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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 19 April 2007

Lib Dems support the Freedom Pass

• I MUST write in response to last week’s letters about the Freedom Pass from Ken Livingstone and J Jordan (Letters, April 12). One thing needs to be made absolutely clear.
No Liberal Democrat in Camden or anywhere else in London has any intention of changing the benefits enjoyed by the holders of the Freedom Pass.
On the contrary, we are proud to support the Freedom Pass and the enormous benefits that it brings to our older and disabled residents.
There is a debate going on at the moment over whether the Mayor of London should continue to be able to dictate the sum that London’s council tax payers contribute towards the Freedom Pass, or whether there should be a genuine negotiation with democratically elected local councils.
Characteristically, the Labour Party support a centralist top-down solution, giving Ken the power to charge whatever he likes, whilst Liberal Democrats are calling for genuine negotiations, democratic accountability and value for money for council tax payers.
The saddest aspect of all of this is the way that the Labour Party is cynically stirring up fear and anxiety amongst some of our most vulnerable residents in order to score political points.
I am sure I am not the only Camden councillor who has been telephoned by residents (like J Jordan) who are now genuinely, but quite needlessly, worried about the future of the Freedom Pass. It is a pattern of scare-mongering which is becoming all too familiar.
No wonder people are turned off politics when senior politicians behave so badly.
Shame on you, Ken!
CLLR DAVID ABRAHAMS
Liberal Democrat
Kilburn Ward

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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