Harrow-on-the-Hill station is one of the busiest in London, and it is right next to a major bus hub. It is totally unacceptable that it still has no step free access. Liberal Democrats both at City Hall and in Harrow have been campaigning on this issue, but Boris Johnson and Transport for London refuse to make the right decision.
I will continue to fight for this change if elected to City Hall, and I know colleagues on the Liberal Democrat London wide list will do the same.
Filed under Brent and Harrow Campaign News
Caroline Pidgeon and her team in City Hall have been determined to improve transport for Londoners. We want to make fares fairer, and more affordable for Londoners.
One of our key proposals is the one hour bus ticket – which would mean that bus users could hop on and off buses having only paid once, as is done on the tube. I was delighted to be joined by Bridget Fox, 3rd on the Lib Dem London-wide list, and Harrow activists, to tell commuters about this idea at Harrow-on-the-Hill station.
Not only is this policy pure common sense, it would directly benefit the poorest residents in Brent and Harrow, who increasingly find themselves priced out of using the tube. Other elements of the fully costed fairer fares package include an early-bird fare for those that need to start their commute before 7.30am, create a part time travel card for part time workers, recreate a one day Outer London
Travelcard, and protect the 24 hour Freedom Pass.
For more information on these and all our other policies please visit brianpaddick.com/manifesto.
Filed under Brent and Harrow Campaign News
Brent Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Paul Lorber has challenged the Brent library figures on which Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Culture, relied when he decided not to order an inquiry into Brent Council’s library closures.
A letter sent to the Brent SOS libraries campaign by government lawyers says that the Secretary of State doesn’t need to intervene because:
“Brent Council have confirmed that the figures they hold for library visit numbers for December 2011 and January 2012 show substantial increases in visits to the six remaining libraries – as compared with figures for the same months for the previous year.”
However, this is wholly inaccurate as figures uncovered by Councillor Lorber show that overall library usage has dropped by nearly 20,000 visits a month. It is not clear whether Brent Council shared these figures with the government before Jeremy Hunt made his decision.
I will continue to join Councillor Lorber and the rest of the Brent Liberal Democrats in supporting Brent SOS libraries, and opposing the Labour councils misguided closures.
Filed under Brent and Harrow Campaign News
This weekend I was out campaigning in Dollis Hill for the by-election prompted by the sad death of Liberal Democrat Councillor Alec Castle.
On Sunday I was delighted to join Brent Central MP and Education Minister Sarah Teather, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, and local campaigner Alison Hopkins, speaking to residents in the area. Once again, I found much frustration at Labour’s cuts to street cleaning which have left many of the streets in Dollis Hill dirty, as well as the closing of libraries – an issue on which local Lib Dems have been extremely active.
The by-election will be held on March 22nd.
Filed under Brent and Harrow Campaign News
Over the last few weeks I’ve been out and about, knocking on doors and highlighting ways Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly have and will make the lives of people in Brent and Harrow a bit easier.
http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615
One of the key issues across all aparts of London, but particularly areas such as Brent and Harrow is transport. I joined fellow GLA candidates Chris Richards, Dawne Barnes, and Bridget Fox Kings Cross St. Pancras Station to explain to commuters the Liberal Democrat ideas for making fairs farer.
The ideas include:
These are practical ideas that will make a tangible difference to people.
Last weekend I also had the pleasure of joining Caroline Pidgeon and Cllr. Paul Lorber in meeting some of the inspiring volunteers who have put up a pop-up library in Kensal Green, after the Labour Council closed it. They even got their library running 7 days a week!
Libraries are not just about borrowing books, in places like Brent they are key community centres, where teenagers can peacefully work, where parents can bring their young children to groups, where people can access the internet and IT resources. The decision to shut 6 libraries in Brent is highly irresponsible, and I am proud the Lib Dems in the area are standing up for local people and campaigning against the closures.
Filed under Brent and Harrow Campaign News
At the Harrow Quiz Night that I attended last weekend, it was announced to everyone that there was a by-election being held in Wembley Central for a seat on Brent Council. This is a ward the Lib Dems had three councillors in until May 2010, and so is definitely winnable.
Yesterday I went out canvassing with the candidate Affifa Pervez, Brent Lib Dems Chair Bob Wharton, and Harrow Lib Dems Chair John Skipworth.People really seem to respond to Affifa personally, which was very encouraging.
Polling day is on December 22nd, and I’ll certainly be doing some more campaigning in the ward in the build up!
Filed under Brent and Harrow Campaign News
