It’s only taken two months (and two meetings) of the Citizen’s Commission before @cllrstevereed, Councillor Meldrum and Councillor McGlone finally realised that three @LambethLabour politicians doesn’t exactly paint a picture of active citizen participation.
Better late than never.
But wait - what’s this?
“Independent experts and residents who will join Lambeth’s Co-op Commission.”
Lambeth’s Co-op Commission? What is this claptrap of a quango that you speak of? Tell me more about the citizens that are going to be sitting on the Citizen’s Commission please.
Ah, I see. Much like the whole PR farce that is #lambethcoop, the Citizen’s Commission has been re-branded. Two months in existence, and two meetings featuring the three highest-ranking members of the @LambethLabour cabinet - I’m surprised that it lasted this long to be honest.
Farewell #lambethcoop Citizen’s Commission, say hello to the Lambeth Co-op Commission. Welcome to the new boss, same as the old boss, etc.
“Local residents and leading experts from the fields of social policy, health, the arts, business, and the voluntary and charitable sector have been recruited to help Lambeth Council develop its pioneering ‘Co-operative Council’ approach.
They include journalist and commentator Polly Toynbee, Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive of the charity Turning Point, Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, Srabani Sen, Chief Executive of Contact a Family, Martin Green, Chief Executive of the English Community Care Association, Stephen Bubb, Chief Executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise London, and Richard Bridge.”
It’s an impressive array of Third Way [urgh] free marketers that have been assembled to divvy up local authority services to the private sector. Great timing as well, what with the doors of the Citizen’s CommissionCo-op Commission finally being open to the Little People for a Q and A session next week.
But what’s with the non-residents? What’s with the non-citizens? What’s with the fancy titles that look like they have been put together on the back of a fag packet? The roll call of the great and good of the civic society reads pretty much like a Cif commissioning editor’s literary wet dream.
The Citizen’s prefix may have been lost from the whole farce, but the role of the Co-op Commission remains the same - how best to lose all accountability and responsibility on behalf of local politicians, and yet still try and sell the idea to the Little People.
It’s like local government policy being carried by a late night themed debate put together by the Culture Show. Who the chuffers is accountable? What do these grand names actually know of life in Lambeth? And why have we still got zero citizen representation sitting at the top table?
All of these are questions that I really need to put to, Julian Ellerby, the Lambeth Head of Communications, next time I see him. I will now be perhaps more weary of the civil servant’s apolitical position in trying to hoodwink #lambethcoop on to local people, given that Julian’s previous job was that of Deputy Director of the Labour Party.
But anyway - enough of the great big holes still surrounding #lambethcoop: what of the real substance and how the policy will actually help to improve matters on the ground around my #hyperlocal patch of South London?
“It is where people, in their everyday lives, in their homes, in their neighbourhoods, in their workplace, don’t always turn to officials, local authorities or central government for answers to the problems they face. But instead feel both free and powerful enough to help themselves and their own communities.
It’s about people setting up great new schools. Businesses helping people getting trained for work. Charities working to rehabilitate offenders. New powers for local communities to take over the running of parks, libraries and post offices. More powers to plan the look, size, shape and feel of housing developments. Powers to generate their own energy and have beat meetings to hold police to account.
Clowns to the Left of me, jokers to the Right. Ah, but which is which? There’s some good one-liners coming out of the #lambethcoop crap in recent days. It is worrying times indeed when your Labour run local authority is trying to steal the Tory plans to pass the buck for financial management.
And so a final Lambeth Country Show for me, and I pondered the idea of spreading my love around the beauty of Brockwell Park in a sober state.
Silly boy. It didn’t last.
It was good to see the Brockwell Park gates finally back in place at the bodged Herne Hill junction. Workmen have been, um, working around the clock as the countdown to the Country Show started in mid-summer.
The bodged Herne Hill junction seemed to just about stand up to its first real test, but then the critical mass of Chucklehead Cider drinkers seems to somehow cut a sway through the cars.
The crowds seemed down on previous years, but then that was probably because I was doing my Brockwell Park wobblingwalking as soon as the Show started at 11am on Saturday morning. Come chucking out time at 7pm, and SE24 was home to half of Lambeth.
There are no standout highlights - what could possibly go wrong with the promise of the countryside comes to the city? I enjoyed as ever my conversations with the many local groups, some of them serving the local community brilliantly, others just plain bonkers.
The Aussie sheep shearing man was something of a tease. Steady. He knew exactly how to work a crowd, explaining the finer points of shearing, without actually introducing the star act on to the stage.
When Dolly finally made her appearance, he held her down in an arm lock that, um, just didn’t look quite right. The suggestion that my current out of control sideburns should be subjected to the same treatment was anything but a tease.
