Labour unveils plan for a better, safer Lambeth in 2010

With just six weeks to go to local elections on May 6th, Labour Councillors in Lambeth have unveiled their manifesto for 2010 onwards. The manifesto, which was written alongside party members and local residents, sets out Labour’s commitments to local people and describes what Labour councillors will do as the people’s champions at the Town Hall.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Steve Reed said ‘Labour’s worked hard to put Lambeth Council back on the side of residents and today Lambeth is officially the fastest improving council in the country with no council tax increase for two years and crime significantly reduced. I want people to keep our new manifesto and hold us to what we pledge today. We asked residents to do this when they supported us four years ago and our record shows that we have kept our promises – that’s why they can trust us to do it again’.

The manifesto includes commitments on value for money where Labour has pledged to keep Council tax as low as possible; on crime where the plan is to have a anti-social behaviour hit squad; on investment on subs-standard roads and pavements; on youth services where the promise is to have things for young people to do within a mile of every home and a major expansion of sport and leisure facilities with four new pools and free swimming for everyone.

Here are five ways Labour has made Lambeth better since Lambeth residents chose Labour to replace a failed Tory-Lib Dem coalition in May 2006:

• Frozen council tax for two years – after the Tory-Lib Dem coalition forced through a 40% hike.


• Opened two new brand new schools and refurbished many others with 3 more on the way – when the Tory-Lib Dem coalition left 500 children without a school place.


• Doubled spending on youth services – after the Tory-Lib Dem coalition left Lambeth with the worst funded services in London


• Cut out £30million of waste and stabilised the finances – after Tory-Lib Dem coalition lost millions in fraud.

Cut crime by boosting neighbourhood police teams and getting tough on drug dealers – when the Tory-Lib Dem coalition did not issue a single ASBO in three years and tried to legalise kerb crawling.