Campaigners and users were dismayed at news that Camden Council Executive voted to plough ahead with cuts to UK online centres across the Borough.

Protestors outside Camden Town Hall

Labour councillors had urged the Lib Dems and Tories to not to proceed with a staggering 83% cut to the funding the council gives the centres, suggesting that they use the councils recession fund to at least guarantee fundingfor the coming year.

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Camden Labour is supporting the Crown tenants in their campaign to prevent their landlord, the Crown Commissioners, from selling off their homes to a speculative developer. The proposal involves 539 units of social housing in Regents Park Ward. Many of the residents are elderly and have Rent Act protected tenancies. More recently, flats have been allocated to “key workers” under assured shorthold tenancies.

Local residents, Mary and Bill Greenleaf with Cllr Heather Johnson, Frank Dobson MP and Cllr Nasim Ali

On 7th February, Cllr Heather Johnson wrote to the Crown’s Director of Investment and Asset Management. Heather asks, “Why is the sale necessary? Why is the consultation process so inadequate? How will the rights of existing tenants be protected? What will happen to rents? What will happen to the ‘key worker allocation scheme’?”

This is a critical week for the campaign. On 1st March, Steve Smith led a delegation of residents to the full meeting of the council. Cllr Heather Johnson spoke in support of the campaign.

On Tuesday, the Treasury Select Committee quizzed the Crown Commissioners about their proposals.  On Thursday, Frank Dobson MP raised the issue in a House of Commons debate. 

Last week’s report in the CNJ and details of the campaign can be found at the Resident’s Association web-site www.ourhomesarenotforsale.co.uk.

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Michael epitomised the true socialist values and beliefs of the Labour movement; whether as a Leader of the Party from 1980 till 1983; or as Member of Parliament from 1945 for Plymouth Devonport constituency for 10 years and then losing the seat. He became MP for  Ebbw Vale  and held cabinet posts including that of Employment Secretary.
 
Born in 1913; he was for part of his early life Liberal following the political views of his father, Isaac Foot. He was a passionate advocate of freedom of the press with his famous call for “we must fight, fight, fight” to defend freedom of speech. He led the then Old Labour Party until 1983  and resigned as Leader after the Party’s election defeat and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock.
 
He left the House of Commons in 1992 but remained politically active until his death. He was one of the greatest Parliamentarians of our time. Married to Jill Craigie –film director- until her death, Camden Council was proud to have Michael as a resident of the borough; complete with dog Dizzy walking on Hampstead Heath every day, and we awarded him ,with great pride ,the Freedom of Camden.
 
Cllr Roger Robinson, Camden Council remembered him with pride as he himself served as a senior National Officer of the Labour Party and met Michael at NEC meetings and party conferences and saw Michael’s tremendous service to the Labour movement as Leader; his tremendous intellectual understanding of life, of poverty, of the needs of the vulnerable; his radicalism; his work as a reformer; his powerful oratory and speeches, his writing as a former journalist and later as author.
 
A great figure of the Labour Left- he will be missed,
 
Roger Robinson, Cllr

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New data from Camden Labour suggests that council neglect and anti-social behaviour are the main concerns of residents in the Haverstock area of Camden, from Chalk Farm to West Kentish Town.

Queens Crescent community activist, Joynal Uddin (pictured left), is making a stand for local people, saying “The residents of places like Denton, Southfleet, Malden Road and Maitland Park have had enough of the Tory/Lib Dem Council’s neglect.  The Tories and Lib Dems are happy to churn out leaflets but it counts for nothing when they refuse to deal with the problems of antisocial behaviour I see every day on the streets.  Many of our local problems can be traced back to poor and overcrowded housing conditions – problems only made worse by the Council’s policy of selling off homes to private developers despite the 18,000 housing waiting list.”

Joynal has pledged, if elected by local people, to join Camden Labour colleagues in opposing any further housing sell offs and to support tough action against crime in Haverstock ward.

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As the Camden New Journal reports on private developers making vast sums through the auctioning of homes by Camden’s Lib Dems and Tories, Camden Labour has reaffirmed its commitment to stopping the sell-off of desperately needed local housing.

