Labour candidates in East Dulwich

[matthew123]

Oliver - if you are elected how are you going to deal with fellow Labour councillors who argue that their parts of Southwark should have prioritised spending at the expense of much need improvements in East Dulwich?

Secondly, if elected would you back the opposition on any proposals that served East Dulwich more favourably than those proposed by your Labour council party whip?

[LegalEagle-ish]

matthew123 Wrote:

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> Oliver - if you are elected how are you going to

> deal with fellow Labour councillors who argue that

> their parts of Southwark should have prioritised

> spending at the expense of much need improvements

> in East Dulwich?

>

> Secondly, if elected would you back the opposition

> on any proposals that served East Dulwich more

> favourably than those proposed by your Labour

> council party whip?

Why?

Are you of the opinion that East Dulwich is more needy than other areas of Southwark, or do you not really give a toss as long as your area gets the dough?

[Huguenot]

I find it infuriating to listen to politicians who claim they're going to fund projects through cutting waste.

It sounds like a bloke who buys a pub and says he'll make it a sure fire winner by being extra careful and not spilling as much as the previous chap. Ridiculous.

How stupid do these young apparatchiks think we are?

If you're just going to try and cut waste, then you're simply not doing anything. All council tenders should go to best value bidders as a matter of course, if they don't it's a criminal issue.

If however by 'waste' you mean things you don't like, them please be more specific and tell us in absolute terms what your budget looks like, what services are lost, and what benefits are gained?

Guys: whether you like it or not, the world is moving into one where the electorate demands much greater transparency and accountability. Not keeping us informed isn't clever, it's smug.

Show us your business plan, or 'fess up you don't have one.

(I'm a traditional labour voter by the way, always have been).

[matthew123]

The questions were directed at Oliver, I'm sure he won't begrudge me answers.

[Pugwash]

Having been an active citizen in ED for all my adult life - I would like to comment that prior to the current LibDem/Tory council - parts of Southwark got a very raw deal from Labour Councillors who concentrated their energy and money on N Southwark, Peckham and Camberwell. ED got very little. Cllr Charlie Smith (Labour) was a very good and fair councillor for East Dulwich Ward and fought hard to get recognition that ED was not a leafy and green surburb for all residents.

He was an exception for the Labour party- and his work did not go unrecognised by those of us who knew him. Community Councils - a LibDem idea - bringing local politics more directly to residents - showing that people power can influence policies. Will a Labour majority council keep these?

Although I am not a natural Tory supporter, in the 1980's ED Ward (then Alleyn) returned one Labour and One Tory councillor and it was Pam Cooper (Tory) who got things done in ED, not the labour councillor. I think this was the time of Elsie Headley (Labour)

A word of caution - Labour got the run of Lambeth Council after the LibDems - look at the state they have managed to get into - with massive rent rises, housing issues, restricted access to social care (more so than Southwark) and massive debts. You may not like the current LibDem/Tory Southwark - but it is currently better than Labour Lambeth.

With previous writers comments re recycling - Lewisham do not allow residents to recycle certain items, Southwark is far superior.

[Oliver Kempton]

Hi everyone

Lots of comments here ? I?m going to answer some now, but some I?ll have to answer later on.

Sean and ???? - fair question about whether this forum should be used for politics / electioneering. I decided to start a new thread rather than post onto a current one so people can ignore it if they choose. Although given the number of replies there would seem to be at least some interest.

GG and Huguenot, on the school meals. Labour councillors will tomorrow be proposing an amendment to the budget that will fund free school meals. It will cut expenditure on consultants, agency staff and Southwark publicity, and it will also take some of the money currently being sent into an unspecified contingency fund. To give some context, the council spent over ?12.6 million on consultants in the first 9 months of this financial year, compared to ?10.1 million in the whole of 2008/9. The Lib Dem and Tory coalition has a majority in the council so the amendment may not be accepted. If not then Labour will look to introduce the free school meals if they take control of the council after the elections. More details will follow in the manifesto.

Huguenot, I agree that bland statements about cutting ?waste? and making ?efficiency savings? are not always helpful, although all councillors should be looking to do both. However, here we are being quite clear about what expenditure we want to cut. For an example of what this looks like, see here: http://peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com/2010/02/lib-dem-tory-poster-campaign-that.html.

