Labour defeated over schools and pool…

Lewisham council

Labour defeated over schools and pool…

LEWISHAM SOCIALIST Party councillors Ian Page and Chris Flood are
leading the way in two long-running campaigns; the fight for a new
school in the north of the borough and the battle to save Ladywell
swimming pool.

Under the last Labour administration, Labour mayor, Steve Bullock,
rejected parents’ demands to build a much-needed school in the north of
Lewisham. Instead, they decided to demolish the recently refurbished
swimming pool and build a school on that site!

The Socialist Party opposed this from the start and all opposition
parties followed this line in the May elections.

Lewisham is now a hung council, so straight after the election Ian
Page, the Socialist Party group leader on the council, immediately
called on the other opposition parties – LibDems, Greens and Tories – to
live up to their commitment and fight for the school and pool.

On 12 June, Ian and Chris successfully moved the report criticising
the mayor’s decision and calling for the site of the school to be
reviewed. At the full council meeting two days later, the Socialist
Party jointly moved a motion formally calling on the mayor to look for a
new site for the school and to keep Ladywell Pool open.

All opposition parties voted for this, so Labour were defeated in
full council for the first time in years to the delight of the packed
public gallery of pool and school campaigners. However, Labour claim
that the final decision rests with the Mayor, so the Socialist Party
will keep fighting alongside campaigners to try and ensure the council’s
decision is implemented.

Ian Page commented: "I’m pleased we pressured the other
political groups to support this campaign. We told them this must be a
priority, we weren’t going to let them put it on the back burner once
they were safely elected into the Town Hall. Now we’ll build the
campaign outside the council chamber to make sure we win!"

Chris Flood added: "The Labour group have continuously tried to
use legal and procedural tactics to stop us changing their policies
since they lost their majority. But I have challenged the Head of Law on
this and the Socialist Party will continue to fight their undemocratic
procedures".

… but campaigning continues

LEWISHAM’S LABOUR Group, backed up by the council’s Tory chair, tried
to rule the motion ‘unlawful’ as it included the sentence "the
council agrees to appoint independent advisers to investigate more
appropriate sites for a new school".

This power, the council’s legal officer argued, could only be
exercised by the mayor, not councillors. To get the motion debated, an
amendment had to be moved replacing "agrees" with "calls
upon the mayor" to appoint advisers.

Yet in June 2005 a motion (also moved by Ian Page) had been debated –
and defeated – with the sentence "the council therefore agrees to
appoint independent advisers to investigate potential sites for a new
school".

The difference? New Labour lost its majority on the council!
Unfortunately for them, Socialist Party councillors aren’t intimidated
by their ‘legal’ bullying tactics.