More reasons to vote Labour on 3rd May

Cllr Mo Khursheed

Councillor Mo Khursheed, Leader of the Hillingdon Labour Group,  writes "On May 3, Londoners will go to the polls to decide who will be the next Mayor of London and London Assembly. Labour’s candidate for Mayor; Ken Livingstone, has a programme for London that quite frankly puts Boris’ plans to shame. Ken’s vast policy superiority is no better demonstrated than in the key areas of transport and housing.

Ed Miliband has called the election a referendum on fares, which I fully agree with. Under Boris, bus fares have risen by over 50%, and tube fares have consistently risen above inflation. It's just too much. Times are tough and Londoners need a bit of help. That's why Ken Livingstone has promised to cut fares by 7% on October 7th this year or resign, saving the average Londoner £1,000.

It’s obvious to all, except our Council, that Hillingdon has a vast shortage of affordable housing. I have regularly used the Uxbridge Gazzette to highlight our Tory Council’s complacency when it comes to taking on this issue; however credit where credit is due, this appears to be a London wide Tory problem!

Ken will tackle this. He will introduce a non profit London Lettings Agency that will keep rents fair and provide tenants with socially responsible landlords. Alongside this he will bring about planning reform to block the destruction of socially affordable housing. Unlike Boris and the Tories, Ken will stand up to private developers and property speculators.

Not only will he be doing the above but he'll also be ensuring there are 1700 more police on the streets by reversing Tory cuts and lowering energy bills for all Londoners through a co operative.

Our candidate for the London Assembly is Dr Onkar Sahota; a local GP who could not be more connected to our community. With the Government's reckless changes to our NHS, who could be better placed in City Hall than a local doctor, fighting for our local NHS services.

 There is a candidate for Mayor on the side of ordinary Londoners who need a fair deal for their rent, their energy bills and their transport costs. There is a candidate for the London Assembly who understands how important our local NHS services are and how important it is that we get the best deal for our residents by putting you first.

Dr Onkar Sahota with Ken Livingstone

 On May 3^rd residents have a choice and a chance to voice their views on what they think is best for them and best for London. Ken Livingstone and Dr Onkar Sahota, as Labour candidates, have made it clear what they will do to protect and improve daily life for everyone. That is why I encourage you to vote for them on May 3.

Why you should vote for Ken Livingstone to be Mayor of London on 3 May

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibg59Qo_e0I&feature=youtu.be

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Next Branch Meeting Tuesday 8 May

The next Branch meeting will be held on Tuesday 8 May. For further informtion email the Branch Secretary sruislipandmanorlp@blueyonder.co.uk .

Normal party meetings have been supsended until after the Mayoral election on 3 May. In the mean time active branch members are regulalry  joining colleagues across Hillingdon to campaign on the door step and staff phone-banks.

If you want to help out with the campaign to elect Ken Livingstome as London Mayor and Dr Onkar Sahota onto the GLA contact the Branch Secretary sruislipandmanorlp@blueyonder.co.uk .

Bid to save day centres quashed

As reported in the Uxbridge Gazette by James Cracknell 24 February 2012:

"AN 11th-hour bid to save one of three day centres for the disabled that Hillingdon Council wants to close was quashed by the ruling Conservatives.

At the full budget hearing on Thursday Labour group leader Councillor Mo Khursheed (Botwell) (pictured) tabled an amendment to keep Woodside Day Centre in Hayes open at a cost of £149,000.

Labour argued that retaining a day centre south of the A40 was essential for families who rely on such care.

In January, the council's cabinet voted through plansto close Woodside in Uxbridge Road, as well as Phoenix Day Centre in South Ruislip and Parkview Day Centre in West Drayton. They will be replaced by a new resource centre at Queen's Walk, South Ruislip.

Mr Khursheed told the meeting: "There is a minimum requirement for two day centres, one in the north and one in the south.

"We think it is outrageous to close Woodside. The number of disabled residents is growing. Those who use these services already complain about the length of time it takes to access them."

Councillor John Major (Lab, Barnhill) said the closure of day centres contradicted claims by the Conservatives that their budget protected frontline services.