Villager, thanks for the welcome! I moved into Matham Grove in 2004, and I now live on Lordship Lane. I did spend a couple of years in South Camberwell in the middle though. My fellow candidates also live locally ? Les Alden lives on Upland Road and Joani Reid on East Dulwich Road.

Matthew123, there are some issues where East Dulwich needs particular attention (e.g. school places). There are other areas where spending will be needed across Southwark (e.g. on council blocks of flats, particularly after the tragic incidents last year), and I would support them as they are clearly the right thing to do, even though they may focus on other wards more than East Dulwich.

The council will be run most effectively if councillors work together towards a shared vision for improving Southwark, rather than looking just at their ward, and the Labour candidates will all stand on a joint manifesto. That said, taking up concerns of residents of your ward and making sure that your ward gets a decent deal is also an important part of being a councillor. It?s not necessarily an easy balance to get right, but one that?s very important. I also think that you can be a more effective councillor (for your ward and for Southwark as a whole) if you spend time listening to the concerns of people in your ward. That would be a priority of mine.

Amelie and Pugwash, I will answer both of your comments when I get a moment ? sorry for the delay.

Very best

Oliver

[Green Goose]

Oliver Kempton Wrote:

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> GG and Huguenot, on the school meals. Labour

> councillors will tomorrow be proposing an

> amendment to the budget that will fund free school

> meals. It will cut expenditure on consultants,

> agency staff and Southwark publicity, and it will

> also take some of the money currently being sent

> into an unspecified contingency fund.

I am quite taken by your bit about an unspecified contingency fund.

I recall how the Olympics expenditure progressed from the original budget of ?2Bn. First the contingency fund was swallowed up and now the budget forecast is upwards of ?12 Bn.

Coming up with another expensive pre-election bribe like this (and home care for all) is utter madness. The country is fast approaching fiscal bankruptcy and you want to incur yet more expenditure.

Even the new Labour stealth taxes of the last 13 years have been unable to meet the reckless spending that has taken place. Brown's promise of keeping excess expenditure in balance over the so-called economic cycle was a crass con trick as he kept on extending the parameters for the economic cycle.

Labour is implementing an economic scorched-earth strategy knowing that they can't win the next election and any incoming government will be extremely unpopular (and short-lived) as it will be compelled to take drastic action (like Ireland and Greece) to get the matters back on an even keel.

It's all d?j? vu - having seen the death throes of three Labour Governments (Wilson, Callaghan and now Brown).

They always end in bankruptcy. Too much tax. Too much spend. Businesses closed down and unemployment higher than ever.

I am neither pro Labour, pro Tory or pro Lib Dem but I will vote Labour this time just to get Labour back in again so that you can reap the inevitable whirlwind they have sown. Then they will get kicked out and consigned to political oblivion.

Labour is leaving a poisoned chalice. Drink from it.

[Loz]

Re: school meals. Handing out freebies to those who can afford them is a waste of money. Seems you are saving one waste of money and spending it on another. Also, government getting rid of consultants is a popular cry, but what do these people do? Properly managed, some consultants are actually useful in bringing in outside knowledge and skills. Does Labour-led Lambeth do without consultants? If not, why not and/or what make you think you can? And have you figured in the cost of replacing these people with permanent staff?

Recycling. Good to hear, though the current system isn't too bad. TetraPaks and organic matter would be good additions. Synchronising with bin delivery days would be really good.

Antisocial behaviour. Always cynical about this, especially as it can't be defined very well and is used in ways like this in the Guardian today. Would like to hear concrete plans and proposals on this before I decide if it is a good thing.

Council Spin - all well and good, but this from the party that shoves the unwanted 'Southwark Rose' through my letterbox which, like the council's Southwark Life, goes directly to the recycle bin unread. And Labour don't have a good track record on this - remember Ken Livingstone's huge spending on spin and advertising?

So, apart from improving recycling, what is there for the people with no interest in schools?

[Villager]

Oliver Kempton Wrote:

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> > Villager, thanks for the welcome! I moved into

> Matham Grove in 2004, and I now live on Lordship

> Lane. I did spend a couple of years in South

> Camberwell in the middle though.

> Oliver

Well done.

It certainly helps to have someone who near to the action.

Meanwhile, can you tell us if you are in full time employment and if so, what it is you do by way of a day job?

Villager

[steveo]

This month's inestimable Southwark Life is carrying a letter from one David Ofosu Appiah congratulating the magazine.

