Lewisham:
Fighting For Decent Homes
ON 10 June, Londoners are voting in European elections,
choosing a new London mayor and a new Greater London Assembly (GLA).
Roger Shrives, Lewisham
Lewisham Socialist Party councillor Ian Page is Socialist Alternative
candidate for the huge GLA constituency encompassing both Lewisham and
Greenwich boroughs.
On the same day, there will be a by-election in Lewisham
council’s Evelyn ward following the resignation of a Labour councillor. Now
Lewisham Socialist Party has selected Jess Leech to stand as our candidate
in that election,
Jess lives and works on the ward’s biggest housing
estate, Pepys estate. Her three children are or were attending the local
primary school, and Jess has been active locally on housing and community
issues.
Jess says: "The average household income in
communities like Evelyn ward is £8,000 – £9,000 a year. So defending good
quality but low-cost homes for working class families should be a priority
but Lewisham council recently sold off 145 two-bedroom flats on the Pepys to
private property developers to be turned into luxury accommodation!"
Sell-off
Ian and Jess and the Socialist Party opposed this
sell-off. Ian Page says
"If I’m elected to the GLA, I will oppose all
such transfers to the private sector – they are just aimed at making huge
profits for private property developers. Particularly at a time of massive
housing shortage, that’s criminal."
Jess also says:
"Two years after the last council
election, there is still no secondary school for Deptford and a number of
young people at Deptford Park school have no place in a Lewisham
school." Ian comments: "Jess and myself have been fighting
alongside parents in Lewisham for properly funded education for every child
not one based on selection and SATs tests."
New Labour are calling the 10 June batch of elections
‘Super Thursday’ but they are worried about getting their vote out across
London. In Lewisham Labour used to consider Evelyn ward a safe seat but they
have lost the last four by-elections they have stood in, including the
Telegraph Hill ward to Socialist Party councillor Chris Flood just before
Christmas!
Jess stood as an independent with two other housing
activists in the 2002 election and gained a very respectable vote of over
15%. We hope to do even better this time.
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If you want to help the campaign for Ian in the GLA or
Jess in Evelyn ward, contact Chris Moore on 020 8988 8777.