Thank you to all who supported our campaign and who voted Labour
Local campaigns
St Helier Hospital acute services
We are the only major party to oppose the decision to move vital services from St Helier Hospital to and Epsom Hospitals to Belmont. This will mean longer travel times for people in St Helier and surrounding areas, putting patients at risk, heavier traffic in the Belmont area, and more demand on the already overstretched St Georges and Croydon Hospitals.
It’s still not clear how this plan will go ahead (in spite of what our local MP is saying) as the Government have slashed the budget for new hospitals, while the costs have gone up.
Sutton’s Lib Dem Council refused to ask for the plan to be reviewed, and their Scrutiny Committee Chair didn’t even allow it to be discussed!
Fair heating costs for Hackbridge New Mill residents
We support the NMQ’s residents’ struggle to overturn the unfair energy charges levied by Sutton Council’s SDEN energy supplier. We have uncovered evidence of lack of transparency on the part of Lib Dem councillors resulting in the scheme being set up when it could not be justified financially. See our statement on the indepedend report.
Better services for children with special educational needs and disabilites
We know that Councils are short of money due to Government cuts, but other Local Authorities manage to provide a better service than Sutton. Following their failed Ofsted inspection in 2019, Sutton Counci-owned company Cognus have managed to get through their latest Ofsted without apparently improving services to young people and their carers – in fact the relationship between Sutton Council / Cognus and parent carers seems to have broken down.
We want to see Councillors make sure that Cognus consult with parent carers and young people to make sure that scarce resources are used in the best way possible
Proper consultation of residents about traffic schemes
The Lib Dem Council’s Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes were poorly considered and implemented. A lot of people are not happy with the way parking zones and permits have been put in. We support the need to reduce traffic and improve air quality, but changes shouldn’t be imposed from above. We have been listening to residents about what they want and will demand further consultations from the Council.Read more
Holding our local Conservative MP to account
Our local MP Elliot Colburn has made some disappointing decisions in deciding whether or how to vote in Parliament. He failed to oppose fire and rehire of workers, failed to oppose cuts to holiday time school meals, failed to turn up for the debate on cladding on tall buildings, voted against an amendment to protect our high food safety standards against foreign imports, voted against implementing WHO recommended air quality targets, and, most noticeably, failed to oppose the cuts to our local hospital. As one local commentator remarked, ‘He must be one of the only MPs to vote AGAINST retaining a General Hospital in his constituency’
Are your local Councillors doing their job?
Councillors should be monitoring Council services and making sure they are delivered properly. They should answer questions from residents, not block them. They should be open and honest about their plans for your area and not try to mislead you.
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