£18 million new school for Lambeth to solve secondary school places shortage

Lambeth Labour are on course to meet their manifesto commitment of reducing the remaining shortage of secondary school places after opening consultation on a new multi-million pound Academy for Lambeth.

The new £18 million purpose built school, sponsored by the leading education group E-ACT and partnered with Dulwich College, will be located in Tulse Hill alongside a rebuilt Fenstanton Primary School, and will open it's doors to pupils in September 2013.

The new school will offer a first-rate education for young people in Lambeth, providing the latest technology and computer suites as well as specialist study areas for design, science and technology, ensuring that future generations are given a flying start to life.

Lambeth's Cabinet member for children and young people, Cllr Pete Robbins said: “This is a fantastic new project for Lambeth which will go a long way to providing the extra secondary school places our young people need. Lambeth Labour are working hard to ensure we deliver on our commitments to Lambeth, despite huge government cuts to school building programmes, to ensure future generations are guaranteed the best possible start to their education”

If you would like to give your views on the new project please fill in a short questionnaire at http://proposede-actlambethacademy.org

Central London Labour Leaders condemn government's cuts to local councils

The three Labour leaders of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark Councils have issued a joint statement laying out their opposition to the huge cuts for local councils announced today by the Coalition Government. As part of the settlement for local government the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has cut funding to the three councils by millions of pounds.

Between them the three council leaders represent nearly a million people including some of the most deprived communities in the country. Today’s settlement is not the first government decision that will disproportionately affect people living in inner-city areas, but comes on the back of changes to welfare, higher education and social housing.

Cllr Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council, Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham and Cllr Peter John’s statement:
“Between us we represent some of the most deprived inner-city areas in the UK and almost 1 million people. The Tory/Lib Dem government’s announcement today to cut council funding by millions of pounds is a hammer-blow to our boroughs and hit s our people hard. This was not an inevitability but a short-sighted political choice; it was not an unavoidable outcome but a calculated decision to put dogma ahead of decency.
“We will each work with local residents to try and minimise the pain of these cuts but we are united in our opposition to them.  Today's decision will force all Councils to cut highly valued services.  We share local people's anger about this, and will stand alongside our communities through the challenging months and years ahead”.

Labour challenges Tories and Lib Dems to back anti-trafficking laws.

Lambeth Council leader Steve Reed has called on local Lib Dems and Tories to support proposed rules to tackle human trafficking across Europe.  The coalition government has dismayed campaigners by refusing to sign up to the new rules, but Labour hopes a cross-party campaign can persuade them to change their minds.
The new guidelines would work to ensure that EU countries work together to prevent trafficking, ensure successful prosecution and make sure victims of trafficking are properly looked after. Researchers estimate there are an average of 100 trafficked women and children facing regular abuse, including physical and sexual abuse, in every London Borough including Lambeth.

Astonishingly the coalition government have said they will opt out of the new rules that are supported by many well respected campaign groups including Anti–Slavery International and ECPAT UK which campaigns against child sexual abuse. The government’s failure to support the new rules seriously undermines European–wide efforts to tackle the misery caused by this crime, abandoning victims in Lambeth and elsewhere to their abusers.

Lambeth is home to the Poppy Project, part of Eaves Women’s Housing, which offers support to women and children who are freed from their abusers.  They have also backed the campaign for the government to sign up to the new rules.

Cllr Steve Reed said:

“It is unbelievable the Government is refusing to sign up to new rules that could help protect some of the most vulnerable people in our country. Hundreds of women and children are trafficked to the UK every year and suffer untold abuse at the hands of their captors.  I’m calling on Lambeth’s Tories and Lib Dems to join Labour in demanding a change of heart from their colleagues in government.  We must do everything in our power to stop this vile abuse of women and children.”

Lambeth Labour Councillors call on Government to commit to Decent Homes for Tenants

Labour Cabinet Member for Housing, Lib Peck today called on the Government to commit to funding Decent Homes in Lambeth. Lambeth Leaders wrote to Housing Minister Grant Shapps in June urging him to commit to funding for decent homes but he has yet to respond.

