Islington Council Leader, Catherine West, joined striking Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) workers in Archway yesterday to protest against the Government’s plans to relocate more than 170 jobs away from Islington.

Plans are underway to move the OPG from Archway Tower to Birmingham.  But there are real fears, shared by local businesses, that the loss of so many skilled and experienced staff will harm Archway’s economy.

Cllr Catherine West, said “The government needs to rethink this decision urgently.  It makes no sense to spend £22 million on a costly move that will take hundreds of much-needed jobs out of Archway, damage local businesses, and reduce service quality for extremely vulnerable clients.  I’m on the side of our community and fully support the PCS campaign to keep the Office of the Public Guardian in Islington”

Cllr West wrote to Kenneth Clarke MP, Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State for Justice in March urging him to reconsider the decision and local Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn has lodged an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons.