Council Assembly signals end of Administration, The India Club, Scotland win in Dublin and Hibs lose at Tynecastle!!

We have the final Council Assembly of the current Administration tomorrow evening and hopefully the last one with a Tory/Lib Dem Coalition in power!!
In Brunswick Park Ward we have all our leaflet material and Nomination paperwork complete and are out helping our "twinned" ward in South Camberwell!
This is really the last week of Council Meetings then I am off to Edinburgh for Easter and then straight into the Election campaign!!
Met up with "Alderman" Ian Driver last night for a drink in the Princes Louise and then off to the India Club, my favorite curry house!!!
Saying farewell to my colleagues Susan Elan Jones and Andrew Pakes as they leave London to fight in their respective Parliamentary Contituencies with Alison McGovern having her farewell next week which i unfortunately will miss as I am in Scotland!! Good luck to them all and would be great to have all three of them in the House of Commons in May!!

Scotland at last performed as we all know they can with a fantastic victory over Ireland at Croke Park!! All in all a poor season but some very good signs and lots to work on for next year's World Cup!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8578777.stm

Hibs played very poorly again against Hearts going down 2-1 but from the highlights could have been much worse! The slump continues an we are struggling badly!! Sad highlights below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8579049.stm

Campaigning in full swing, Housing in a mess, a Cinema for Camberwell and Hibs and Scotland throw away leads to draw!

It feels like the Election is already in full swing with lots of leafleting and Campaigning in Brunswick Park , our "twinned" ward of South Camberwell and of course our Target Wards!

Trying to keep engaged with Camberwell Green issues including the Gala Bingo Hall, St. Michaels and All Angels new build, Mid- Elmington redevelopment, the D'Eynesford Pit and the Grosvenor Terrace T&RA and plans to sell off their Tenants Hall.
I am also going to Brunswick Park T&RA Meetings, good to go to Sceaux Gardens AGM last week and see a lots of familiar faces from 8 years ago and get a very nice welcome back. Hope to go to Wilson's Road and Lettsom Meetings in the next month. Of course the D'Eynesford Estate is split betwen both wards so no continuity problems there!

Steve Lancashire has made a really good You Tube video on Housing repair problems and you can see it below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcNO9CYug9Y&feature=autofb
It will be great to have someone of Steve's ability back on the Council again!!
It is good to read that the Cinema for Camberwell campaigners met with the Gala Bingo Hall owners Medinbrand and the RCCG to discuss the future and the idea of a "Camberwell Village Hall" is developing which sounds promising but apparently there is the suggestion of a "moral veto" on uses which i think may be problematic and in any case any arrangements would have to be backed up by a Legal Agreement at Planning Committee to protect the range of uses before any Change of Use could be considered.
But at least the two sides are talking and that has to be a good thing so I will watch from afar with interest!!

There is still much concern at the new St. Micheals and All Angels plans for their new School. It would be a real pity if the plans go to committee without local residents support after all the efforts that have been made so I hope that the two sides can get some agreement ahead of Committee but again i wont be involved as it will be after May.

Hibs struggled against Ross County at home and face a difficult away game in Dingwall (about as far North as you can get!) on the 23rd March! A win will give us a Semi-Final game against Celtic at Hampden!!Details below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8563556.stm

Scotland were a bit unlucky to draw with England with Dan Parkes hitting the post twice with kicks but overall am playing well below par and finish off with against Ireland in Dublin which looks a very tricky match!

Highlights of Calcutta Cup game below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8563075.stm

As I would rather see Ireland win that France or England I wont be too upset if Scotland are put to the sword on Saturday!! The Friary name allows me to support both teams so I cant lose!!

Busy at Town Hall, Gala Bingo and Hibs and Arsenal win!!

It is another busy week at the Town Hall and around as the last meetings of the current Administration take place. I attended my last OSC last night and have my last Scrutiny A Meeting on Wednesday where hopefully we can agree the Housing Repairs Scrutiny Report!
Campaigning in Brunswick Park and around Southwark continues and builds up pace as we more closer to the Election deadline with a real feeling of confidence amongst Labour members about both the National and the Local Election Results a so all to fight for!!

As I expected I have had a mixed reaction to my comments on the Gala Bingo Hall and it's future and the reality is of course that this is not and will not become a debate on race or religion but one of Planning Policy and "Change of Use". This is the last of the 4 Cinemas of Camberwell and I think that the Council has a duty to preserve it for public, community and entertainment use which is what the current classification does. It will not reach Planning committee until after May so I will not be the Ward Councillor anyway but way make my views known as a local resident which it is my right to do. it would be very unfortunate and rather cynical if anyone attempts to suggest any sinister motivation behind this campaign as the Group established to have a Cinema in Camberwell was created before any news of the Church sale was made public!!
Hibs got back to winning ways and hopefully ended the slump with a 1-0 win over Kilmarnoock in the strangely quiet Easter Road with the demolition of the old East Stand underway:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8554625.stm

I was at the Emirates on Saturday to see Arsenal beat Burnley rather comfortably 3 -1 in the end but struggle with lots of the play and poor finishing but a really good day out and great to see Tsui and James again!


