Council Assembly, Lakanal tribute and Danny returns!!!

Council Assembly took place last night and a potentially contentious meeting went through with some heated discussion but relatively calm.
The Labour Group laid flowers at the foot of Lakanal House to remember the dead of that tragic event and all parties spoke well praising the Fire, Police and Ambulance Services, and I praised the Council staff, Housing officers, Community Wardens and others for their efforts well and above the call of duty!

The BBC cameras were there to film and interview and disappointing the Mayor refuse their request to film our tributes to the dead and the people who worked so hard to save them and others. Cant understand why the Lib Dems and Tories did not allow it!

There was cross party support for an Independent Inquiry into all of the events before during and after the fire and a commitment to being open and inclusive and getting some of the answers that residents of Lakanal want and need!

Much of the debate on the night was around the Elephant and Castle but again a clear cross-party commitment to making the regeneration happen for the benefit of local people and I hope that the deal with land lease will be done and dusted in the very near future. I argued for more communication and clarity with key Labour Group Members which was necessary to ensure political consensus around this absolutely vital regeneration project! It has been and will always be far too important for party political squabbling to jeopardise it's success and all parties are absolutely clear on that!
The dispicable attempts of the Lib Dem/Tory Coalition to force Danny McCarthy to resign were fiunally put to bed last night!

The Tories, after once again promising to support us, were about to renage on their word, so we simply wheeled Danny in out of his hospital bed!! As se of those opposite came over to shake his hand and make small talk I reminded him of the phenomenon of crocodiles who as they eat their pray often trigger the tear ducts into shedding a tear!