It was an honour to be elected Leader of Lewisham Labour Group last month. So I would like to use these emails to keep members across Lewisham informed about the work your councillors are doing, share how you can get involved, and as a way for us to stay connected.
Our focus since the elections in May has been straightforward: staying visible in our wards, responding to residents’ concerns, and scrutinising the decisions of the new administration. We have already had cause to call out a couple of concerning decisions by the Greens. For example, one of the new Mayor’s first decisions was to increase his own salary by nearly £5000, despite a previous commitment to reduce it. In response, we spotlighted the issue in the local press and on social media, ensuring it reached the widest possible audience. Holding those in power to account is now a central part of our role in opposition.
With the new Green administration underway, Labour has also secured important positions on the Council’s Safer Stronger, Overview & Scrutiny, and Public Accounts scrutiny committees, giving us a strong platform from which to examine the new administration’s policy. We have also taken up all our allocated seats on every available committee, ensuring we represent members and residents to the best of our ability.
Following the election of another Green candidate who was found to have used racist language online, I wrote to the Mayor of Lewisham, Liam Shrivastava, calling for stronger candidate vetting and asking what steps are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Thanks to a Lewisham Council bid by the previous Labour administration, Station Approach in Sydenham is part of the Mayor of London’s Summer Streets project this summer!
The Mayor of London has given 15 streets a share of £500,000 to extend opening hours for markets and local businesses – think al fresco dining, community events and summer night vibes. Make sure you check it out!
Local Labour councillors attended this year’s Catford Big Weekender. The Big Weekender builds on our investment in Catford town centre and local cultural events, helping create the conditions for successful community festivals. It was a great opportunity to meet residents, support local organisations and celebrate neighbourhood pride.
We joined Bring Me Sunshine and Lewisham’s Windrush Generation at Corbett Community Library for an afternoon of steelpan music, dancing, a community mosaic, and great conversations. It was a wonderful to celebrate the generation that helped shape the Lewisham we know and love today.
Another fantastic and well-attended Hilly Fields Midsummer Fayre, bringing together local businesses, community groups, and service providers. The event showcased the very best of our borough, with residents coming together in a vibrant display of community spirit and local pride.
Lewisham Labour has been regrouping following our tough May local elections. And the result from the Crofton Park by-election on June 18th shows that the fightback is well underway and gaining traction. Crofton Park saw a huge swing back to Labour, with the Greens’ majority collapsing to just 10 votes
from more than 1,200 votes back in May. That result shows just how volatile our political landscape is. It also demonstrates that the public are paying attention: a party that backs candidates who post racist views online and breaks election promises will face consequences.