Cantelowes ward campaigner, Phil Jones, said “This ‘flipping’ of publicly owned housing to generate hundreds of thousands of pounds for private developers will shock and appall Camden’s taxpayers.  It’s also a daily tragedy for the thousands of local families that languish on the growing housing waiting list.  The choice at the next election is between Lib Dem/Tory support for sell-offs and Camden Labour’s promise to immediately halt privatisation of desperately needed housing.”

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Regent’s Park councillors and Action Team members are taking a firm stance on the Northern Line closures. It has been reported that the Northern Line will be closed for 82 weekends. Last week Action Team member Tulip Siddiq wrote a letter to the CNJ demanding that Camden Council start to lobby Transport for London properly about these closures. It will severely impact the lives of Regent’s Park residents who regularly use Mornington Crescent tube for their main method of transportation.

Councillor and Leader of the Labour Group Nasim Ali has also voiced his concerns about this closure. Regent’s Park will be exerting more pressure on Camden Council to take action on this inconvenient proposal.

Right: local campaigner, Tulip Siddiq

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The local Kilburn Labour team welcomed Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP to Kilburn to celebrate the contribution Bangladeshi people have made to this country.  Speaking at the Tricycle theatre, the minister said: “Bangladesh and the UK have deep historic and cultural ties.  With many British people of Bangladeshi origin living in the UK, we enjoy a vibrant partnership.”  

Kilburn Labour camapigner Maryam Eslamdoust added: “Bangladeshi people have made a huge contribution to the local area, both culturally and economically.  We’re very proud that they play such a vital role in our community”.

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The Lib Dems running Camden have announced one of their largest cuts to date – an eye-watering 82.5% slash to Camden’s UK Online Centres budget.

These vital centres help people use computers and get online – essential as more and more everyday activity relies on accessing the internet, from applying for housing to filling in tax forms and applying for jobs and benefits.

The axe has fallen particularly hard in Kilburn, as there are a number of centres in our area: at Kingsgate Resource Centre on Webheath, at Kilburn Library and in the Youth Centre on the High Road; the South Hampstead Education and Lifelong Learning Centre on Boundary Road and the Latin American Association on Kingsgate Place.

Labour campaigner Mike Katz said: “Camden’s Lib Dems are really making good on the promise of ‘savage cuts’ their party leader gave a few months ago.

“And as with other Lib Dem/Tory cuts, it will be the most disadvantaged, the elderly and poorer children who will be hit the worst, who either don’t have access at home or need help to get online.

“This will really hurt Kilburn, as we have five centres here – and a great demand for the service.

“So much for a council willing to help people improve their skills and access benefits – especially during a recession.

He added that Labour would be campaigning with the centres across the borough to fight the cut and help keep them open.

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The Kilburn Town Centre Management scheme was started by Labour to join up efforts by both Brent and Camden Councils to support Kilburn High Road. It aimed to support local businesses, tackle litter and pollution and enhance the overall shopping and leisure experience on the High Road.

When the Lib Dems, with Tory support, took control of both boroughs following the local elections back in 2006 the scheme got kicked into touch and both councils have now axed the funding altogether.

Labour campaigner Mike Katz said “Kilburn High Road is the heartbeat of our community and local businesses are the foundation. It’s vital the High Road is maintained as a vibrant place to meet, shop and socialise. Your local Labour team is 100% committed to fighting for a  High Road that we can all take pride in.”

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Camden Labour have been backing the campaign to save the Whittington A&E from closure.  There will be a public meeting about the planned closure on Monday 25th January, 7pm at Archway Methodist Church, N19.  We hope you can join us there to protest against this terrible decision by NHS executives.

Closing the Whittington A&E would force some people to travel further in an emergency.  It would also put an extra strain on other hospitals, such as the Royal Free, and potentially lead to the closure of other services at the Whittington.

More than 1,000 people have signed the petition against the closure.  You can add your name here: http://www.savethewhittington.org.uk/tag/petition/

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