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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 10 October 2008

Sobell note betrays ‘two-faced’ Labour

LABOUR has been accused of being two-faced, after a secret briefing note seen by the Tribune betrayed the full level of the opposition’s support for the redevelopment of the Sobell Leisure Centre.
Council deputy leader Terry Stacy says the opposition party is being duplicitous by quietly supporting the redevelopment of the Sobell Centre, while loudly criticising the council over the fine detail.
Labour’s crib sheet for last Tuesday’s overview committee – dropped in the Town Hall corridor and handed to this paper by an unnamed source – reveals just how much Labour sympathises with the Lib Dems’ unpopular plans to demolish and rebuild the Sobell Centre.
The document also shows how the opposition party is so confident it will win the next election that it is already making plans for the Sobell site.
Labour Councillor Phil Kelly, who wrote the note, has loudly criticised the Lib Dems for the way they consulted on the redevelopment.
But the note reveals how Labour actually sympathises with the Lib Dems’ scheme. It reads: “We cannot afford the luxury of simple opposition.
“We are going to come into ownership of this scheme in less than two years and we will be looking for new housing sites too. Let them take the decision to go for option 4. New homes and a swimming pool will be very popular.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Cllr Terry Stacy said: “I find it totally hypocritical and two-faced.
“This note shows that all their ranting and raving is shallow and that they support the same objectives as me and my colleagues.
“It shows Labour can’t make difficult decisions and are willing for other people to take the flack for difficult decisions.”
But Cllr Kelly said: “I’m not embarrassed about it at all. It shows that we take things seriously.
“The note makes it quite clear we want affordable housing on that site and that we’ve seriously considered the arguments about refurbishing or rebuilding the Sobell.”
A Labour party spokesman said: “We have made clear our opposition to the botched Sobell consultation, which didn’t even give refurbishment as an option.
“But we are never going to shy away either from building new affordable homes for the 13,000 families on Islington’s waiting list, or from our desire to see real consultation with users and neighbours about the scheme.”

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