Lambeth’s lone Tory Cllr has launched an astonishing attack on the local Labour party, accusing it of neglecting the working class in the borough.
Cllr Tim Briggs, the one-man Conservative enclave on Clapham Common, has submitted a misguided, misjudged and misleading Motion for Full Council ahead of the meeting on 20th January.
Lambeth Labour may not boast the most proletariat blend of democratic socialism; but the policies put forward are more in tune with local residents than any of the ideology inflicted on the borough by Cllr Briggs’ Tory friends in Westminster.
Cllr Briggs gets our attention with his rather playful Motion title:
Improving Labour policies that affect working-class people in Lambeth.
If Cllr Briggs wants to improve Labour policies, then he could always resign his membership of the Nasty Party and put forward his more progressive ideas as a Lambeth Labour member.
His Motion states:
“Council notes a recent survey which suggested that Labour party members are now 70% upper middle class and from London. The Labour party has completely lost touch with its roots with working-class people.”
A detailed analysis of the demography of the Tory party could be interesting – and we’re not talking Clapham Common ward, either.
Cllr Briggs had us for a moment with his fighting talk of working class roots. But he loses it in the very next paragraph by banging on about that great class divide issue of, erm, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods:
“Closing roads and bridges for so-called Low Traffic Neighbourhoods that displace traffic and pollution into areas more likely to be inhabited by working-class people on lower incomes, disconnecting residents from their families and emergency services disproportionately affecting vulnerable residents.”
We receive many anti-LTN missives at Brixton Buzz from groups claiming to represent ordinary residents. We’re never entirely sure of the source of these anonymous ramblings that attempt to demonise a more sustainable form of transport.
Cllr Briggs’ Motion then just goes plain BONKERS:
“Council notes the use by Labour councillors of race issues and identity politics in its propaganda to divide working-class communities: judging people by their skin colour rather than the content of their character.”
We’re very surprised that such inflammatory language actually got past the Lambeth Officers responsible for accepting the Motion.
It’s then a race to the bottom for Cllr Briggs when he accuses Lambeth Labour of:
“Keeping community groups dependent on council hand-outs to ensure that they remain Labour’s chosen victims.”
CHOSEN VICTIMS.
Would Cllr Briggs care to name some of the outstanding community groups that have worked so hard during the pandemic who are “chosen victims?”
Once again we’d suggest that Lambeth Officers pause to reflect on the language they are allowing to be used in a Full Council meeting.
This is nothing but dog whistling to a non-existent Tory Red Wall that isn’t anywhere to be seen in Lambeth – not even in Cllr Briggs’ Clapham Common enclave.
The true blue colours of the Motion then finally appear when Cllr Briggs turns to attack Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London.
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT:
There is an election for the Mayor of London in May. Cllr Briggs is a Tory list candidate for the election. He’s wasting valuable Full Council time during a pandemic to launch his own City Hall campaign.
Well done, you:
“Council notes the failure of the Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan on issues that disproportionately affect working-class people: his failure to end gridlock across London caused by his road-narrowing and closures of roads and bridges despite the lockdown, his failure to deal with knife crime and fund the police properly, his bankrupting Transport for London before the Coronavirus pandemic even started.”
We started to warm towards Cllr Briggs whilst reading the final points in his Motion. We now realise that it’s all part of a grand comedy wheeze:
“Finally, Council notes the abject failure of the Labour government in Wales, its appallingly-run NHS, its misguided and fatal Coronavirus response, as an abject lesson in how not to govern.”
Which may – or may not – be true. It wouldn’t surprise us if the above paragraph has been slipped in by ex-Tory Lambeth Cllr Bernard Gentry – who now lives in… Wales.
The call to action for Cllr Briggs at the close of his comedy Motion is:
“To consider its historic responsibility to all working-class people in the borough, and their needs, and
To believe in Britain, our amazing country, as our residents do and our Prime Minister Boris Johnson does.”
BRAVO!
Credit to Lambeth Labour and the Opposition Green party for not wasting valuable Council time by adding in any Amendments to be debated and then voted through.
This is perhaps the most piss-poor Motion that we have ever had the displeasure of reading in Lambeth Council papers – and we’ve read some absolute shite in our time.
The Motion deserves the lack of respect and attention afforded to it by the other two parties. It will be voted down with the ZERO debate it deserves.
Once again: Lambeth Labour isn’t afraid of trotting out Third Way bollocks ideology with its endless gentrification agenda.
But would you really trust a Tory council to support residents in our borough?
