Labour ignores local issues in ward assemblies

Instead they were talked at about the cost of living crisis. Not about how to manage or help locally but about the Labour Party's opinion. The Council needs to stop promoting Labour dogma and start thinking about helping people.

Last week’s Lee Green Assembly meeting kicked Leegate off the agenda, replacing it with cost of living crisis presentation. Not about warm banks, as I’d hoped. All about how the tories caused it. Wish this council would stop with their ideology and help people instead. - Jane Alaszewski, a concerned resident, complained on a tweet.

We share the anger towards the Conservatives' failure in the national government, but local assesmblies are a place for local residents to be informed about local projects and voice concerns regarding their neighbourhood. Councils have significant powers that shape the future of our areas and can mitigate conse

The Rushey Green ward assembly was much the same. No update on the opening of Lewisham theatre, the development on Catford Island or the delays in pedestrian improvements around the Catford Station - or why the lifts at Catford Station were not operating as promised by the end of October - Replied a local resident to our Facebook post.

Lewisham Labour's refusal to talk about local issues and focus on national issues, which is not in their remit, speaks to their constant failures. Rather than follow the Tories in a policy of reducing accountability, whether by limiting the amount of questions residents can pose to them at full meetings or failing to answer Information of Freedom requests by local newspapers, Labour councillors should be transparents to the constituents whom they represent.

Lewisham Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for greater transparency from the council, and challenge Labour on their neglect, from the lack of affordable housing to the failures of listening to residents on local projects.