Quote: "Its stories are interesting, its content is carbon friendly and it breaks generation and gender barriers."

He goes on to say, "It projects Southwark as a suave, upmarket and cosmopolitan part of 21st century London."

Now call me a cynic but do they sound like the words of a young man who according to his Facebook page is a fan of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Vin Diesel and Jesus Daily?

In fact does anyone speak like that? Except perhaps for Southwark Life's editor?

[karter]

the widening of walworth rd's pavements did no favors to the shops and shoppers and also parking in the area, the buses struggle to get through it. What a bollox idea.

James and Richard, keep up the good work in ED.

[steveo]

The extensive path relaying, widening and hump building in Court Lane has taken for ever, cost a fortune (how much I wonder?) and has caused a load of dangerous chicanes and opportunities to rip your exhaust off. The paths were in good order before the work started and as only about ten people a day walk down Court Lane a total waste of money.

It looks like an exercise in using up budgets to me.

[Oliver Kempton]

Dear all

Many thanks for all the comments. I've addressed many of them here, and I will try and post further on the schools issues tomorrow.

Freddy1929, I agree with you about the move to Tooley Street. I don?t know the exact costings either, but I?m not convinced that moving to plush new offices by the river is the best use of our council tax.

Pugwash, I disagree with you on your comparison with Lambeth council. I?m not an expert on Lambeth, but the last Audit Commission reports found that Lambeth council ?performs well?, while Southwark council ?performs adequately?. In fact, out of 33 boroughs in London, Southwark came joint 31st. Six boroughs were judged as ?performs excellently?, 24 were judged as ?performs well?, and only 3 were judged as ?performs adequately? or worse, Southwark included. These inspections don?t tell us everything of course, but it still is a pretty poor showing from our council.

You can see more about Southwark here: http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk/infobyarea/region/area/localorganisations/Pages/orgscompare.aspx?region=51&area=437

And see the comparison tables here: http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/oascores/2009_OA_scores_all_organisations.xls

Loz, I totally agree that some consultants are useful in bringing in knowledge and skills. I do some consultancy work myself and I?m certainly not against it. But Southwark has spent ?2.5 million more in the first nine months of this financial year than in the whole of last year. That?s an awful lot of money.

You may not read the ?Southwark Rose? ? that?s fair enough. But at least you?re not paying for it. It?s paid for by local Labour Party donations and it?s delivered by local volunteers. But you?re currently paying for your council to tell you how good they are at improving green spaces etc. Personally I don't think that's on.

We will send our manifesto out in due course ? but in the meantime if you tell me what the main issues are to you, then I?ll do my best to tell you what we?ll do about it.

Amelie, perhaps unsurprisingly I don?t agree with you on banning party politics in local elections. I think that people find that party affiliations are helpful indicators of a candidate?s likely beliefs and actions. But if not, people can always stand as, and vote for, candidates who are independent of a party political label.

Villager, I am in full time employment. I work for a charity (a think-tank, to be precise). I work in the consulting arm, which is focused on implementing solutions rather than public policy.

Very best,

Oliver

[Huguenot]

Thanks Oliver, I noted the unusual coyness on your background and did a little googling.

It appears from the results that you were the membership chap for the Labour students at Oxford a vouple of years ago, that you've made pitches for a couple of elected roles including Oxford City Council (where you got 216 votes according to Wiki) and somewhere up north, and that you now work for a political PR firm / lobbyist / business outreach program.

In fact, to quote directly...

"In [our] pioneering political work, we manage candidates, leaders, and parties as brands. With this foundation, PSB developed a hybrid political-corporate approach using research to build the type of corporate image equity that provides market lift in good times and inoculation in times of crisis."

Is that fair, or have I found the wrong Oliver Kempton?

If it is true, then would that suggest then that the Southwark role is merely an urban stepping stone for an ambitious provincial twenty-something looking for a fast-track to power?

Like I say, the world has changed and information is more freely available - best not be coy, make your attributes strengths. ;-)

[Joani]

Good afternoon,

I'm Joani Reid, Oliver's running mate here in East Dulwich. He seems to be getting quite a lot of feedback; I'm also happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the Labour Group in Southwark or the East Dulwich Labour Team.

Regards

Joani

[steveo]

Don't be shy to look at the scandalous cost of the purposeless Southwark Life magazine

[Joani]

OK, I will look into it.

