Respect Areas and Hibs up and down form!

I was interested to hear of the Governments plans to target high crime areas with more resources in what they are calling "Respect Areas". This sounds like a very positive move to me and is reward to local authorities who are making a real effort to combat anti-social behaviour using the rangeof new powers given to them by this Labour Government.
Unfortunatley I dont think that Southwark Council will be included thanks to the heel dragging prevarication of the Lib Dem/Tory Coalition who have failed to tackle ASB in the borough thanks to their political dislike of the Government. In fact the Lib Dems are committed to reverse all of the Legislation if they were ever in a position of political power to do so! (not a realistic proposition I admit!)
So we may miss the boat again thanks to this pathetic bunch running the Council at the moment!

My advice to them is that they need to start using the powers given to them in a more effective way and really start tackling anti social behaviour on the Estates. I also suggest that they review the efectiveness of the Community Wardens against the cost, curretly nearing £6Million per year of Council Tax Payers money! The Labour Group position on this is to reduce the wardens scheme and have them focus on enviro crime in the Town Centres, freeing up funds to employ more PCSO's for target "Hot Spot" Wards nd to invest in better street lighting and other anti crime initiatives.

I am back in Edinburgh with my parents for the festive season and the Scottish Parliamentary Elections are already in focus. I hope to come up and help out during the Elections and hopefully keep labour in control. The prospect of an SNP Executive and a Referendum within a year on Independance would be catestrophic for the Scottish economy so I hope that my countrymen think very long and hard before voting SNP in May and think of the long term consequences of an Independant Scotland!

Hibs had a great 5-1 victory over St. Mirren and followed up with a 2-3 defeat to Hearts in a game that they dominated, snatching defeat from the jaws of Victory through bad goalkeeping (again!!!) and ill discipline(AGAIN!!!!!!!!).

Two more home games to go and a couple of cup games in January with a host of players suspended or looking to move so the ship needs to be stabilised soon or we could wreck our season in the space of 3 weeks!

ASBO's and Naming and Shaming

I have just come across the Tory/Lib Dem apologist Andy Mayer's Blog today whining on about the evils of ASBO's and Naming and Shaming based on SLP coverage of the Woodene murder trial.

The Southwark Labour Group strongly supports a "naming and shaming" policy (although I personally dont like the tag as it suggests Wanted Posters on bus shelters) as it can be effective in notifying local people of exclusion zones of ASBO recipients and more quickly identify breaches. The East Dulwich Estate situation was a perfect example and even the Executive Member softened his opposition in this case.

The Lib Dem policy if they ever were to get into a position of power ( hard top contemplate I know!) is to repeal all of the Government's ASB Legislation so the question to Mr Mayer and his virtual cronies is "what would the lib dems do?".

It is a bit like the "wwjd" wrist bands that some Christians wear as we really have no idea how the Lib Dems would fulfill all their empty promised as well as reduce the basic rates of income tax and cut public spending by over £21 Billion! Of course their current bed fellows in Southwark Town Hall are also promiseing similar cuts in public spending but even the tories have gone quiet on reducing basic rates of income tax!!

Being vague just wont cut the mustard as we run up to a general Election with Gordon Brown as Prime Minister and I look forward to them arguing economics with him in the House as there will only be one winner!!!

Lib Dem/Tory Council acting unconstitutionally!!!

Today the Labour members of OSC have called in the decision to delete the Strategic Director of Housing Post as it was taken by the Executive obviously completely unaware that under the Council Constitution such a decision can only be taken by Council Assembly!

This bunch are so pathetic and amatuer that they dont even understand their own Constitution!!!

I attended a feedback session with the new Chief Executive which was very pleasant and she announced follow up walkabouts in the Spring to "fix things"?

I really am not sure that that is the best model for action in the Borough with the CEO pointing to things and shouting "fix that!" to her bag carriers!

I would love things to get "fixed" in Camberwell Green Ward through a Council that is actually working effectively rather than through the personal patronage of a Senior Officer. This is the same management style being operated by the Deputy Leader and Housing Executive Member with teams of staff cleaning up prior to arrival and a brief visit captured in full by his personal photographer!!

