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Labour in Camden is good for our kids
• As school governors at Camden primary, secondary and
special schools across the borough, we ask people to think long
and hard about who they vote for on May 4.
Please do not be distracted by national issues or promises which
will not be kept when it comes to a local government election
– Labour in Camden is good for education, good for our
schools and good for our children – just look at our results
which are the highest in inner London.
Results are improving for all groups of children, including
those with special needs and those from underachieving groups.
We are the envy of neighbouring boroughs – look at the
way parents in boroughs run by other parties try to get their
children into Camden schools.
According to the Times Educational Supplement, Camden invests
the second highest amount of money in our schools per pupil
in the country.
This didn’t happen by accident, this happened because Camden
Labour values education, sees local schools as a priority, and
has invested in them systematically over and above central government
funding for the last 12 years. Here is a track record and experience
of how to deliver quality that you can trust.
In order to shave a couple of pence off their council tax, neighbouring
boroughs don’t put extra investment in schools – we
think that’s wrong.
Investing in the education of our children benefits the whole
community.
And there’s value added: just consider the magnificent
music from children at Camden schools at the Albert Hall on
March 22 through Camden Labour’s investment in music at
our schools (Albert Hall hosts the capital’s biggest school
concert, March 23).
Under Labour, Camden has invested millions of pounds in needed
school repairs and modernisation after they were starved of
cash under the Conservatives.
Over the next four years, Labour is bidding for £165 million
to radically modernise our local schools, investing in classrooms
and computing, to build schools fit for the future.
Labour will also invest in better sports provision for children
and young people and continue to expand childcare.
Parents in our schools already enjoy the benefits of Camden’s
excellent after-school and holiday play schemes, which make
it possible for so many of us to work.
You can trust Camden Labour to fund and run our schools, please
don’t put that at risk on 4th May. Go out and vote, and
vote for all three Labour candidates standing in your ward.
DOROTHEA HACKMAN, Governor, St Aloysius Juniors, and Great
Ormond Street Hospital School
GEOFF BERRIDGE, Chairman Hampstead Secondary School
HELEN REARDON BOND, Chairwoman, Rhyl School
LUCA SALICE, Chairman Torriano Junior
HILARY PATERSON, Governor, South Camden Community
MICK FARRANT, Chairman, Carlton School
SALLY GIMSON, Governor, Royal Free Hospital School
PHIL JONES, Governor Argyle School
JOHN DOOLAN, Governor, St Mary and St Pancras School
MIKE KATZ, Governor, Hampstead School
DAVID QUEEN, Governor, Acland Burgley
JESSICA ASSATO, Chairwoman, Jack Taylor School
GILES WRIGHT, Chairman, St Albans
MERLE MAHON, Vice Chairman, Rhyl School
GILL ROY, Chairman, Chalcot School
JILL SHEPHERD, Governor, Torriano Juniors and Torriano Infants
JANET POPE, Chairwoman, Hawley Infants and Camden School for
Girls
• The Green manifesto is full of “promises”
which the Green Party cannot keep, either because local government
lacks the powers to achieve them or because the resources are
not available to fund their proposed expansion.
It is a wish list they know they will never have to deliver.
Labour Camden meanwhile continues to offer sustainable green
policies across the board from recycling (already the best in
inner London and with current investment in new vehicles, facilities
and educational work to drive our figures upwards) to fair trade
where we are encouraging and enabling Camden citizens to help
right global inequalities.
Green votes “to give Tony Blair a bloody nose” could
give Highgate to the Tories and Camden to a shambolic coalition.
They would ensure a major setback to green policies in London’s
greenest borough and I doubt that Camden voters will risk that.
JOHN THANE
Councillor for Highgate ward
Executive Member for Environment
Town Hall
Judd Street
WC1
• Tory councillor Piers Wauchope is quite right to say
that Labour has no will to tackle the drugs trade in Camden
(We’ll make it a drug-free zone‚ April 6).
However in a short-sighted ‘not-in-my-back-yard’ fashion,
he misses the point and supports the very Labour policy that
is failing to address the problem of drug dealing and related
crime.
Anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) have not helped in the
fight against drugs. In fact they undermine it, as they move
the problems from highly policed areas and increase crime in
nearby residential streets and housing estates.
By treating criminal offences as more trivial anti-social behaviour,
they fail to generate long-term solutions.
The prolific use of Asbos – mainly against young and vulnerable
people – are simply media-friendly responses that conceal
the fundamental problem that we do not have enough police officers
on the streets.
If we are serious about wanting to crack down on drug dealing
in Camden, we need to tackle directly those buying and selling
illegal substances.
More officers on the street – not simplistic, ineffective
subversions of the legal system – are the only way to do
this.
BEN RAWLINGS
Liberal Democrat Candidate
Cantelowes ward
Camden Park Road
NW1
• Last Friday night my front doorbell rang and to my surprise
it was the Leader of the Council Raj Chada canvassing.