I don't much like it myself; it just seems like a rather silly magazine.

I do however, see the point of the magazine. I assume it?s an attempt by the Council to engage with their constituents, keep them informed and ask for feedback which they can?t be faulted for.

Do you have any ideas on how Labour can do this in a more efficient way (if we take control of the Council) in addition to the usual methods such as community councils and surgeries?

Joani

[Siduhe]

I also find Southwark Life pretty useless - however, I accept and understand that it's not aimed at me.

All local councils have a statutory obligation to inform residents about services, policies and decisions including providing information that allows people to have their say and get involved. It's not enough to have information available about the services there for anyone who asks - they actually have to go out and tell people about them. They also have to do that in a way that makes the information available to the widest possible group of people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and types.

So Southwark can't just put service info on a website - that may be fine for the younger generation, but not so good for the older generation. They can't just put out the info in English - they have to let people know they can get info in a wide variety of languages and so on.

I understand why Southwark Life is seen an easy solution - it goes to everyone in the borough regardless of who they are. Maximum opportunity to get the info in front of the people who need it. However, the downside is that the info also goes out to a lot of people who don't need it - hence the massive wasted cost.

So the question Joani asks is exactly the right one, IMHO - how do you proactively get information about council services out to the people who need it most, when you don't know who they are or what their needs are?

Surgeries are no good - if someone has no idea a council service exists, they don't know to go to a surgery and ask about it. Posters around the borough might be a good idea - but you can only advertise one service per poster. One solution might be to stop delivering Southwark Life to every home in the borough, but to make it available in other council buildings, housing offices etc - but that then assumes the only people who need to know about council services are those who are already in need of them. Would be genuinely interested to know what people think can replace Southwark Life but still meet the Council's duties.

[steveo]

Posters in the library and on community noticeboards/bus shelters. That's the way it used to be done. If you add the multi million pound website, that would seem quite sufficient.

Mmmm, I wonder how much that website costs?

[willow]

I'm not sure that everyone uses the library and buses......

I also doubt that the website is in the multi million pound region. It's about making sure that you reach the majority of people and I'm not sure that posters in strategic locations and a website will do it unfortunately

[steveo]

Library, bus shelters, noticeboards, town crier, skywriting - all way cheaper than a magazine. But your comment increases my interest in how much that website costs.

[willow]

You seem to be implying that having a website is an excess and frivolity that could be done without?

[tomchance]

Siduhe is spot on. A further problem is that many parts of Southwark are really multicultural, and whilst it has a bunch of languages and alternative options on the back you hit the same problem as putting them in public buildings - who is going to follow it up?

Southwark Life potentially helps people know (a) about important new schemes they might benefit from and (b) how to get involved with things in their area.

I think part of the solution to the second bit - and I emphasise, part, is to spend less of glitzy broadcast stuff like magazines and more on unglamarous community development work. Put a few people out on the streets getting to know all the local tenants and residents associations, active community groups, councillors, neighbourhood watches, etc. and supporting people who do want to get more involved in their neighbourhood in a small way. Help people connect up with the services and help that's available.

We lack that layer of civic involvement between our mates and the funding/constitution/AGMs world of the voluntary sector.

Sorry - getting a bit off the Labour ED team topic there!

[steveo]

Siduhe Wrote:

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> I also find Southwark Life pretty useless -

> however, I accept and understand that it's not

> aimed at me.

>

> All local councils have a statutory obligation to

> inform residents about services, policies and

> decisions

I'd like to know more about that statutory obligation. I also think the minority groups in this multicultural area often have excellent networks and don't require as much of a leg up as might be thought. Let's narrow this down, who's benefitting from a full page full colour back page plug for Southwark's green spaces? They are green and you can see them from the top deck of a bus.

[Siduhe]

steveo Wrote:

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> Library, bus shelters, noticeboards, town crier,

> skywriting - all way cheaper than a magazine. But

> your comment increases my interest in how much

> that website costs.

Maybe put in an FOI request for the website costs if you really want to know?

The Library, bus shelters, noticeboards, town crier and skywriting won't reach a certain part of the Southwark population in the way the magazine does - the housebound grandpa for example, or the non-english speaking recent immigrant. Not disagreeing with you that it costs too much for the value it delivers, but explaining why it's considered an effective solution.