Cllr Caroline Pidgeon, Lib Dem GLA candidate for Lambeth & Southwark, today joined mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, Camden & Barnet GLA candidate Nick Russell, Simon Hughes MP, the leaders of Southwark and Camden councils, Cllr Nick Stanton and Cllr Keith Moffit, and Lib Dem supporters on Waterloo Bridge to show their commitment to the early delivery of the Cross River Tram.
London Liberal Democrats have launched their 2008 Manifesto, “Contract with London”. The Contract for London was launched by Vincent Cable MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London and Duwayne Brooks, who was with Stephen Lawrence on the night he was murdered.
Plans to strip Streatham of its dedicated police force have been slated by local Liberal Democrats. News of the plan to merge the Streatham and Norwood sub-command with Brixton has emerged, following the revelation that the police want to close their main station in Streatham High Road.
Lambeth and Southwark GLA candidate Caroline Pidgeon commented: "For Streatham to lose its police station is bad enough, but it is another matter altogether for the area to lose its own police force, with its own senior police officers."
Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone's latest transport plans have been slammed for scarcely mentioning our part of South London. Livingstone has launched a 14-page transport manifesto, but key schemes for our area like the Cross River Tram and East London Line Extension rate just a single mention. Neither has secured full funding from Labour.
Labour politicians are rushing to get local police stations closed, even before consultation on their future has been completed. The Greater London Assembly is seeking views on whether Rotherhithe, Streatham, East Dulwich, Cavendish Road (Clapham) and Camberwell police stations should go. But Lambeth and Southwark's Labour London Assembly Member has already backed closure - before her own constituents got a chance to have a say.
Lambeth Council Taxpayers are reeling at news that they once again are to get London's biggest tax rise.
Labour-run Lambeth has hiked Council Tax by another 4.75% on top of last year's 4.99%. Both were the biggest rises in London.
Both rises also break a Labour election promise that tax rises would not be bigger than rises in average wages.
Lib Dem GLA candidate for Lambeth and Southwark, Cllr Caroline Pidgeon joined Simon Hughes MP and local councillors and campaigners at Post Office Ltd's HQ to hand in a petition signed by over 3,500 people against the planned closures of local branches in the two boroughs.
Commenting, Caroline said:
"The support from local residents for our local post offices has been overwhelming and shows the central role that these branches play in the lives of people in both Lambeth and Southwark.
Liberal Democrat Steve Bradley has won the Vassall by-election held on 20 March. He was elected with over 50% of the vote and with a 12% swing to the Liberal Democrats.
Newly elected Councillor Steve Bradley said, "I would like to thank people of Vassall for giving me the chance to be their representative at the Town Hall.
"On the doorsteps, people said to me, 'It's time for a change.' The message is clear - Labour are on the way out."
Local Liberal Democrats across south London are gearing up to fight the latest government threat to Lambeth's post offices.
Post Office Ltd has announced that it is proposing to close branches all across South London including in Vauxhall. Lambeth post offices threatened with closure in Vauxhall include those at Acre Lane, Vauxhall Street and Clapham High Street, as well as Abbeville Road nearby in Clapham.
Speaking at the launch of his Mayoral Campaign in Brixton Town Hall, Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate Brian Paddick pledged to put cutting crime in London at the heart of his bid to win the mayoral race.