Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published:21 June 2007
Another nasty attack on the low-paid
• ONCE again, the Conservative London Assembly member for Camden and Barnet has shown he is well and truly part of the unpleasant wing of his party in his campaign to prevent London’s fire station cleaners being given a living wage.
Brian Coleman has publicly said he will vote against a proposal by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to give cleaning staff a London living wage.
It is an absolute scandal that the Tories are campaigning against giving staff a living wage. The London living wage has been set at £7.20 an hour and is higher than the national minimum wage because of the high cost of housing in London.
We are now seeing the Tories on London Assembly provide relentless attacks on policies which ease the cost of living for Londoners on the lowest incomes, from votes on the London Assembly to abolishing free bus and tram travel for children, and to this attempt to block a decent wage for fire station cleaners.
The Conservative Party likes to suggest it has changed, but this continued assault on London’s low-paid families speaks for itself. It is plain and simple nasty politics, which incidentally seems to be wholeheartedly supported by the Lib Dems as they work arm in arm together on the London Assembly and, indeed, are bedfellows here in Camden. CLLR JONATHAN SIMPSON
Labour, King’s Cross
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