There is a brilliant mural at the Emirates with all the players past and present in a Group Photo, I picked out the Wenger Generation!!
Worth a look next time you are in the area or at a match!!

Gala Bingo Hall, BPK Campaigning very positive, Hibs need to beat Killie and going to watch Arsenal vs Burnley tomorrow!

There was a very well attended Camberwell Community Council in the week and a discussion on the Gala Bingo Hall.

This is the last of the 4 old Camberwell Cinemas that could be brought back to use and I am disappointed that Gala were not even prepared to talk to us but sell to an Evangelical Church RCCG who will now seek a Change of Use Permission at Planning.
This is the last chance to bring back into use an old cinema and really develop an entertainment cnetre for all but looks like the opportunity has gone although I think with 5 churches in the area and a change of use required there is a strong possibility of Planning Permission being refused as has happened in Crystal Palace where Gala again sold their building to the RCCG without any local consultation. I will watch with interest !!

Great to see the new Tiger Pub at Camberwell Green open with the original frontage back for all to see!! Hope it is a big success and plan to visit very very soon!!

Brunswick Park Campaigning going extremely well and reassuring to see the vote on the big estates as strong as ever!!

It is going to be a long hard 10 weeks til polling day but critical to do as much as we can to keep the Tories and the Lib Dems out of the House of Commons and the Town Hall!!!
Hibs take on Killie tomorrow and need to get back to winning ways!!

I am at the Emirates to see Arsenal take on Burnley and perhaps go top of the Premiership even for a day!

Interested to see ex-Hibs Stephen Fletcher line up for Burnley!!

Budget Setting, a Cinema for Camberwell, Opinion Polls looking good and Hibs come out of slump slowly!!

A busy week in the Town Hall with the Budget Setting Council Assembly and a very nervy performance from the Lib Dems as they realise how popular our budget proposals, especially our plans for Free School Meals!!
Sad to hear that Kim Humphries is standing down and it is a real pity that the Tories dont recognise Kim's ability and experience with a seat but I dont blame him for saying enough is enough! A real loss to the Council even although he is a Tory!! In fact I will miss Richard thomas, Caroline Pidgeon and Lorraine Zuleta( assuming I am re-elected!) and I recognise their commitment and hard work over the years even although I have not always agreed with them!!
The SLP covered a Campaign to get a Cinema in Camberwell, a long standing goal given impetus by the closure of Gala Bingo Hall, a fantastic old Cinema which would be perfect to convert back to a Cinema a which I am sure would be very successful in Camberwell!
It appears to have been bought by a Church and that of course will be a matter for the Planning Committee in the future!
http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=7277&headline=Uproar%20as%20church%20buys%20Camberwell%20bingo%20hall&vote=yes



The Opinion Polls continue to look good for us and the possibility of a historic 4th Labour Term in Government!! The BBC have a great site showing the closing of the Polls over time, all looking good for a may Election!! See site below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8280050.stm

Hibs are hopefully coming out of their slump having at least picked up a pount at home against our bogey team for this season St. Johnstone!
Wehave dropped to 4th behind Dundee Utd. but need to get back on track soon with important Scottish Cup and SPL Games coming up!
Highlights at link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8542083.stm

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=7277&headline=Uproar%20as%20church%20buys%20Camberwell%20bingo%20hall&vote=yes

Great Weekend in Kent, Budget Setting in Town Hall and Hibs start on Final Stand at Easter Road

I had a very good weekend at Broadstairs with Ian, Joe and Kids and visited Herne Bay and Canterbury Citizens Advice Bureaux and have now volunteered to lok at all the national H&S Policies if they are interested!
met up with Stuart and Jackie Witcher in the famous Eagle Pub In Faversham and they were on as good form as ever!


Back to Council and campaigning work this week and been able to reproduce the brilliant Rotten Boroughs piece from Private Eye which really needs no further comment really does it!!

Budget sting Council Assembly on Wednesday so we had to announce our Manifesto commitment to provide Free School Meals which I think will be a vote winner and a great step forward for Southwark Schools!
All the Lib Dems can think of to do with Rate Payers money is to spend £12Million on our Old Town Halls alongside the £150Million on the new Offices at Tooley Streeet! really shows where their priorities are!!