Lambeth Council is campaigning for continued investment in the Decent Homes scheme, which was started by the Labour Government, to bring all of the borough’s social housing up to a decent standard.

The Decent Homes scheme is under threat after the Tory-Lib Dem Government made no commitment to complete the programme in their manifestos or the Coalition Agreement.

Cllr Lib Peck said:

“We’re calling on the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government to fund the decent homes programme in Lambeth. In total this amounts to £233 million for Lambeth Living; and “25 million for United Residents Housing. This money is desperately needed so that our homes can be made safe, warm and secure. It will pay for new roofs, new boilers, new windows, new kitchens and new bathrooms that are desperately needed by our residents. The last government promised this money – we don’t want the new government to break this agreement and let down Lambeth residents.”

Rt Hon John Healey MP, Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning, said:

“I want to see the new Government back tenants’ desire to live in a decent home. They deserve the improvements that others have already had.

“If ministers fail to give a clear commitment to finish Labour’s big refurbishment programme, tenants will be left in limbo and we’ll see the widespread unfairness of two-tiered council estates in our communities.”

Please help support Labour in Lambeth’s call on the government to commit to Decent Homes for Tenants by clicking on the following link http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/moderngov/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=183&RPID=10738965 

Councillors slam Tory/Lib Dem school building cuts affecting Tulse Hill ward

Labour councillors Ruth Ling, Marcia Cameron and Adedamola Aminu have slammed the recent admission by Tory Education secretary Michael Gove that he is cutting more than £200 million in Lambeth schools funding, just days before contracts were due to be agreed and building work was to begin.

Local schools including 4^th new school project, Fenstanton, had been promised rebuilt or refurbished school buildings under the Building Schools for the Future project, but the Tory/Lib Dem coalition government has now dashed their hopes. Michael Gove has now cancelled Lambeth’s entire program, affecting thousands of pupils at eleven secondary schools. The cancelled investment in schools was desperately needed, both to renew or rebuild tired buildings, and also to provide much needed extra places in the borough, including a new school for Brixton. The creation of hundreds of local construction jobs will also be dashed.

Labour councillor Ruth Ling said: “Teachers and pupils involved in the Fenstanton had been promised millions in funding to build the new school. Now the Tory/Lib Dem government have destroyed their dream of modern buildings by cancelling Building Schools for the Future in Lambeth outright, affecting the life chances of hundreds of local children in Tulse Hill ward.

“Lambeth is still desperately short of places for secondary school age children, despite Labour building three new schools from scratch in the last few years. Labour’s plans for school rebuilding would have created the extra places our borough need – but the Tories and Lib Dems will leave our children having to travel miles out of the borough to get to school.

“What’s more, Lambeth has already spent more than £6 million on preparing planning permissions and producing designs for the eleven new schools – local taxpayers will be outraged that the coalition government’s decision will see that money go to waste.”

Lambeth Labour are now leading a ‘Save Our Schools’ campaign, to shame the Tory/Lib Dem government into reversing their short-sighted decision. They are urging local parents and children to write to Education secretary Michael Gove telling him how their decision will affect their education, and urging him to restore the funding Lambeth needs. He can be contacted at:

The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP

Secretary of State for Education

Sanctuary Buildings

Great Smith Street

London SW1P 3BT

Ruth Ling wins it for Labour in the Tulse Hill By election

Labour candidate Ruth Ling claimed victory in the Tulse Hill by election which was held yesterday on the 1st July 2010. After a hard and well fought campaign by Ruth Ling and the Lambeth Labour Party which included guest appearances from Blur drummer Dave Rowntree and former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Ruth won with a 490 majority on a 21.4% turnout.

The result helps strengthen Labour in Lambeth’s fight against ConDem cuts and plans to work more closely with communities and customers of council services as a co-operative council to improve service quality for everyone.

Cllr Ruth Ling said:

“I’m delighted to be back on the Council and I would like to thank all the residents in Tulse Hill who have been so friendly and supportive to me over the last few weeks. I look forward to working hard on their behalf.”