Cllr Briggs will be lining up behind Tory Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey in May – the man who believes that homeless people can save up £5,000 to get themselves on the housing ladder.
Meanwhile the Register of Interest for Cllr Briggs held at the Town Hall has him listed as a Director of Legal Mentor, a company that helps landlords to evict tenants.
Talk about losing track of working-class roots, etc.
We’ll buy a pint for any Labour or Green Cllr who manages to keep a straight face whilst Cllr Briggs bangs on with his political dogma at Full Council next week*
Cheers.
*pubs are closed, disclaimer, disclaimer etc.
Maybe put in a comedy amendment suggesting we follow much revered President Trump and make London Great Again.
BTW whoever agrees with this? https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-confirms-city-hall-move-east-end-b43379.html
Considering Lambeth planning is apparently done in Winchester, and council tax in Bromley one wonders whether the Mayor of London’s activities could be done from Hong Kong – there is a large cheap and compliant English speaking population there desperate to keep up with their English language..
Regardless of which way you lean he has a point about the LTNs. They are extremely divisive and disproportionately affect poorer households. To ignore this is to be wilfully ignorant. It epitomises nimbyism.
Traffic and pollution has drastically increased on the unlucky roads. This is not a political stance, it’s fact.
Mr Cobb slags off a Tory councillor but at the same time completely disregards genuine concerns of local residents as ‘anonymous ramblings’. It speaks volumes.
Clearly a left wing man of the people…as long as it’s his people. Reeks of hypocrisy.
“We receive many anti-LTN missives at Brixton Buzz from groups claiming to represent ordinary residents. We’re never entirely sure of the source of these anonymous ramblings that attempt to demonise a more sustainable form of transport.”
“disproportionately affect poorer households. ”
“Traffic and pollution has drastically increased on the unlucky roads. This is not a political stance, it’s fact. ”
I’d be Interested to see what’s the evidence that established these so-called facts.
HerneHillian: Google “YouTube Ferndale LTN” if you’re sincerely interested.
I would be interested in this as well.
I suspect it does not exist.
You seem determined not to see it. There are none so blind etc.
Here is some low traffic neighbourhood research you may find of interest.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods reduce road traffic injuries: https://findingspress.org/article/18330-the-impact-of-introducing-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-on-road-traffic-injuries
New walking and cycling infrastructure (like LTNs) increases number of pedestrians and cyclists and increase in physical activity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140520301729
LTNs do not increase response times for emergency services
https://findingspress.org/article/18198-the-impact-of-introducing-a-low-traffic-neighbourhood-on-fire-service-emergency-response-times-in-waltham-forest-london
LTNs lead to a reduction in car ownership
https://findingspress.org/article/18200-the-impact-of-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-and-other-active-travel-interventions-on-vehicle-ownership-findings-from-the-outer-london-mini-holland-programme
LTNs lead to an increase in walking and cycling
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140520301626
Dulwich LTN saw a doubling in number of people cycling
https://www.transportforqualityoflife.com/u/files/1_DulwichReport_FINAL.pdf
LTNs haven’t caused an increase in traffic on nearby main roads in Hackneynsportforqualityoflife.com/u/files/1_DulwichReport_FINAL.pdf
LTNs don’t discriminate
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/16/claim-low-traffic-schemes-only-benefit-better-off-debunked-in-new-study
I live on Coldharbour Lane and the evidence is glaringly obvious. Bumper to bumper gridlock and idling traffic constantly. I can smell and taste the evidence. I can see it with my own eyes. During the summer I was getting my hair cut at Barber de Seville before he went back to Albania and we both couldn’t believe what we were seeing. He could no longer have the door open because of lorries pumping fumes into the shop. It’s so much worse for everyone who drew the short straw.
I cycle everywhere and do not even own a car, so I am very much pro-cycling. However this is not the way to go about it. It’s a cheap way for the council to prove they are doing something without committing the funds actually needed to implement a proper sustainable and workable cycling infrastructure.
I really think the saying is true, if you buy cheap you buy twice. Without proper thought and investment these LTNs are going to cause more harm than good and I believe will ultimately be a waste of money. We can already see other boroughs are starting to remove them.
I was specifically addressing HerneHillian’s quotation and question:
“”Traffic and pollution has drastically increased on the unlucky roads. This is not a political stance, it’s fact. ”
I’d be Interested to see what’s the evidence that established these so-called facts.“
I provided tangible evidence based on first-hand experience of living on one of the “unlucky roads” originally mentioned.