This really cant be the way forward can it????


I am back in Edinburgh for a couple of weeks with my parents and hope to catch Hibs 3 home matches.

In January there is the Legaue Cup Semi Final against St. Johnstone and an away Scottish Cup tie against Aberdeen.

Charlton put in a £3 Million for both Scott and Thompson which was rejected by 20 minutes but I fear that they will go in the January window possibly to Bolton or Spurs! As long as it not Celtic or Rangers!!!

I am looking forward to a good rest before battle commences once again in early jan with our OSC Call-In

Banging heads against brick walls !!!!

I spent much of Wednesday night banging my head of the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition wall, not a very pleasant experience !

They are out of control and dont give a single thought to democratic accountability as can be seen by them tagging on the Special meeting on Housing at the ned of the Ordinary one, hence it began after midnight and the Lib Dem moved straight to the vote after both motions had been proposed!


They are all a very poor excuse for local politicians and really deserve nothing but contempt!!!

I can only hope that there are a few within their ranks who will not tolerate this over the next three and a half years but I am not holding my breath!!

I attended OSC last night, my last meeting before the Christmas break and am looking forward to going to Edinburgh for a couple of weeks.

Hibs play 3 times at home and the only other game is away to Hearts at Tynecastle so we are hoping for a good haul of points to keep us in the hunt for 3rd place. I am not sure that either Thompson or Brown will be around at the end of the Transfer window but hope that they go to Bolton or another English club and stay well clear of the Old Firm who have been responsible for destroying a lot of young scottish talent over recent years!!!

I am looking forward to the London Hibernain Supporters Club Burns Night when I get back on the same day as the League Cup Semi Final against St. Johnstone so hopefully we will be in a party mood!!!!

Serious Violent Crime in Camberwell, Housing Chaos and Hibs rejuvination!!!!

In the past month we have had the shooting outside of Aristocrats and another gun and knife incident amongst gang members operating in Southwark and Lambeth but apparently focussing their gang warfare around Camberwell.

I had a bullet go through my bedroom window which the police are soon to extract from my window frame so i am conscious of the problems first hand and how insecure it makes you feel.

I have lived in Camberwell for 22 years and love the place for lots of reasons but the Council and the police really have to target resources in the area to resptotoond adequately to the current level of vioelnt crime. Yet to date we have neard nothing from the Council and that is why I am seconding a motion to Council Assembly demanding that they do so! Of course the Lib Dems oppose all legislation aimed at tackling violent and anti social behaviour and would revoke it all if they were in charge!!!

This is an area of policy that really shows the Lib Dems at their dithering worst unable and unwilling to take any decisive action prefering to leave everything to the police and blaming the Government!

Within Southwark Council complete chaos ensues with the break up of the Housing Department(strange from the largest landlords in London?)and managment changes on an almost daily basis emailed through to our blackberries without any notice or consultation( apart from occassional leaks to Southwark News!!!

The Council is now being run by the Tory rump led by Kim Humphries who has promised a transformation in 100 days! At this rate the transformation into a complete shambles will occur a lot quicker than 100 days! the pathetically weak Lib Dems are being poulled around by the nose by the Tories and I am glad that Cllr. Danny McCarthy has had enough, and if rumours are true more are likely to follow!

Of course it is the residents of Southwark who will suffer the longer that the tories are given cart blanche with the Housing Department and the Council Finances and hopefully things will come to a head at Budget setting time early in 2007!!!

We are putting our Christmas card out across the ward. I think that they look good and we should repeat it each year.

Hibs continue to win under John Collins and I am looking forward to the Christmas break and seeing Hibs play 3 times over the festive period.Yesterday I saw Dulwich Hamlet win at Champion Hill to keep on top of the Ryman Division 1. Fisher Athletic have been wobbling and Justin Edinburgh's departure wont help so they may struglle to stay in the top 3 in the Conference South.