Labour have led Westminster City Council for nearly three years and a Labour Mayor has run London City Hall for nearly nine. They can no longer blame others for the problems in our communities. They must take responsibility. But when questioned about their record and future plans, all we see is them dodge, deviate and delay.
Westminster is now the most crime ridden borough in the country. The Labour-run council has many powers and levers to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour – and we all expect to see them used robustly and effectively. But that’s not happening, and they are dodging accountability for their lack of action.
Your Conservative councillors called an urgent debate at the full council meeting last week to demand the Labour-led Westminster Council stand up to the Mayor of London who is responsible for police across London. We called for more support and resources to tackle professional shoplifters raiding our high streets, organised crime gangs dealing drugs literally on local people’s doorsteps and the on-going scourge of mobile phone theft. But Labour in Westminster seem unable to get answers from the Mayor or find anyway of influencing him to help people living here.
The Labour Councillors are out of touch. Not wanting to take responsibility for their record on crime and anti-social behaviour, the Cabinet Member for City Management deviated from the topic to talking about public toilets instead!
When asked what new affordable home schemes had been delivered under Labour that hadn’t already started under the previous Conservative council, Labour’s Leader dithered and could not give any new examples.
A member of the public challenged the Labour council on how their much-vaunted cycle ways could put our elderly residents, people with disabilities and parents pushing buggies at risk. But, again, they dodged the questions and told residents that the problems we all see are not really there. Another question from a resident told of how rubbish collections had become worse in the last two years but Labour’s Cllr Dimoldenberg simply dismissed the question and said things hadn’t changed at all.
We also asked why Labour is wasting taxpayer money to ‘beautify the public realm’ outside one tube station when local people would be quite happy with flowers and planters; why they are doing so little for renters and why they are not prioritising delivery of the manifesto commitments when they have missed so many after nearly three years in power. But they didn’t give a straight answer to any of them.
Labour are failing to deliver and failing to take responsibility for their lack of action. Dodge, deviate and delay is now the Labour way.
But don’t worry. They have promised more consultations at the cost of tens of thousands more of your money!
Please keep sending your questions in: If you are not selected, my colleagues and I will raise them with the Council on your behalf. And help us to hold this failing Labour administration to account.