Hibs lost at Motherwell on Saturday and again failed to keep 11 men on the pitch during the game which cost us dear! Highlights below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8527167.stm

On a much brighter note the work on the final Stand at Easter Road begins at last on the 22nd of February to be complete early next season taking the Capacity upto over 20,000.
Hibs seem to be a well run club and a £4M Training Complex and a new Stand really shows that they are ambitious in the longer term and Easter Road will be the 3rd largest and best club ground in Scotland with the 3rd best team!!

Campaigning Weekend, St. Michael's and All Angels, Refreshers Fair and Scotland and Hibs lose!!

Lots of campaigning over weekend in Brunswick Park Ward and our twin South Camberwell as well as Borough campaigning in Peckham Rye and even got in some telephone canvassing for Alison McGovern for Wirral South!!

Response generally very good in areas where we would not necessarily expect it so a very positive if tiring experience!!

I have been involved last week with meeting about the propose new St Michael's and All Angels School in the Camberwell Green Ward and another one tonight!

Looks like the developers have listened to public concerns and made significant changes which are still on-going ahead of a Planning Application in March. It is desperately needed and funded with Labour Government money but the residents need to be on-board and their concerns taken into accounts which it looks like is happening!

I was on the stall at the Rocket on Thursday for the Refreshers Fair and managed to shift most of the freebies! Always good fun to do if tiring on the legs!!

It was very disappointing to see Scotland go down at the Millennium Stadium after an excellent performance but to end the game with 13 on the field tells it's own story and we could not hold out! But we were the better team of that there is no doubt! Wales were very fortunate!!

A similar story with Hibs really dropping 2 points mid-week against Aberdeen at home and then going down 3-0 to Rangers at Ibrox! Still playing well and playing good football but the Rangers defence was just too strong for us!!

Southwark in Rotten Boroughs again!, CGS and recycling, Hibs go for second spot and Scotland take on the French at Murrayfield!!

Interesting article in Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs outlining the many failings of Southwark Council, most of it oitlined by us in Council Assembly last week!

http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=rotten_boroughs

News from the Executive that they will cut funding on CCTV so we got a Press release out about that it just does not make any sense, CCTV works as a deterence, reassurrance and actually does solve crime! We need more not less!!
We have provisionally agreed the CGS Funding for this year to be confirmed at the next Camberwell Community Council. These projects have had a significant impact in the area and glad to see the D'Eynesford Pit is completed. The Orchard project is well underway. Hope that the Wyndham and Comber Frontage gets moving soon!
I am now the proud owner of Southwark Council clear recycling bags with a Monday pick up so I will fully support this and not take my stuff to the bins in the Green and hopefully encourage the Pilot as it really is a very good if long overdue initiative!!

Hibs still winning and are clear in 3rd place and if we will the game in hand could go second above Celtic!

Good last minute win on Saturday over St. Mirren with a last minute og!

Good sign that we dont play well and win!!

Highlights below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/default.stm

The 6 Nations Rugby kick of this weekend and after a good Autumn with that fantastic win over Australia, Scotland can feel very positive as we take on the French at Murrayfield, always slow starters especially away from Paris!!

Council Assembly, Community Council, Murray in Australian Open Final and Hibs fantastic win at Parkhead!!

A rather tedious Council Assembly last night with lots of mindnumbing, I mean grandstanding from the Lib Dems about what a great job they had done over the last 8 years.

We were happy to remind them that despite a 37% increase in Government funding from this Labour Government they:

- have had their Audit Commission rating reduced to 2 stars, the worst Council rating in Inner London

- have been "red flagged" for failures in Decent Homes

- have been heavily criticised by the Care Quality Commission, with a rating of "adequate"

- have social care in the worst eight

- have the lowest Council tax collection in London and the 3rd lowest in the Country (they refused to accept a quarter per cent increase for this year!!)

- have the 6th lowest recycling collection rate in England(Tories apaparently critical of them in Dulwich Newsletter yet seconded their motion!! - you could not make it up could you?)

- trying to force through an Elephant and Castle deal with no Masterplan or any plans for the Shopping Centre or Transport

- have a Canada Water Library currently £6M over budget and running costs of £1M per year!

- no coherent Town Centre Management Strategy although agreed it cross-party in 2006!!

The Camberwell Community Council had an interesting on Burgess Park with Youth Council Members contributing to the discussion.

A really positive event! We really need to engage young people in a more regular and structured way and I believe an active Youth Council plus a Youth Mayor is the way to do this!

Ian, Norma and I met to discuss the Election Strategy and hopefully our first Newsletter should be going out next week!

Great news to see Scot and Hibs supporter Andy Murray get through to the Australian Open Final this morning.