I’d say the jury is still out on LTNs. I see articles both pro and anti but I don’t collect them. I think I’ve seen most of the ones you’ve provided. I’ve also seen the negative effects of LTNs on my own road. And you seem unwilling to accept that those exist.
I was specifically addressing the quotation and question from HerneHillian:
““Traffic and pollution has drastically increased on the unlucky roads. This is not a political stance, it’s fact. ”
I’d be Interested to see what’s the evidence that established these so-called facts.”
I provided tangible evidence based on first-hand experience of living on one of the “unlucky roads” originally mentioned and then dismissed.
I’d say that the jury is still out on LTNs. I’ve seen articles in favour and articles against but I don’t collect them. I’ve seen most of the ones that you’ve provided. I’ve also seen the incredibly negative effects of an LTN on my own road. That’s the evidence I’m concerned with. I’m sure that many other residents on other “unlucky roads” feel the same. And I’m sure that many of those who have gained from these LTNs, by moving their own ratruns elsewhere, among other things, will doubt what we say.
I’m all for encouraging more cycling and seeing fewer cars on the streets, but, for whatever reason, there has definitely been a fairly substantial rise in traffic on the stretch of Coldharbour Lane betwixt Gresham Road and the town centre.
Ferndale Road at the western end has been turned into a main road because of the LTN . Landor Road and Bedford Road have also seen increased volumes of traffic . All LTNS displace traffic .
It is not right that certain roads are ghost towns while other streets take the displaced traffic.
Sorry to hear that Mike.
And the council have acknowledged that traffic is up on Coldharbour Lane but have just said they will rephase the traffic lights which is rather like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.
Coldharbour Lane had a high number of BAME people living and working on it more at risk of COVid. As pollution thought to be an exacerbating factor in disease severity and mortality. The council should be taking a precautionary approach instead of ploughing on regardless with their social experiment.
I am certainly no Tory, but Progess Labour are really letting the working class down at the moment (what with these schemes, Cressingham Gardens and Hondo).
Coldharbour Lane even more horrendously busy (in a lockdown) due to a water leak at LJ which won’t be fixed for 5 days. Have written to the council asking if they could open Railton/Shakespeare to relieve congestion and idling traffic outside homes and businesses
However, they didn’t open up the LTN roads before Christmas when HH junction was choked with traffic due to bridge repairs and bus diversions, so highly unlikely they will do it now…..
Even though it is one of the main access roads to Kings…
A pretty cavalier and throwaway comment here:’ We receive many anti-LTN missives at Brixton Buzz from groups claiming to represent ordinary residents. We’re never entirely sure of the source of these anonymous ramblings that attempt to demonise a more sustainable form of transport.‘ Most people who are oppose the current LTN don’t require anonymity. There is simply a large group of local citizens who are not- as presumed- anti environmental- but who recognise the needs of the community go beyond the loud and self-righteous bike zealots who fail to comprehend there is a sizeable portion of the community for whom cycling is simply not an option. The elderly. The infirm. The disabled. Tradespeople. Community nurses. Those delivering your ‘essentials’. The current unconsulted LTN are simply displacing traffic onto main roads creating gridlock, increasing pollution & creating hazardous conditions for cyclists as well as adding unnecessary stress on essential journeys. The lack of community consultation has been appalling. Entire estates were excluded from any consultation on the scheme, yet more affluent gentrified streets have clearly been in consultation with the council on this prior to Implementation, turning regular streets into cul-de-sac utopias with out the inconvenience of the local riff-raff being able to pass through now. It’s class based gentrification, it’s undemocratic, and it needs urgently reviewing.
Yes I thought that the author’s comment re LTN opponents. was rather disingenuous- does he know that Lambeth are facing legal action from a disabled resident due to their flagrant disregard of the Equality Act and did he read the comment on BB from another disabled resident who had had her fines withdrawn for driving through an LTN to her GP? Many or us opposing LTNs are advocating for Working class people Labour purport to represent.
Is Jason Cobb a staffer on Brixton Buzz? Or affiliated to it?
Either way, for anyone to post what is clearly simply an anti-Tory diatribe is less than balanced: shame on Brixton Buzz.
And completely ignores the endless articles featured in Brixton Buzz, outraged at how the majority Labour Council are ‘gentrifying’ the area, allowing small businesses to be evicted by Network Rail or Honda Enterprises, knocking down social housing for unwanted tower blocks, not meeting social housing targets, closing libraries, selling off public parks, not bearing down on businesses forcing zero hours contracts on their employees, throwing away £000s of ratepayers money on the still loss-making Pop Brixton, etc., etc., etc.
