Camden News
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By SUNITA RAPPAI
 

From left, Gospel Oak candidate Chris Philp, Hampstead candidate Kirsty Roberts, Alan Duncan and Gospel Oak candidate Lulu Mitchell.
Top Tory jumps in to back candidates

Conservative trade spokesman on election walkabout

TORY shadow trade and industry minister Alan Duncan was parachuted in to South End Green yesterday (Wednesday) to join Conservative candidates campaigning for next week’s election.
The MP for Rutland and Melton joined Camden Tory leader Piers Wauchope, Hampstead councillor Mike Greene, Tory candidates and community activists on a walkabout to look at the problems facing small businesses in the area.
With the opening of a new Marks and Spencer Simply Food store in Pond Street and the closure of two long-established businesses in South End Green in the last month – The Delicatessen Shop and Polish restaurant Zamoyskis – many residents and small traders have expressed fears about the future of their high street. But Mr Duncan, who accused the Town Hall of being “arrogant, insensitive and uncaring”, said the problem was “not so much with competition as fairness in their costs”.
He said: “Camden Council do so much harm to small businesses. It’s things like parking and badly placed street furniture that cost money. It is not a council that listens to the needs of the community.”
Gospel Oak Tory candidate Chris Philp added: “We are looking at things like making sure that people can park closer to the shops, lower business rates, concessionary rents and less employment regulation.”
Mr Duncan visited Pond Street florist John Atkins as part of his tour and signed a petition to save his stall. Mr Atkins is currently in a dispute with the Town Hall over the construction of a shelter for his stand.
Afterwards Mr Atkins, a lifelong Labour voter, said he would be voting Conservative at the elections on Thursday.
He said: “They can’t be any worse than Labour. I’d always voted Labour but the way they are running the country at the moment is terrible.”
 
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