"It is quite frankly ridiculous," he said. "This budget will impact the most on elderly residents who rely on day centre placements."

Cabinet member for social services Councillor Philip Corthorne (Con, West Ruislip) said he was aware of the concerns but that it was too late to save the day centres.

"I have resolved to ensure there is satisfactory transport arrangements to reach Queen's Walk from the south of the borough," he said.

Don't let the Hillingdon Tories take our parks away

The Tory Hillingdon Council propose to build a school on Lake Farm Country Park / Botwell Common. This is a green belt site and as a park it has green flag status. There are alternative sites for schools but the Tory council are determined to sell those sites off .

 

Meanwhile they propose to build over every green space in an already very densely built up area of Hayes.

John McDonnell, Labour  MP for Hayes and Harlington is collecting signatures for a petition and on Saturday 25th Februray at 10:30am John will be leading a Demonstration and March. 

 

The Demonstration will be at the Arch on Lake Farm and the March is into Hayes Town. If you are free on Saturday morning, Please feel free to come and join the demonstration and the march and show the Tory Council that we are not going to take this destruction of our  parks and the erosion of the green belt.

This proposal can be stopped but it needs local people to demonstrate the strength of feeling in order to stop it.

Come and join us and dont let the Tories take our park away

For details of Lake Farm Country Park click here 

Hillingdon Labour leader demands crack down on rogue landlords

Councillor Mo Khursheed, leader of the Hillingdon Labour Group writes:

'With the economy essentially in recession and Tory cuts beginning to bite, there is mounting evidence to suggest that families are struggling to meet the cost of decent affordable housing. Those who cannot are placed in a catch 22 situation; either they approach the Council for statutory help and risk being shunted to other parts of the country or are forced into substandard and overcrowded ‘sheds with beds’.
 
Hillingdon is characterised by mixed and diverse communities, it’s what makes this Borough great. However welfare policies being introduced by the government will change the face of our Borough; by 2016 only 49% of Hillingdon will be affordable to recipients of Local Housing Allowance. It is inevitable that this will force more people into these so called Sheds with Beds. The quality of accommodation can be so bad, it not only poses a risk to the inhabitants, but to surrounding properties and residents through unsound construction and fire hazards. Isn’t it about time we tackle this problem and highlight the threat these unlawful buildings pose?

I have asked the Council for data on the suspected illegal use of outbuildings as homes throughout the Borough, only to be told there is no database that can provide this level of detail – how can this be? How can a responsible Council not have access to this information? Our Borough has merely 2 enforcement officers progressing enforcement notices and prosecutions on specifically tackling this one issue. Is it any wonder then, that members enquires on the issue from Labour Councillors have gone unanswered?

May I suggest that Councillor Puddifoot and his Cabinet take a look at neighbouring, Labour controlled, Ealing. Since October its planning team have inspected over 700 suspected illegal outbuildings used for residential purposes, completed 252 investigations and issued 73 enforcement notices. By pledging £250,000 and 6 dedicated enforcement officers, Ealing Council, who are making similar budgetary savings, have shown our Council how to tackle this problem.

It is to simplistic to hope that by just cracking down on rogue landlords the problem will disappear. As demand for housing continues to outstrip supply, it is imperative that affordable housing continue to be supported. Indeed, at last month’s Council meeting we put forward a motion affirming Labour’s commitment to affordable social housing, only for the Tory majority to demonstrate how out of touch they are by dismissing it out of hand.

Hillingdon Council must take a tougher stance on this issue. It must ensure proactive inspections of suspect properties, it must do more to enforce existing laws, and it must respond to tip offs from residents. However a tougher stance can only be demonstrated through action; Hillingdon Council needs to provide sufficient resources so that unscrupulous landlords can be prosecuted.   

 

My aim is not to weaken the rights of landlords. It is about doing what is right. This means tackling the minority of landlords who are unscrupulous, rogue and are profiteering from the exploitation of the desperate and the most vulnerable by housing them in the 21^st Century’s slums. As we mark 200^th anniversary of Charles Dickens, do we really want a return to the conditions he so vividly described?