Iraq War hero Will Blackburn, who served as an officer in the Territorial Army during the immediate aftermath of the invasion in 2003, is the Conservative candidate for the Tulse Hill Ward by-election on Thursday 1st July. Voters demanded an immediate by-election after a newly re-elected Labour councillor was arrested and bailed, by a specialist unit of the Metropolitan Police, on allegations of downloading material from pay-for-view child abuse pornography web sites. The Labour councillor had resigned after just 17 days in office — a new record for Lambeth.

Will, aged 40,  moved to Tulse Hill in 2002 and joined the Territorial Army through the depot at Tulse Hill. Shortly afterwards he was mobilised to Iraq during the allied coalition operation to bring democracy to the Iraqi people. On completing his tour of duty in April 2004, Will returned to working in software publishing and now concentrates on using technology to deliver savings and efficiency in local government throughout the United Kingdom.

Will, a resident of Helix Road in Tulse Hill, says: “My work with local government has encouraged me to get involved in local politics and gives me an insight into how the environment and housing stock in Tulse Hill could be improved. I am a fighter and will work as hard for people in Tulse Hill in peace time as I did in the armed forces in time of war.”

Conservative Leader on Lambeth Council Cllr John Whelan says: “Will will be a great  Lambeth councillor with a fine record of service to his country and the community.  We hope the residents of Tulse Hill will trust Will to deliver — given that he will have access to the new Conservative led government and the Mayor of London.”

Cllr John Whelan, Cllr Evans-Jacas and Streatham Parliamentary Candidate Rahoul Bhansali

Labour smears directed at a new Conservative councillor in Brixton who converted to the Tories collapsed in shame today, exposing Labour as the “nasty party” of South London.

Labour Leader of the Council Steve Reed alleged at a Lambeth Council meeting on October 21, and on his personal blog and Twitter account, that the Conservatives had allegedly “bought a seat on the Council” by promising Councilor Betty Evans-Jacas a huge increase in her allowances on the London Fire Authority. It was a false allegation with no evidence.

Today, the now Conservative-controlled London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority voted in new appointments scheme recognising proportionality between the parties without making any change in special responsibility allowances for Councillor Evans-Jacas.

In the meantime, ex Labour Lambeth Mayor Lloyd Leon, a stalwart community activist in Brixton since the 1980s, has reported the Leader of the Council to the Lambeth Standards Committee, which upholds standards in public life. Additionally, Fabian Wells, Chair, South London Black Business Association, has also publicly slammed Labour attempts to brand Cllr Evans-Jacas as a “scab,” which he says equates with the even more derogatory expression of “black leg.”

Conservative Leader in Lambeth Councillor John Whelan says: “Labour has lost all moral compass and lets itself down by making libelous and defamatory allegations that have no foundation.  I also fear that the Leader of the Council is out of touch with his elected members.  We can expect more of the remaining back bench Labour councillors to reconsider their futures in coming weeks.  Watch this virtual space.”

The events started on October 9 when Councillor Evans-Jacas resigned from the Labour Party and applied for the Conservative Whip.

“It sparked a ferocious attack on her by the Labour Party,” says Conservative Leader Councillor John Whelan.  “I have now seen the text of a letter written by former Labour Mayor Lloyd Leon expressing his disgust at this abuse which calls for disciplinary action by the Council through the Chief Monitoring Officer.  Lloyd recalls a previous occasion from the 1980s when a councillor changed allegiance — the political parties show respect and constraint.  Sadly, this is lacking in today’s Labour Party which has lost all sense of moral compass.”

Cllr John Whelan, Cllr Evans-Jacas and Streatham Parliamentary Candidate Rahoul Bhansali

A senior Labour councillor who represents the same ward as the Labour Leader of the Council Steve Reed has resigned the Labour Whip and joined the Conservative Group.  Councillor Betty Evans-Jacas, who represents Brixton Hill Ward, is also a Labour nominated member of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and had been a member of the Labour Party for more than a decade.

She said: “I have written to my constituents in Brixton Hill explaining my decision to resign from the Labour Group in Lambeth.  After years of agonising over the failure of the leadership of the Labour Party in Lambeth to listen to the residents, faith organisations, and business of Brixton Hill and Lambeth as a whole, I have decided to become a member of the Conservative Party under David Cameron.  I believe that under his leadership, I will be able to fulfil all of my duties as a Brixton Hill ward councillor and have therefore applied to join the Conservative Group on Lambeth Council.”

Councillor John Whelan, Conservative Group Leader, said:  “We have no hesitation in welcoming Betty to David Cameron’s Conservative Party.  Betty is a woman of great integrity who is respected throughout the borough for her dedication to public service on Lambeth Council where she has been a consistently strong voice for the residents, faith groups, and small businesses of Brixton Hill.  I was privileged to serve with her for two years on the London Fire Authority where she impressed everyone with her concern for the safety of all Londoners.”

Streatham Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Rahoul Bhansali says:  “I look forward to working closely with Betty to fight for the interests of Brixton Hill and all Streatham residents.  Betty’s decision reflects what is happening across the constituency.  More and more voters who I speak to are disillusioned with Labour and see the Conservatives as the viable alternative.”

