Hughes News August 2007:

Published on Fri 17th Aug 2007

May to August are good months for local political activity. There have been many worthwhile local events which I have attended: presenting the Volunteer Centre Southwark awards; laying flowers at the Soviet War Memorial to mark peace in Europe; celebrating ten years of Southwark Civic Awards and the end of works on the Sutton Dwellings estate in Rotherhithe; enjoying the opening of Potters Field Park and the annual Mayesta in Walworth, helping launch the new South Bank Partnership Manifesto, and attending a great production at the Blue Elephant Theatre. There was the moving but proud unveiling of the memorial to Private Lee O'Callaghan, killed in Iraq. More happily, the event in Southwark Park and the Rotherhithe Festival in July were both great - and sunny! - as were the Vibrations festival and Carnival del Pueblo in Burgess Park in August. But the more sustained political campaigns have continued. First, I have kept up all possible pressure on Prime Minster, Health Secretaries and junior ministers to get a better deal for mental health users than the government's original plans to close the Maudsley 24 hour emergency clinic and replace it with an inadequate alternative at King's. Second, we were first off the mark to protest that the Crown Post Office in Borough High Street now has an uncertain future again. Campaigning for local post offices must remain a high priority for us all from now until next spring when decisions are made. And, seasonally, I have taken an initiative in trying to persuade the council to include a heated lido and a diving pool in the plans for swimming and leisure across the borough in the days ahead.

There have been some very good visits out and about in the community: on walkabout with the police in east Walworth; to the Newington library and Cuming Museum, on planning issues along Jamaica Road and above all concerning the old grammar school at Tower Bridge and Potters Field. And as always, casework for individuals and whole streets and estates has kept our constituency team and me as busy as ever - whether dealing with burglaries in Searles Road, and the marina in Rotherhithe or applications for school places from Blackfriars to Surrey Docks. Delivering my annual report has been welcome additional exercise!

Paul Noblet from the end of August has taken leave of absence for 6 months from my office to cover for Lisa as acting Southwark cabinet member for Environment and Transport. Knock on changes in the staff team are being decided as I write. Whoever the exact staff team, we all know that an election may be as close as May - if not October! Nothing concentrates our campaigning more. I look forward to seeing you all at the action days and other events during the autumn.

SH

P.S. The parliamentary boundary changes have become law. Although the constituency remains North Southwark and Bermondsey until the next election is called, we now know we shall lose some parts of SE16 and SE17 at the next election. Moving the rest of the Aylesbury Estate into Camberwell and Peckham is logical but splitting Rotherhithe absolutely is not, we opposed it, and we will fight to get it back at the earliest opportunity!