Thursday, December 16, 2010

Bad news on Cuts in Southwark, a mixed year for me and Hibs struggling again!!


I am off to Edinburgh for Christmas and New Year with dad and the family!!
I am coming back to deal with the consequences of the very bad news about the Southwark settlement from this revolting CON DEM Coalition!! We have been working through a worst case scenario of £20M cuts and have now learned that we have to find £33M of cuts over 11% and the worst financial cuts in London!! And we have to find another £17M cuts the year after so devastating news and Southwark residents will suffer because of this draconian right wing CON DEM Coalition who are doing this because they want to and not because they have to!!
It has been a mixed year for me starting with deselection and the death of my mother in March but followed by selection and election in Brunswick Park Ward and a fantastic victory in the Southwark Elections and now six months as Cabinet Member for Community Safety!!
The death of my dear friend Clare Cozens was also a terrible blow to all of us and I was honoured to attend and read at her Memorial Service at St.Giles last Saturday we all miss her!!!
A good year for Awards with the Tilley Award and the Noise Abatement Society Award for the Council and the Mayor's Green 500 Award at London Met, hope it continues next year!!

On the Hibs front 4th place last season was followed by a good pre-season and an early exit from the Europa Cup but our season was ruined by the last day snatch of Anthony Stokes by Celtic which effectively cost John Hughes his job so not with Colin Calderwood in charge the Jury is still out!! Some poor performances and the fantastic 3-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox so who knows!! Plan to go with dad to Easter Road over the break to judge for myself weather permitting!