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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 22 August 2008

Prepare to fight eviction

• RE the Westminster by-election report (‘Now there’s no such things as a safe seat for the Labour Party’, August 2).
As a long-standing resident of Lisson Green, contrary to the claims of the Conservatives, I know first-hand of the tremendous work done by successive Church Street Labour councillors over many years.
Councillors Barbara Grahame and Aziz Toki have a first-class record of serving Church Street residents. For example:
l They pressed the Council to create extra primary school places for Church Street, resulting in the extension of Gateway School, as well as extra places at Christ Church Bentinck School.
l They have worked to improve the state of the Market with better cleansing, better inspection and more safety measures.
l They have worked with Karen Buck MP to build up the Safer Neighbourhoods team, with more Police and City Guardians.
l They helped win a £1million lottery bid for the Church Street Healthy Living project which has funded health improvement projects, run by voluntary organisations, which have helped measurably improve the health of Church Street residents.
l They have worked with Karen Buck MP to get more nursery places for Church Street children.
In addition, Barbara, Toki and the late Tony Mothersdale have regularly raised issues and presented petitions at council on issues of concern to residents including heating failures in CityWest Homes; the need for more affordable homes, particularly family-sized homes; increasing the amount of affordable housing in new developments and drawing attention to acute overcrowding and the impact on children.
And for over 30 years Labour councillors have run a weekly advice surgery in Church Street where thousands of residents have received advice and support to help them resolve problems they have with the Council.
During this time the Conservatives were nowhere to be seen. Indeed, despite the Conservatives running the council since 1964, residents in Church Street remain some of the most deprived in London.
The Conservatives may have won a one-off by-election but they cannot take away Labour’s excellent record in Church Street – a record which I know Councillors Barbara Grahame and Aziz Toki aim to continue over many years.
Paul Thompson
Address supplied, NW8

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. 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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