The other London election
With all the attention on the election for London Mayor, the media are rather ignoring the other election that is going on in London.
The London Assembly has 25 members and we will be electing them as well on 1st May. Of these Assembly members, 14 represent constituencies, and down here we will be electing the member for South West London, which covers the boroughs of Kingston, Richmond and Hounslow.
Four years ago the South West London constituency came within a whisker of electing a Liberal Democrat. It just needs a swing of 1.3% to take the seat from the Conservatives, so it is really possible for us to win it this time.
Stephen Knight is our candidate. I've known him for many years and think he will be an excellent Assembly Member - "But you would say that", I hear you cry. Yes, but I do have good evidence.
Stephen is deeply interested in local communities and has made it his business to find out about all the areas across the three boroughs. He is fascinated by the Devon Way Centre, and the totally innovative way in which we have brought services for older people and young people together in one building. He is full of praise for the Hook Centre.
But my main reason for endorsing him is because I know he will actively work on behalf of the people of Hook and Chessington at the Assembly. That will mean keeping in touch with our issues, especially those that relate to London-wide functions, such as the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London (TfL).
TfL is responsible for the A243 Hook Road. There have been two very serious accidents here recently, one fatal. (I have written about them here and here). As local councillors we have held meetings with TfL following each accident to ask for improvements to the road. In fact, we have been highlighting the dangerous Elm Road junction for some years.
Our Conservative London Assembly member, for whom this should be a priority, has shown no interest in the problem.
In the 8 years since he was elected to this seat, Tony Arbour has never once contacted me, as a local councillor, about the local issues which he should be championing.
In fact, the only time he appears to have set foot within the area is recorded in a photo in the local press earlier this year.
He had apparently sent a letter to Kingston's Chief Executive asking if the local Safer Neighbourhoods Police team could open up a base in the Housing Office in Elm Road. The Council does not own this building, and they have now relinquished the lease.
We had already put this idea to the local Police some time ago when we knew that the building would become vacant, and the Police had looked round and rejected it as not being suitable for their needs.
So what do we have? - the current South West member for the London Assembly (which is responsible for the Met) makes a proposal to the wrong person, about an idea that has already been rejected, having discussed it with none of the people involved.
And somehow that counts as news!
Comments: 8
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I don't have time to do it but you only have to google his name and Chessington or Hook and you get a flood if things he has taken an interest in that directly affect Hook and Chessington; Malden Rushett crossroads, the red route etc etc.
The real problem is we currently have a Mayor who does not even realise that Hook and Chessington is part of London. Look how many maps we have seen them use without Chessington World of Adventures in. still, that will change when Boris wins and if you want to do something real for the people of Hook you will be urging Lib Dem voters to make Boris their second preference to ensure we get rid of the dreadful Ken.
As for him asking to meet you and discuss issues - well that works both ways.
How many times have you contacted Tony to ask for his help or advice? Sadly politics gets in the way of this and I doubt you have done it.
Comment modified)
1. A reference by one of the local residents associations to a meeting he attended in 2002 about the Red Route
2. His contact details at the same residents association
3. A reference to a comment he made about TfL's improvements at Malden Rushett in the minutes of another residents association meeting in 2006 (which he did not attend).
4. Listed as GLA member on the London Gypsy & Traveller Unit website
5. A dead link to the local Conservative party website
6. A link to the election page on the local Conservative party website
7. Listed as GLA member on the Kingston upon THames page on Wikepedia
8. Listed as GLA member on Kingston Council's website
9. A reference to him on the New Malden Conservatives page
10. Listed as GLA member on London Councils website
That's it!
In other words there are only two references (nos 1 and 3) to him getting involved in issues in Chessington and Hook in eight years!
I can understand that people are getting worried at the thought that food waste will hang around for two weeks, because that's what the Tories are implying - but it won't. Food will be collected weekly along with most other things.
Perhaps you could tell Tony Arbour to get his facts right before misleading the electors.
Anyway instead of wasting time 'google-ing' shoudn't you be out campaiging? instead of make a post out of a fruitless task, we aren't going to get Stephen elected hiding behind computer screens.
Don't worry, I've done plenty of campaigning ... Anyway, you wrote that from behind a computer screen, didn't you? :-)
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