The blow by blow account below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8484401.stm

Even better news was the stunning 2-1 away win by Hibs over Celtic at Parkhead with youngster Danny Galbraith scoring the winner in the last minute!!

Sorry that we are helping Rangers out but a great win and we are really looking like a solid squad and a 3rd place shoe in!!

Look at the highlights below and weep (Celtic fans!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8484344.stm

Burns Night, Comminuty Council and Hibs keep winning!!!

I had a very nice Burns Supper last night with a few whiskies to wash it down and even a couple of Cypriat Brandies to follow!!

Camberwell Community Council tonight with Council Assembly on Wednesday as we close in on the Election run-in!! No doubt loads of grandstanding to be had over the next few months!!! God preserve us!!!

Hibs continue to impres with a 5-1 thrashing of Hamilton at the weekend and Stokes and Riordan scoring for fun and we look much beter at the back!!

Long may it continue wioth 3rd place looking a strong possibility and a Europa cup spot!!

Highlights of Saturday's game below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/default.stm

Brunswick Park Ward Selection and Hibs beat the "Meadow"!

Big news for me of course is that I was selected by the 35+ Members of the Brunswick Ward Labour Party on a very cold Friday evening to stand as a Labour Party Candidate for their Ward in this year's Southwark Council Elections. As you can imagine I am very grateful to those Members and to have the opportunity to continue as a Camberwell Councillor and represent the residents of Brunswick Park Ward, a patch I know very well as a previous Brunswick Ward Member from 1994 to 2002 before the boundaries changed!
The important thing now after a difficult situation over the Past 2 months is to focus on the job at hand, delivering a victory in Brunswick Park Ward, Southwark Council and the UK as a whole for a historic and unparalleled 4th Term Labour Government and the Opinion Polls are sharply moving back in the right direction as the "airbrushed" Cameron becomes gradually more exposed!! Watching Cameron on the Andrew Marr Show at the moment is a timely reminder to me why I do this to keep him and his sort out of power for as long as Humanly possible!!! Perhaps rumours of my death were greatly exaggerated!!!
I am sad for my good friends Sandra Rhule and Mark Williams who were not selected. Sandra has been a fantastic colleague to work with and i hope to continue to work with her in the future and I feel for Mark especially as he was Selected in the first running so must feel very disappointed but he accepted the result with good grace despite my profound guilt but he did remind me that he will still be under 30 by the time of the 2014 Elections so he has time on his side and will be a truly fantastic Councillor for Camberwell and Southwark! For me I cant pretend that the Camberwell Green wounds have fully healed but I need to get over that as quickly as possible and move on and I will!!!
Hibs got through to the next round of the Scottish Cup after a historic game against Irvine Meadow, the first ever competitive match between a SPL team againt a Junior Team, only possible because of recent SFA rule changes.
Inevitably the Meadow came away with all the plaudits if not the result and details are at link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/8442110.stm

Fire in Camberwell, BPK Selection tonight and Willi Soukoup!

Back to London and back to work and a major fire in the ward on Wednesday as another building site went up in flames, with over 75 firefighters tackling it and over 150 people evacuated.

By the time I got there the site was closed off but residents were back in their homes. Made local TV News and another site fire in Southwark!!! Story well covered in Southwark News:

http://www.southwarknews.co.uk/

Good story about Leaseholders in Peronet House being hit with £12000+ bills for Fire safety Works after Lakanal Fire!! Once again it is the Leaseholders who are penalised!!

The News also covered the Brunswick Park Ward Selection Meeting tonight and my last chance to be selected so I am hopefully for a good turnout of people who I actually recognise and hopefully they might select me?

Just put in a CGS Bid to have the Pied Piper Relief by Willi Soukoup Remounted in Camberwell Green.

Also a Memorial to Sid Bates VC "A True Camberwell Boy"!!!

I would love to see more sculptures and memorials around Camberwell so hopefully this will get through. Also included in bid is some upgrading to Play Area.

BPK Decides, Tory Airbrushed Poster and Hibs draw Derby match!!

The Brunswick Park Ward Shortlisting Meeting was held on Monday and i have been shortlisted with the Selection Meeting on Friday evening! This is my last chance saloon so weather permitting and a good turnout of Members I hopefully have a chance of being selected!!
I spotted this version of the new Tory Poster on the Labour Goes Forth Facebook site and it made me smile!!
Tory tax plans are also in tatters after it clear that their numbers dont add up again!! Not a very good launch week for the Tory machine!!
Hibs and Hearts fought out a 1-1 draw with the usual head butting, sendings off and bookings galore!! The Fans loved it!!!
Highlights below;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8436134.stm