The fit young grinning Christian female didn’t seem to comprehend my answer of “atheist” when I agreed to answer her questionnaire, and it came down to the what religion are you question. She looked squeaky clean, and rather stunning. My attempts to introduce her to atheism, via the Chucklehead Cider stall and a quick romp in the log circle, failed as miserably as my attempts to stay sober.
Ah yes - about that Chucklehead. There’s no getting away from the fact that the countryside comes to the city mantra of the Country Show has been taken over in recent years with Chucklehead Cider crossed with jerk chicken. It remains the same ethos of sorts, yet slightly more realistic when describing the average experience.
Going out on a high, I caned it big time. I peaked far too early of course, and barely managed to stay awake for the Alabama 3 homecoming acoustic set. The decision to freshen up at the Lido en route back to base wasn’t such a great idea.
The cider celebration meant that I missed the Vegetable That Looks Like a Thingy competition. Judging was still in place as we passed the tent before midday. I didn’t like to risk a return after the Chucklehead had set in.
I did wander once again past the scarecrow competition, spending five minutes chatting up what I thought was the squeaky clean fit young Christian bird once again. I banged on about the benefits of an atheist lifestyle, only realising that her lack of conversation was because she was a scarecrow.
Cripes.
Time to call it quits, time to bugger off back to base.
My final Lambeth Show was probably my favourite in fifteen summers - the scarecrows were ace, the Dark Knight of Brockwell Park was bloody brilliant and even the “they’re not real” owls who don’t exactly do a lot, kept my attention for abut ten seconds.
But the real winner of course was *shhh* the booze.
Blimey.
Chucklehead cider is the type of refreshment that your body can only accommodate once a year. I decided to bow out in style, carrying cartons of the poison back and forth across the park. I’m still trying to piece together some of those lost memories.
And so farewell then the Lambeth Country Show. I would say that you will be missed, but I can’t quite recall many of the details over the past fifteen years to be honest.
The countdown starts here for the Wivenhoe Urban Show, boi.
“This report sets out the progress since March and in particular recommends that the temporary ice rink to be located on the former car park site at Pope’s Road, Brixton.”
And so it would seem that the permanenttemporary ice pad at Streatham is making its way down Brixton Hill, and positioning itself on the derelict Pope’s Road car park after all. Hurrah for the continuity of ice clause, pity the poor sods trying to earn a living at Brixton Market.
The Pope’s Road compromise is probably the best outcome out of a no win situation. With all the power to run leisure in Streatham long since sold away to a corporate superstore, @LambethLabour has been left to *sell* the idea of the compromise to the Little People.
The relief will be that the temporary ice rink won’t be plonked on Streatham Common, as seemed to be the non-negotiable stance taken by cabinet, only as recently as March of this year.
The fear for the Streatham skaters and hockey players is that Pope’s Road will become permanent. Tesco will have no reason to finance a permanent pad back up in SW16, and a historic cultural facility will be lost in Streatham forever.
Pope’s Road makes ‘strategic sense’ [urgh] in being next door to Brixton Rec. Don’t rule out the bonkers idea of changing facilities for skaters and hockey players being placed in some shoebox of a corner tucked away at the back of the Rec.
Some issues still remain over the Pope’s Road rink. In true Rotten Borough style, concerns have been raised in the cabinet paper regarding, um, car-parking provision at the former car park.
See what they have done there?
“Linked to the above would be the ability for users, particularly families to be able to access some dedicated parking, pick up and drop off points and to access taxis to ensure safe and convenient access for users.”
Doh!
One step forward, two steps back.
Shifting a major part of the local economy in Streatham down to Brixton needn’t have been necessary if @LambethLabour had actually had the balls to stand up to Tesco in the first place. The original agreement was for Tesco to knock down the old SW16 barn first, build the brand new ice and leisure facilities, and only then on completion, planning permission would be granted for the superstore.
But Tesco soon took control of the timeline and changed the priority to retail, rather than community leisure facilities. This of course fits in perfectly with the private provision of all services that is favoured by the right wing @LambethLabour cabinet. The end result is the transference of power in Streatham from the local authority to a major corporate power.
But wait - what of the temporary dry sport [urgh] and *shhh* swimming facilities back up in Streatham? These too were promised back in March, as part of the political bending over backwards by @LambethLabour to keep Tesco on board.
The cabinet paper for July appears to mothball the idea of swimming returning to Streatham in a temporary capacity, stating:
“The March Cabinet report gave details of the provision a 25m x 12m six lane temporary swimming pool and associated facilities. The report also highlighted the considerable footprint such a pool and its housing would require. The only available sites in the Streatham area for such a facility is identical to those identified for the temporary ice rink and present all of the same difficulties and issues.
