"Wedunnit" - desperate Labour photo-op blags Lib Dem successes
In January Cllr Harris and Cllr Bryant secured a meeting with residents and the police to discuss the problems on Streatham Hill. The meeting was well-received and regarded as productive by the community and the police, shaping priorities and reporting.
Persistence is delivering results.
But after years of ignoring residents, Lambeth Labour swooped in and took credit. They issued a press release on the taxpayer-funded website, Love Lambeth, about a “Day of Action” in Streatham.
In reality, this was Cllr Claire Holland and Steve Reed MP taking time out from their casino plans to stroll down Streatham Hill and talk to a few people, photographer in tow. There was no action from Labour, just a photo-op.
Lambeth Lib Dems highlight:
They organised the ASB meeting between residents and the police
They aimed to reverse streetlight cuts planned by Labour
They identified money for community safety patrols this year, voted down by Labour
They criticise Labour’s press release for trumpeting the closure of Macan Lounge, a restaurant on Streatham Hill that, the Licensing Sub-Committee was told, acted as a night-club causing very significant disturbance, ASB and crime. Cllr Harris worked long and hard with residents to close Macan Lounge at a licensing hearing which no Labour Cabinet member attended.
Local resident Jonathon Vaughan, who suffered years of sleepless nights, said:
“If it hadn’t been for Cllr Harris over the past few years, we would have been left completely helpless. Week after week, she raised complaints, submitted reports, and pushed for Macan's licence to be reviewed because of the constant anti-social behaviour. She stood by residents when no one else in the Council would listen.”
Instead of acknowledging that work, Labour swanned in just weeks before local elections, attempting to rewrite history and present themselves as the driving force.
Cllr Donna Harris, Leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrat Group, said:
“This progress came from years of pressure and persistence alongside residents. It’s disappointing - but not surprising - to see Labour now try to take credit after doing so little for so long.
“In a further display of disregard, Labour's Council Leader and the local MP visited the area without even informing the ward Councillors who secured this progress - a discourtesy that speaks volumes.
“This is not leadership - it’s opportunism.
“Residents in Streatham Hill know exactly who did the work to get results - and who turned up at the last minute to take the applause.”
Cllr Harris has written to the Council’s Monitoring Officer to complain that Labour is using a website funded by taxpayers to promote this misleading press release, and that Cllr Holland may have breached the rules by visiting without telling her.