Labour in Lambeth freeze council tax for the next two years.

Labour in Lambeth will commit to freeze your local council tax for the next two years running at the Cabinet meeting on 12^th November.

With living costs rising and the price hikes recently announced by the energy companies, the Labour group of Councillors want to support residents. Labour has frozen your council tax levels since 2008 – which would mean a 6 year freeze.

Labour cabinet member for Finance and Resources, Councillor Paul McGlone said;

“The economic failure of the Coalition Government means the cost of living is increasing and many local people are now struggling to make ends meet.

“We are doing what we can to help residents and the council tax freeze is part of that. It is a historic decision that means council tax will have been at the same level for 6 years running.”

London Living Wage accreditation

The Lambeth Council Cabinet meeting in October is due to formally adopt as policy the Labour administration’s commitment to tackling low pay and our ambition to become accredited as a London Living Wage Employer. The Total Facilities Management procurement contract agreed in July has delivered our first London Living Wage contract covering services that employ cleaners, security and maintenance staff. 

The council’s Pay Policy Statement lays out the aim that all council employed staff should receive the London Living Wage (currently £8.31 per hour) as a minimum. All but a few staff are paid at the LLW or above. We are reviewing our procurement policy to ensure Living Wage is paid on new contracts. This would be done at the point of re-letting or tendering for new contracts with a requirement that those contractors bidding for the work incorporate a pricing option that includes the payment of the Living Wage as a minimum, and will be agreed subject to affordability. In some cases there will be significant costs for council contractors to bring their pay in to line with the LLW. For example, in adult social care lots of workers (e.g. carers) are paid the minimum wage. The estimated annual cost of implementing the LLW across all existing contractors in Lambeth is £10 million per annum. About 60% of this is social care.

Living wage employer accreditation is managed by Citizens UK and provides employers with a licence to the living wage employer mark. Lambeth Council will be a fully accredited Living wage employer soon.

A message from your ward councillor Paul McGlone about the ‘Move Your Money’ campaign

Much interest is being generated by the ‘Move Your Money’ campaigning group (www.moveyourmoney.org.uk)

to influence individuals as well as public sector banking choices

 ‘Move Your Money UK’ launched in February 2012 in order to help transform widespread public anger with the big banks into active support for ethical and mutual banking sector in the UK. The Move Your Money campaign is now seeking to encourage institutions to move their money out of the four largest high street banks, with a focus on the role of local authorities. A local campaign and petition is active (http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/lambeth-council-move-your-money-moveyourmoney) and ‘MYM’ representatives have recently contributed to discussions held at Finance Scrutiny Sub Committee on the future of Lambeth Council’s banking services.   

Jail sentence for primary school worker

From Press Association court copy:

 

A primary school worker has been jailed for taking part in looting during the August riots, court officials said.

Alexis Bailey, 31, from Battersea, south London, received a 12-month prison sentence at Inner London Crown Court.

Bailey was arrested in Richer Sounds in Southend Road, Croydon, and has since been sacked from his job as a learning mentor at Stockwell Primary School.

He pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in August.

His employer Lambeth Council said last month that his behaviour was "incompatible" with the standards expected of those working in schools.

Disorder and looting in Brixton - message to Ferndale community representatives and groups

Brixton is a strong and united community that utterly condemns the scenes we saw last night. People were shocked and appalled by the vandalism and hooliganism we witnessed and this kind of criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our community.

Let’s be very clear that this is simply opportunistic criminal activity that has no justification whatsoever - it’s criminal disorder not riots. Relations between the community and police today are strong, and this incident will not undermine the huge progress made over the past decades.

We are now determined that the borough gets back to normal as quickly as possible and will be offering all the support we can to the police and reassurance to local people and businesses.

Please also see a message from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Steve Reed.

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/2011/080811AMessageFromCouncillorSteveReed.htm

Please feel free to contact any of us if you have any concerns or questions.

Regards,

Councillors Paul McGlone, Sally Prentice and Neil Sabharwal

Ferndale ward

Brixton riots: Joint statement from the three party leaders on Lambeth council

8 August 2011

Joint statement from the Three Party Leaders on Lambeth Council

"Brixton is a strong and united community that over recent years has benefited from strong community relations and sensitive policing.

The vandalism and looting by a tiny minority in Brixton and Streatham last night has no place in our community and everyone we have spoken to has been united in their condemnation of this behavior.

Our job now is to get the borough back to normal as quickly as possible so people can get on with their lives. The community in Lambeth is strong and resilient and last night’s incidents will not damage that.

All three parties on the Council unequivocally condemn the mindless violence and looting we saw last night, and offer our support to the people and businesses that were affected."

Cllr Steve Reed                               Cllr Ashley Lumsden                          Cllr John Whelan

Leader of the Labour Group         Leader of the Liberal Democrat         Leader of the Conservative Group