Council Leader Steve Reed said:

“The by-election result was a powerful endorsement of Ruth Ling and Lambeth’s Labour Council. The result, with Labour’s share of the vote even higher than in May, sends a clear signal to the Tory-Lib Dem Government that people in Lambeth will not take their unfair cuts lying down. For the Tories, as the country’s governing party, to win barely 4% of the vote just a few miles from Parliament is a humiliation. Ruth has many years of experience and will be a hard-working champion for the people of Tulse Hill”.

Full Results:

Labour – 1235
Liberal Democrats – 745
Green Party – 256
Conservatives – 94
UKIP – 36

Labour to work cross-border to protect services Lewisham, southwark and Lambeth

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham are building on plans announced before the election to work together to cut costs and protect frontline services.

Partnership working between the three boroughs has taken on a new urgency in light of the unprecedented cuts from the Tory/Lib Dem Government that local councils will face over the coming years.

Sir Steve Bullock, elected Mayor of Lewisham, Cllr Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth and Cllr Peter John, Leader of Southwark, have today written to their respective Chief Executives to commission them to begin joint discussions to consider where potential exists for efficient and effective joint working. They have been asked to work together to present a range of options by the autumn.

Cllr Steve Reed said: “Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark councils all provide many services that are identical, but do we really need to pay twice for separate sets of senior management and back-office support? We need to proactively look at making savings at a time when the Tory/Lib Dem government is making cuts to council funding in order to protect frontline services”

Cllr Peter John said: “Local councils are facing unprecedented cuts from the Tory/Lib Dem Government. We know that we’re going to have to change the way we work to rise to the challenge those cuts present and carry on making the improvements to local services that our residents need. Pulling together with our neighbouring boroughs, which face many of the same challenges we do, promises to deliver some of that change.”

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock said: “We have to seek dramatic improvements in efficiency by working in partnership with our neighbouring Councils, other public services and the private sector. Every pound we can save through efficiency is a pound we can spend on frontline services. I hope this innovative approach can be used as a model across Local Government, rather than a return to slash and burn cuts”

We'll pay the price for Lib Dem broken promises

When it comes to Lib Dem broken promises, sadly it seems we're all in this together.

During the election, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg attacked Tory secret plans to increase VAT. Two months later, he’s supported the Tories’ 20 per cent VAT bombshell.

The unfair Tory budget wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Lib Dems. Hard-working families are paying the price for Nick Clegg’s rise to power.

In the past few weeks they’ve u-turned on three years of Lib Dem economic policy by supporting the Tories in delivering a Budget which will risk the recovery, and people in this country will pay the price.

The Lib Dems have betrayed their own voters by:

Supporting the Tories’ 20 per cent VAT bombshell
Backing early cuts to public spending when he had previously denounced them
Supporting cuts to frontline services

Do you feel let down by the Lib Dems? Join Britain's progressive alternative - go to labour.org.uk/join
Or email us at labourtulsehill@hotmail.com if you want to help in our local campaigns.

MP Chuka backs Ruth Ling

Streatham’s newly elected MP – whose patch includes Brixton and Tulse Hill – has backed Ruth Ling to be our new councillor.

MP Chuka Umunna said: “Ruth is a tireless campaigner who will work hard for local people.

“She’s got the experience to make a real difference for Tulse Hill, campaigning hard for new schools, more police and better homes.”

He added: “I’d like to thank everyone who voted in the General Election, and now I urge everyone to vote for Ruth Ling as our new councillor.

She will be a real champion for this area!”

To contact Chuka call 020 8769 5063 or email chuka.umunna.mp@parliament.uk

Lib Dem campaign “vile and disgusting”

A local political commentator who often supports the Lib Dems has called their Tulse Hill by-election campaign "vile and disgusting".

The blogger wrote on his popular website:

"Lambeth Lib Dems have confused the possibility for political debate with a vile and disgusting mud slinging opportunity."

"The election leaflet represents a new low for Lambeth electioneering – and that really is saying something."

Other residents agree with him. One dismayed local mum asked:

"Have the Lib Dems got nothing positive to say to local people? First they put the Tories in power, and now they’re putting this rubbish through our doors. We’re sick and tired of their negative politics."