 local people into work and create 2,000 new apprenticeships
Guarantee education, employment or training for every school leaver in Southwark
Build 2 new community nurseries and invest in our children’s centres to deliver more quality affordable childcare
Keep council rents and council tax low

There is lots more, so make sure you take a look at the full document here.

Comments

Know Your Ryes!

A few weeks ago I was in a meeting with some local residents and council officers. During the meeting one person started referring to Rye Lane, when in fact they meant Peckham Rye East. Later on another started talking about Peckham Rye Common and it took us a little while to work out that they really meant Peckham Rye Park. You can't really blame people for getting a little confused. There are so many references to "Rye" in our little bit of South London that even the locals can get mixed up. So I thought I'd have a go at writing a little glossary of all the Ryes hereabout. Clearly I'm making a rod for my own back here, so please point out any errors I've made in the comments box below. Anyway, here are my definitions of the ubiquitous Ryes. Some serious, some not so serious, and in no particular order: Peckham Rye Ward - The council ward area. Peckham Rye Ward was created out of Rye Ward, Waverley Ward and Bellenden Ward following the Local ...

Lib Dems claim they're not in charge in Peckham Rye

(A tweet from the Peckham Rye Lib Dems) Peckham Rye Lib Dems are now claiming that Labour 'run' Peckham Rye (take a look above). When asked by a local resident "Am I right in thinking Lib Dems run Southwark but Labour run Peckham Rye?", a Peckham Rye Lib Dem candiate replied, "Yes you're right. For the next three months Lab run Peckham Rye. Then we take over..." Given that, just like every other area in Southwark, Peckham Rye is run by the Lib Dem-Tory Executive it seems this is just the latest in a string of attempts to mislead people into thinking they've got nothing to do with Southwark's failures. Of course, Peckham Rye does have three Labour councillors, who do a great job of representing our area and our concerns at the Town Hall. However this is very different from 'running' Peckham Rye. If only we could just opt out of the Lib Dem chaos! In truth, the policy levers and almost all the money spent by the council are under the cont...

Another Bog Standard Update

Many local residents may well be wondering what is happening with the previously proposed development of the toilet block near the junction of Peckham Rye and East Dulwich Road. Before Renata, Victoria and I were even elected as councillors, this had become quite a lively issue. I recently asked officers at the council what is going on, because nothing appeared to be happening with the block. Well, since the last update, this is what has happened: 1. The last proposed tenant - a not-for-profit gallery offering outreach programmes to local schools and groups - dropped out of the process without having made the required planning application. 2. The property is now under offer to a new proposed tenant. They run a children's nursery and wish to expand. 3. They have already made a planning application for a change of use. 4. We are currently waiting for a formal decision from development control so that the lease can proceed. I'll update again here as soon as I have further news. Sp...

Peckham Rye Labour

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