In addition there is no budget provision for the cost of purchase and or lease for such a facility and the net cost to the council would still require a subsidy of at least £14 per user. No further action has been taken pending a decision from Cabinet on if a further report detailing the financial implications is required and on whether and when public consultation should commence.”
This appears to be yet another classic @LambethLabour approach to totally overlooking the provision of swimming in the Rotten Borough.
Meanwhile, Tesco has the corporate cheek (and power) to demand a further increased floor space in return for financing the scheme. An extra 40% was rubber stamped by @LambethLabour to save face back in March. Now it seems that a further 20,000 square foot is required if the scheme is to progress:
“Tesco has developed proposals for an additional 20,000 sq ft of retail floor space to be contained within the approved store in the form of a mezzanine [urgh] floor. It is envisaged that this additional floor space will provide space for non-food retail goods.”
All of the above bumbling has led to the Streatham Hub timeline being delayed once again. The back slapping that took place at cabinet back in March concluded with a pledge for the new ice rink, swimming pool and dry sports facilities to be completed by Q4 2012.
The cabinet paper for July lets slip that Q3 2013 is now the current target. And so yeah - Streatham will remain without any sports facilities as the Olympics takes pride of place across town in 2012.
Cabinet will be rubber stamp the proposals at 7pm on 26th July in Room 8. Speaking rights for *ahem* citizens are extremely limited. If you want to have your say on the continued confusion surrounding Streatham Hub, then a better bet is to attend that nice @ChukaUmunna‘s People’s Question Time, taking place on 22nd July at Dunraven School.
I find the treatment of LabourIndependentCouncillor Kingsley Abrams intriguing. It is a story that has only been touched on by the local South London media, and has yet to be really fully explained to the electorate.
The reasons for the Vassall ward councillor losing the whip of the local @LambethLabour party have some parallels with Betty Evans-Jacas, the former Labour councillor for Brixton Hill, who walked across the chamber to join the Tories.
But unlike Betty, Councillor Abrams is a Labour supporter through and through. Yet still he finds himself sitting on the outside of the local party, despite polling an impressive 2,533 votes, the highest number is his Vassall ward with 16% of the overall vote.
The real reasons for Evans-Jacas leaving @LambethLabour have never really been explained outside of the local party either. With such a powerful mandate to serve the electorate in Vassall ward, I wanted to put on the public record why Councillor Abrams has been pushed aside.
We met up in Councillor Abrams home patch early evening on Thursday. I found Councillor Abrams in amiable form. He appears to have been treated incredibly harsh over recent months. What has happened to this popular local figure to make the powerful cabinet clique give Kingsley the cold shoulder?
Councillor Abrams alleges in the podcast below that @cllrstevereed, the Leader of Lambeth Council, was personally responsible for an email sting operation to try and catch him out. The allegation is that a false email was sent to Councillor Abrams’ email account personally by @cllrstevereed, with the Leader of Lambeth Council hoping that this would then be leaked to the South London Press.
Councillor Abrams strongly denies leaking this email, and indeed the failure of the South London Press to publish the false story, seems to verify his account.
What I find more disturbing about the whole affair is the means in which @LambethLabour was able to discover that Councillor Abrams had forwarded the email sting to Kate Hoey, the local MP for Vauxhall. The allegation is that @cllrstevereed instructed an apolitical civil servant to hack into Councillor Abram’s email account.
The story then becomes a political farce; Councillor Abrams was asked to resign ahead of May 6th. He refused to do so, rightly claiming that there had been no evidence presented against him. The election campaign was in full flow, and Councillor Abrams was given the absurd situation of doing the #labourdoorstep thing, knowing full well that if he were to win, his local party was going to do everything in its power to discredit him.
Unlike Betty Evans-Jacas, Councillor Abrams has declared his loyalty to the Labour party. He has been a member for thirty-two years, and wasn’t prepared to give up on his politics on the insistence of what appears to be an incredibly dirty tricks campaign by the right of the local party in Lambeth.
Councillor Abrams continued to recount the events to me, explaining how still without any evidence after May 6th, the power of the @LambethLabour cabinet led to a four-month suspension. An appeal followed, with the unprecedented action of the Leader of Lambeth Council actually representing himself and having to explain how the email hack had happened.
The conclusion is that Councillor Abrams lost the hearing. To this date, no evidence has yet been presented as to why he was even given a four-month suspension from the party that he is passionate about. Councillor Abrams speculates in the podcast below about how the clash of personalities within @LambethLabour, and to a lesser extent, political policy, is probably behind the playground style behaviour from the powers that be @LambethLabour.
