Camden Labour is joining forces with families across the Borough in a campaign to Save Our Sure Start children’s centres from Tory plans to cut their funding and prevent access to these valuable services for families on middle and modest incomes. You can support the campaign at www.saveoursurestart.com.

Instead of the universal service Labour has created for all families, the Tories have said they would cut £200 million each year from the Sure Start budget – which could see one in five children’s centres being forced to close.

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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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Local Labour campaigners are keeping a careful eye on the future of Kilburn Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), following cuts by the Lib Dems to advice services across the borough.

Labour MP Glenda Jackson uses the CAB on the High Road for her regular advice surgery in Kilburn (11am on the 3^rd Saturday every month – no appointment needed).

Labour campaigner Maryam Eslamdoust, whose job involves giving legal advice to charities, said: “The Kilburn CAB is really important to the local community – especially in the midst of a recession, when people need support and to know their rights more than ever.

“There have been cuts to advice services across Camden. We want to make sure that services at the Kilburn CAB don’t suffer as a consequence.

“It’s important to defend local services like this. Labour will fight any cuts to council support for the CAB.”

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Until June 2008 King’s Cross had a dedicated Street Warden service. The Street Wardens had been instrumental in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in the area. But despited the huge success of the service, and completely ignoring the wishes of local people and councillors alike the Liberal Democrat led Camden Council scrapped the dedicated service for King’s Cross.

Now every time we speak to local people, on the doorstep, at meetings and on the phone the first thing they raise is the rise in anti-social behaviour and the return of crimes like on street drug dealing and prosititution. You don’t need to take our word for this – have a look at the ward based crime figures from the Met Police.

With local people we fought the removal of the service in the first place. Now with over a years evidence of rising crime and anti-social behaviour – enough is enough. King’s Cross needs this service to stop it sliding back to the bad old days. You can support our local campaign by signing our petition.

Meanwhile we’re really busy working with police and council officers to try and get action on some of the worst behaviour. If you’re experiencing crime or anti-social behaviour let us or the police know, it will help us build evidence and tackle the problem.

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