Labour, the Party of the People & the Working Classes: not in Lambeth, not by a long way, is my personal experience of working in my local community in SW8.
We live in a democracy, but we do not enjoy that in Lambeth.
?59? out of 63 councillors are Labour: there is little or no independent voice for residents concerns.
What Labour decides is ‘the best’ for the Borough, happens.
The most recent example is the 7,000-strong public opposition to the Honda Tower planning application for a high-rise block in central Brixton.
Completely ignored by the Council, and with no real opposition at Council meetings or in Cabinet, has been granted.
So, no matter how badly-written opposition may be, a more balanced response should be the aim of Brixton Buzz, if it wants to serve the community properly.
LTNs
here BB went out of its way to present arguments from both sides of the fence.
Having been involved in the original ‘pilot’ LTN I can say from personal knowledge, how crude the scheme was, and how it resulted in traffic being pushed to other areas, principally onto a local social housing estate.
There are pluses to LTNs: cleaner air; less rat-runnnig; short journeys being taken by foot; safer & more pleasant to walk in neighbourhoods.
However, they need to be more carefully designed, and the Council to liaise better with TfL on reducing equally the traffic then pushed onto other routes.
I’m sorry to break the news to you Helen, but every newspaper, media outlet and magazine will have a political bias, and there is absolutely no reason why Brixton Buzz should make any effort at ‘balance’ – it’s their blog so they can write what the hell they want.
Moreover, given the fact that Tories can barely get a handful of votes at every election in Brixton, I’d say that their left leaning stance accurately reflects the politics of the area.
Helen: for the record, and to clear up any possible confusion – I am 100% anti-Tory. I LOATHE the Tories. I hate what they’ve done to this country.
I’ll never ever forgive Thatcher for what she did to my home country (Wales), and I’ll never forgive Boris Johnson for his bumbling, nepotistic, incompetent mishandling of the Covid crisis that has resulted in thousands of unnecessary deaths and untold suffering across the UK.
I’m not a fan of Lambeth either, and as you should be very well aware, Brixton Buzz has written many, many articles criticising Labour – many of which were written by Jason.
Oh dear, Helen. Have you actually read any of the articles about Lambeth Council on Brixton Buzz? A two minute search just threw up the following pieces – all written by the same author who you suggest is not paying close attention to the gentrification agenda of Lambeth Council.
FACEPALM, etc.
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/11/lambeth-planning-the-hondo-enormo-tower-and-the-brixton-project-how-locals-are-left-out-of-the-regeneration-process/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/12/lambeth-council-invoiced-hondo-177549-for-consultancy-work-for-enormo-tower-along-popes-road-in-brixton/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/10/local-labour-party-members-in-lambeth-pass-motion-telling-labour-led-lambeth-council-cabinet-to-abandon-homes-for-lambeth/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/09/homes-for-lambeth-ditch-pr-consultants-hired-to-push-through-estate-regeneration-consultation/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/09/lambeth-estate-regeneration-in-doubt-after-sadiq-khan-pulls-funding-on-four-projects-because-council-refuses-to-ballot-tenants/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/09/lambeth-left-looking-for-new-cressingham-regeneration-funding-after-sadiq-khan-withdraws-money-with-council-refusing-to-ballot-residents/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/09/exclusive-loss-making-pop-brixton-has-traded-rent-free-on-council-land-for-five-years-and-paid-zero-profit-to-lambeth/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/08/lambeths-homes-for-lambeth-insider-committee-takes-minutes-to-scrutinise-multi-million-pound-business-plan-with-no-questions-asked/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/08/lambeth-council-to-spend-an-extra-115073-on-brixton-windmill-education-centre-after-unforeseen-work-items-in-the-1m-facility/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/08/historic-england-slam-hondo-enormo-towers-significant-harmful-visual-impact-on-brixton-ahead-of-lambeth-planning-meeting/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/08/lambeth-shifts-the-deadline-again-to-agree-a-deal-with-developer-muse-for-housing-on-the-site-of-olive-morris-house/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/08/developer-cashes-in-with-480000-for-one-bed-flat-in-new-so-brx-tower-overlooking-stockwell-skate-park/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/08/lambeth-labour-label-tory-housing-plans-a-developers-charter-despite-local-track-record-that-deserves-scrutiny/
https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/07/loss-making-pop-brixton-set-to-be-given-further-two-year-extension-by-lambeth-council/