Southfield Liberal Democrats launch local election priorities

After many months of surveying the views of Southfield residents and local businesses, the three Southfield Liberal Democrat Councillors have launched their three priorities which they will campaign on in the up-coming local elections which take place on 3rd May 2018.

 1. Cleaner and Safer Southfield:

• Free from litter, fly-tips and leaves by re-introducing the weekly sweeping regime. When the Conservatives and the Labour party in Ealing Council voted for Council Tax they voted for the two reductions in street cleaning from a weekly service to once every 12 weeks. Only the Liberal Democrats have stood up for residents on this issue.
• Involve residents in gaining feedback on which streets are considered clean or dirty. We would be very tough on the contractors like Amey who have failed over many years to give residents a good service. We will get replace failing contractors or withhold monies from their payments.
• Work with the local police team (SNT) to support projects that can reduce the crime rate and help promote the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. This should help keep the crime rate at its current low level.
• Continue to work with the police and Ealing Council to reduce the incidences of speeding traffic which can lead to traffic accidents and deaths.

2. Public transport better for all:

• Campaigning for TFL to get Piccadilly Line tubes to stop at Turnham Green tube station. We have successfully persuaded TFL that Piccadilly Line tubes can stop at Turnham Green station, we just need them to upgrade the signalling.
• We want our tube and rail stations and bus stops to be accessible for those with mobility issues and have already improved a number of bus stops in Southfield in coordination with residents.
• Promote cycling and the ability to store cycles safely when people are visiting residents or whilst shopping in the area.

3. Protect Local Health Services:

• Campaigning to stop our hospitals from being downgraded or closed such as Charing Cross hospital.
• Look for ways to expand local GP doctor and dental provision in the area.

So these are the main issues residents have contacted us about. We will campaign on these plus other issues and have an action plan for each of these topics including the continues improvement of our parks which now have a Green Flag status!

Since Sadiq Khan has been elected...

It is only recently since the London Mayoral and Greater London Assembly (GLA) elections but one u-turn, one untruth and one borrowed policy have taken place!

We saw Sadiq Khan elected, but within days we saw him announce that it was going to be difficult to deliver the number of new affordable homes he promised. Being the Mayor of London is a privilege and was never to be easy, but to give up on possibly the most important policy area so soon is very sad for many residents who live in Ealing.

Sadiq Khan then reneged on his fares promise. He said: “Londoners won’t pay a penny more for their travel in 2020 than they do today.” But the truth of his policy has been uncovered recently when it appeared that he will only freeze part of the transport fares, excluding many commuters using travelcards. In the election Liberal Democrats said it was not possible to freeze the fares and so it is obvious that many Londoners have been fobbed off with a policy helping only some of those who were given the impression everyone would benefit.

Policy borrowed: Liberal Democrats welcome the announcement from Transport for London, that a one-hour bus ticket will come into effect in September. Though Sadiq Khan is happy lapping up the glory for the one-hour ticket, it was not his idea. Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon campaigned on the policy since 2009.

Liberal Democrats want to see transport policies that make it easier for people to travel and cheaper for those who work on lower than average wages such as cleaners who have early starts before many of us have woken up.

It was great to see Caroline Pidgeon taking over as Chair of the Transport Committee. She is the most experienced GLA member and she has taken a great interest and solved many local issues in Ealing borough.

London Liberal Democrats will be pushing for more openness in City Hall, where the Mayor works. We have seen that the previous Mayor chose to hide a report which demonstrated that over 400 schools in London are located in areas that exceed EU limits for nitrogen dioxide. The Mayor and the Greater London Assemby need to make sure that they and Ealing Council take action to improve our air quality. Anything else and we are harming our children and the lives of 7 million residents.

Lib Dems: working for better and a safer transport system

Over the New Year period many of us either leave London to visit relatives or stayed here in what feels like a deserted Ealing. We expect a reduced transport services at that time of year but hope for a better transport system in 2014.

We saw the government reduce transport fares across the country but due to mistakes from the Mayor of London, residents in Ealing are paying higher fares than necessary. On top of this it is expected that the Mayor will close many of the ticket offices which will not help make Ealing a welcoming place for tourists if there is no one to help with ticket enquiries.

The Liberal Democrats have worked with Ealing Council in supporting many cycling initiatives such as the hub outside Ealing Broadway centre and the improvement of many cycling facilities across the borough.

It is clear in Ealing that the Conservative party have continued to block or to pour cold water on many positive initiatives that Ealing Council have been working on to improve the safety of cyclists. As the number of cyclists increases it is crucial that both facilities are improved and training of both children and adults takes place to ensure that cycle users stay as safe as possible.

In Southfield ward, covering Acton and Chiswick, the three Liberal Democrat councillors have been proactive in consulting residents about a possible 20mph zone. After the consultation, which involved a public meeting, about 70% of respondents were in favour of the scheme.

Me at a cycle ride around Ealing in 2010

The 20mph zone should reduce the number of people injured or killed on our streets as well as making it less stressful and safe for those walking or those cycling. The safer we can make walking and cycling, perhaps we can encourage people to be fitter and healthier.

Looking to Ealing Broadway station, one of the busiest stations in London, Crossrail offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ealing residents to get a fit-for-purpose station they deserve.

The Mayor of London’s Crossrail plans fail to provide an escalator and includes only tiny lifts. When passenger numbers rise dramatically, the bulk of passengers will be forced to push their way down narrow and dangerous steps to catch a train or the tube. If there was an emergency I do not think people could be evacuated, especially those in wheelchairs or the less mobile, quickly enough.

Ealing's Labour-run Council and Ealing Central's Conservative MP should hang their heads in shame that they have failed to win a better station for Ealing.

Mayor of London clearly does not want to help out part-time workers

At the Mayor’s Question Time last week, he refused to further consider the merits of a travelcard for part-time workers. This would allow many workers to have more flexibility in their jobs and for many to take up part time work when currently this is not possible due to Boris's high fare increases.

Following questioning from Caroline Pidgeon, the Mayor, who is also the chair of Transport for London, gave a clear cut reply that he had ruled out any further consideration of the proposal.  His stance led to criticisms even from Conservative Assembly Members.

The Mayor's statement that he will not consider further introducing a travel card to cover part-time workers is deeply disappointing.

Caroline Pidgeon working to improve London's transport

Already 900,000 people in London work part-time and the figure is rapidly increasing.

Daily caps on Oyster simply don't provide the same good deal for the many people who need to get to an office three days a week.  Ultimately the whole travel card system is centred around the old fashioned idea of everyone working a five day week in an office environment.  That simply isn't the real working experience anymore for many people.

The Mayor, as chair of Transport for London, should stop making excuses and instead ensure that people who work part-time or regularly work from home are given a fair deal.