At this point, I had not realised that he has been my local
councillor for the last four years. I pointed out to him that
my friends and I were not too happy with New Labour just now
over the proposal to close the Jamestown Mental Health Day Centre.
A court ruled that the council consultation procedure before
attempting to close the centre was unlawful.
Perhaps Cllr Chada would like to tell us if he still is going
to support this proposal if he were to be re-elected?
LEO MCLAUGHLIN
Upper Park Road
NW3
• I recently moved to Islington having lived in Camden
for the last ten years, and it has brought home to me just how
good the Camden Labour-run council actually is.
Things that I used to take for granted in Camden –
two bin collections a week, an excellent recycling scheme, regular
street cleaning – simply doesn’t happen here in Islington,
which is run by the Lib Dems. It is a real, noticeable change
for the worse.
I love my new area in many ways, and look forward to settling
in, but as far as the local council is concerned, it is pretty
diabolical.
If anyone is thinking of voting Lib Dem in the forthcoming council
elections, they should take the bus up the Camden Road and spend
a day around the litter-strewn streets of Islington, before
going to the ballot box.
Labour deserves praise for its achievements in Camden. Don’t
take their achievements for granted. Believe me, this particular
neighbouring borough is struggling by comparison.
ALF LAWRIE
Parkhurst Road
N7
• Becky Purcell has got it all wrong in her letter attacking
the Lib Dems for throwing a £50-a-head fundraising do
(Lib Dem launch is a bit rich at £50 a throw).
At least we’re open about how we raise our funds, unlike
other parties who appear to be selling peerages for millions
of pounds at a time.
Labour in Camden is spending tens of thousands of pounds in
its election struggle to cling on to power. To put us in a position
to defeat Labour and win control of Camden Council, our local
members and supporters have dug deep to raise the money we need
to fund our campaign.
We’re not the clique of wealthy homeowners that Ms Purcell
imagines.
Lib Dems come from all walks of life. Our candidates at this
election reflect that balance, including council tenants and
leaseholders, private tenants and home owners.
What’s more, we’re united in our determination to
make Camden Council a fairer place to live, one that treats
all its citizens with respect.
Take our party’s policy on the minimum wage. Ms Purcell
attacks us for challenging Labour’s original proposals.
She doesn’t mention that we argued for a minimum wage that
reflects regional variations in the cost of living. Our proposals
would have given more to the lowest-paid in London.
As for “giving very little away about our policy agenda”,
Ms Purcell should return to our website www.cam
denlibdems.org.uk, where she can now download our detailed,
18-page manifesto for Camden.
Far from “squandering their money” on backing the
Lib Dems, our members are funding a determined campaign to sweep
Labour’s tired and out-of-touch administration out of power
in Camden, to be replaced by hard-working Lib Dem councillors
who will respect the views of the communities which they serve.
Unlike Ms Purcell, many of the New Journal readers may well
agree that’s a cause well worth supporting – and will
cast their votes to make it happen on May 4.
PHIL WAINEWRIGHT
Chairman
Camden Liberal Democrats
and Highgate ward candidate
Berridge Mews
• During Labour rule, the Council Tax (on all bands), has
risen by 30 per cent at a time when the retail price index has
risen by 9 per cent.
Just what have we got for our money that has cost so much,
apart from a bloated administration and worthless projects.
One example is these unnecessary leaflets continually posted
through our doors?
An efficiency audit and a purge on council waste are top of
my agenda.
One key local issue I want to focus on is parking enforcement
in Camden
Whilst it is certainly true that the council’s vigilant
enforcement contractors keep our parking spaces working, the
enforcement should be done by applying the principles of fairness,
appropriateness and proportionality.
This is definitely not taking place at the moment, not surprising
given that the contractors have a target of fines that they
have to collect, with scant regard for the above principles.
This is absolutely scandalous.
I intend to target the arbitrary nature of the Council Parking
regime and ensure that the above principles are applied.
BRIAN KETTELL
Independent Candidate
Hampstead Town ward
South End Road
NW3
• Nice to see Labour’s second campaign launch of the
election covering most of a page in the last edition of the
New Journal. Readers may like to know that Camden Green Party
also launched our campaign last week and are again fielding
a full slate of 54 candidates across the borough.
Our 26-page manifesto is not just about environmental issues,
after all we are not a single-issue party.
At least two thirds is about improving Camden’s public
services and helping local, independent businesses.
Yes, we do have an eight-page section on making Camden the greenest
borough in London, and it is all a good deal more ambitious
than current Labour plans.
Just a handful of Green councillors are able to make a real
difference.
In Kirklees district in Yorkshire, where Greens hold the balance
of power, one twentieth of the solar capacity of the entire
UK is now installed in local public buildings.
Meanwhile, Camden Labour Party timidly promises us just five
solar thermal and 2 solar-electric ‘pilot projects’
by 2010.
The full Green manifesto for Camden is available at www.cam
den.greenparty.org.uk
SIAN BERRY
Candidate for
Kentish Town ward
Camden Green Party
Fortess Road
NW5
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