Labour bungling has subsequently delayed both schemes, meaning that two out of the borough’s three indoor pools could be shut for two years prior to 2010. Conservative Councillor Clare Whelan told the London Evening Standard: “I can’t believe that by now people aren’t swimming in a new pool in Clapham and Streatham. ”

So what went wrong?

Tesco-which promised to build a pool, ice rink, and homes in return for permission to build a store, halted the Streatham proposals in February 2009 and is in discussions with Labour Lambeth over a rethink. The leisure centre containing the Streatham pool was due to close last year. Tesco says no date has been set to re-tender the construction work.

Work on the Clapham pool, part of a £75 million development by the Cathedral Group, was meant to have started last January. The existing Clapham leisure centre is due to close in September.

Cllr Clare Whelan, who helped set up its green programme, spoke out after Labour Lambeth failed to meet its commitment to reduce energy use and cut pollution.

Clare chaired a cross-party commission which studied how the council could become greener.  The commission made 45 recommendations in a report published in 2007, including calls for the creation of a business recycling collection service and encouraging council staff to cycle or use public transport to get to work.

But it has now emerged that almost two years after the commission reported its findings, less than a third of its recommendations have been implemented.

Cllr Whelan has said it is doubtful Lambeth will meet its pledge to cut its carbon footprint unless action is quickly taken.

She said:  “Climate change is a major issue and we really don’t have time to waste in attempting to tackle it.

“Yet the council is dithering over its commitment to implement the recommendations.  It is disappointing that just 14 out of 45 recommendations have been implemented so far.”

Councillor John Whelan, Conservative Group Leader, says:  “The report finds that the overall service is now weak but by contrast it adds several times that in 2006 Lambeth Housing (as Lambeth Living was then known) was performing adequately and demonstrating improvement.

“The biggest risk now is that it will take too long for the service to recover in time to reach the standard necessary to qualify for £250 million from the Government to meet the decent home standard by 2014.”

CLICK HERE if you would like to download key extracts from the new report.

Lambeth Conservatives are calling for tough action to curb the growing menace from dangerous dogs

Lambeth Conservatives are calling on the Council to take tough action to curb the growing menace from dangerous dogs in parks and on some housing estates in the borough.

Councillor Clare Whelan, Environment Spokeswoman for the Conservative Group, says: “Some dog owners appear not to be able to control their dogs and a minority just don’t want to.

The police know it is an issue and it is their responsibility to enforce the Dangerous Dogs Act, but the Council can also do more.” The Conservatives are demanding immediate measures:

• Instead of cutting the number of Park Rangers they should be increased.
• Irresponsible dog owners should be fined and banned from keeping pets.
• Lambeth Living and other social housing providers could insist on micro-chipping as a condition of residents on their estates getting permission to keep a dog.
• The Council’s Anti Social Behaviour Unit must come down hard on irresponsible dog owners.

Councillor Whelan says: “We cannot have people being intimidated in this way. This isn’t ‘anti-dog’ and I am an animal lover myself. Most dog owners keep their dogs under control at all times and clean up after them. In fact it is often responsible dog owners who are making the complaints because they fear for their own pet’s safety.”

Cllr Clare Whelan talks about Labour’s plans to close the general waste depot in Vale Street, West Norwood.  The decision means that Lambeth residents will need to travel to Battersea from 1 April 2009.

Labour is wasting money nationally and locally in Lambeth

Labour Lambeth has rejected a lawful alternative Conservative budget that would have cut Council Tax by 1.5 per cent to help hard pressed residents hit by the government’s failure to manage the economy.

Building on the example shown by Mayor Boris at City Hall, the Conservative budget proposed wide ranging efficiency savings with the elimination of “non jobs,” cuts in the wasteful publicity budget, and reductions in allowances paid to Labour Cabinet members.

At the same time, the Conservative budget maintained front line services and care for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable children and offered help to small businesses struggling to survive under an uncaring Labour government.

“Our Budget for People included £2 million more for road and pavement repairs, more investment in libraries, parks, and open spaces and £150,000 more for the youth service,” says Conservative Group Leader Councillor John Whelan.

“The Labour budget by contrast offered little for libraries and parks and no extra expenditure on the youth service.  This comes on top of the highest rent rises in the country – 17 per cent – with the average Council Tax now £1,235.  Labour even voted against our proposal to pay small businesses working for the Council in 10 days instead of a month.”

Rosendale Road Shopping Parade will benefit from a new pavement after lobbying by Conservative councillors

Figures from the Taxpayers Alliance show that in 2007-2008 Lambeth Council employed 335 people on salaries of more that £50,000 – some of them with five weeks holiday a year – costing a total of £22 million without taking into account their generous final salary pensions and other benefits.

Councillor Whelan adds:  “Spending on “consultants and agency staff” is out of control at Lambeth Council, but the Labour budget has delayed taking any immediate action.  Typically, a department hires a temp from an agency to do the photocopying for the summer while permanent staff are on leave – two years later the agency temp is still there.”

The Conservative budget proposed scrapping the fortnightly “Lambeth propaganda sheet” Lambeth Life saving £400,000 a year.

“When Boris took office one of his first actions was to abolish Livingstone’s pet newspaper “The Londoner” and spend the money instead on planting new trees,” says Councillor Whelan.

“That hopefully will be the shape of things to come if Labour lose office in Lambeth at the next elections in 2010.”