This year has been a tough one for our community. Islington is being hit harder than anywhere else in London by the Conservative-led Government’s massive, unfair cuts. At the same time, the Conservative Mayor is taking away the local police sergeants that help keep our streets safe.
Despite this, your Labour Council is working hard to make Islington fairer. As we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, here are just 12 ways Labour is already making a difference in Islington:
1. Opening a new Citizens Advice Bureau, the first to open in London in over 20 years. Over 1,500 local people walked through its doors in the first three months, showing just how vital this help is in these tough economic times.
2. Building more family sized affordable homes to help families in desperate housing need. It’s Islington’s biggest affordable housing building programme in 30 years.
3. Introducing a borough wide controlled drinking zone to help local people suffering from anti-social drinkers.
4. Launching our Islington Fairness Commission report setting out actions we’re taking to create a fairer borough, including supporting 750 parents back into work, piloting a mentoring programme for 18-24 year olds, and establishing an Islington Fair Business kitemark.
5. Cutting our Chief Executive’s pay by £50,000 and introducing a London Living Wage for all directly employed council staff. No one in Islington should have to do a hard day’s work for less than they can live on.
6. Keeping the £100 pensioner discount for all over 65s who pay council tax.
7. Providing extra help for voluntary groups with a £1 million voluntary sector rescue fund to help local groups deal with government cuts.
8. Keeping all our libraries and children’s centres open at a time when thousands are closing up and down the country.
9. Protecting our youth services and launching Islington’s Young Mayor and Youth Council so young people themselves can play a bigger role in deciding the services they need.
10. Providing free school meals for all our primary school children, so every child gets at least one healthy, nutritious meal a day.
11. Winning our battles with the Conservative Mayor to save the PlusBus, a vital lifeline for elderly and disabled people, and to spend our Olympic ’look book’ money on young people – not disposable flags.
12. Spending money on our community not ourselves by continuing to freeze Councillor allowances.
Thank you for all your support in 2011. Islington Labour wishes you a merry Christmas and a very happy new year.