I have a lot of time for Kingsley (although not that much - he had to dash off for a ward surgery, and then a tenant meeting on a local estate. He may have had the whip withdrawn, but he is still serving the locals on his ward incredibly well.)
We walked around the Cowley Estate early evening, and he was greeted with friendly smiles and waves at every corner. This is a battle that is of the making by the right wing of @LambethLabour. It is difficult to understand what the @LambethLabour cabinet is trying to achieve. Losing the services of a highly respected local Councillor, as well as the support of a local community, isn’t the traditional way to go about fighting the savage cuts being proposed from the opposition in Westminster.
For all the claims of a personality clash being responsible for the suspension, Councillor Abrams remains a very strong personality locally. This strength of that support will be seen in four months time when the suspension is complete, and Councillor Abrams ponders his next political move.
A delightful luncheon date (cripes) with, um, @AnnaJCowen on Wednesday, as we both cycled the short distance from our SW8 base over to Brunswick House, the recently opened cafe housed within the Lassco architectural salvage yard.
I’ve been hearing good things about the new cafe set up South side of the river. It is run by Charlie and Frank, the two sons of Charlie Boxer, the joint owner of the Italo delicatessen in Bonnington Square.
What is so unique about Brunswick House is that all of your surrounding are for sale. We took a late morning coffee (double shot latte) outside on a beautifully restored mosaic trestle table. The £280 price tag might appear steep, but I know a very good home somewhere on the North Essex coast that would suit the artefact to perfection.
Vauxhall Cross was but a wrought iron gate away from our dining setting. The random styling of the architectural garden somehow managed to drown out all of the hurly bury of the busses and speeding cars passing through the centre of SW8.
With our coffee providing an extra boost, @AnnaJCowen and I set about the task of window shopping for pastures new. We took a leisurely stroll around Lassco, marvelling at the splendour of the period pieces within.
I could happily spend an entire afternoon there, not to mention an annual salary on some of the items for sale. A definite location to return to over the coming weeks, if not for the extra strong coffee, then certainly for the art deco style mosaic garden table.
And so it seems that our friends from @LambethLabour are *almost* in a position to finally reveal the identity of the three fine upstanding citizens of the borough who have been invited to put forward the opinion of the Little People as part of the #lambethcoop Citizen’s Commission.
With currently zero citizen representation and only three @LambethLabour cabinet members making up the Citizen’s Commission, the invitation went out for genuine citizens to try and make #lambethcoop appear more transparent.
Step forward the fragrant Polly Toynbee (professional chattering class supreme,) Matthew Taylor (Blair’s former head of the Policy Unit) and Stephen Bubb (the CEO of ACEVO and self-styled “third sector leader“) - all being considered to fill the role of representing the Little People as part of #lambethcoop.
Blimey.
It’s like May 1997 all over again, when Mr Tony scrambled around to try and attract some sexiness into politics with the burnt out Britpop has beens. I was half expecting Mick Hucknall to have a place at the #lambethcoop top table.
Toynbee at least is a Lambeth resident. She resides in the most affluent part of the borough, an area where the average property price fetches well over £1m. Still, at least Polly knows about the Little People. She briefly lived on the Claph’ham Park Estate, as part of a poverty glamour story whilst researching a book she was writing.
Taylor is the ultra Blairite who was responsible for the bland 2005 Labour Party manifesto. His reward for this was to be handed the role of Chief Adviser on Strategy to the Prime Minister. Blair then soon buggered off, but not before Taylor did, after the bodged Big Conversation initiative (remember?) that got absolutely no one talking.
As for Bubb? He certainly has the right background in Third Sector politics, which should serve him well if he becomes part of #lambethcoop Citizen’s Commission. The PR stunt is all about allowing “partners” (preferably business partners) to take responsibility for local authority services.
If these plans actually come into practise, it would mean the #lambethcoop Citizen’s Commission being made up of @cllrstevereed, Councillor Meldrum, Councillor McGlone, the fragrant Polly Toynbee, Matthew Taylor and Stephen Bubb.
If you were asked to come up with a list of six people who are as unrepresentative as possible in relation to the average life of a citizen in Lambeth, you would probably hit bulls eye with all of the above.
Where are the teachers? The road sweepers? The people reliant upon benefits?
The #lambethcoop Citizen’s Commission is next meeting at 6pm on 29th July in Room 8 of Lambeth Town Hall. This is an open meeting, although you need to book a place to attend the Citizen’s Commission.
If Toynbee, Taylor and Bubb are in attendance, it may even turn out to be a champagne and canapés reunion from that doomed Britpop evening with Blair back in the day.
