GIPSY HILL WARD VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS
Voters in Gipsy Hill ward go to the polls tomorrow (Thursday) to elect a new councillor.
On paper it’s a safe Labour seat but a Green party spokesman told News From Crystal Palace today (Wednesday) : “Many previous Labour supporters are telling us on the doorsteps that they are voting Green because of what Lambeth Labour are doing to Central Hill estate and libraries throughout Lambeth.”
In last month’s GLA elections in Gipsy Hill ward voting for a GLA member for Lambeth and Southwark the main parties polled as follows: Eshalomi (Lab) 1944; Nix (Green) 644 Flint (Con) 575; Bukola (Lib Dem) 256 Ramadi (UKIP) 115. Two other candidates polled 28 votes and eight votes respectively.
POLLING STATIONS
Venues for two polling stations for tomorrow’s vote have been changed.
District Polling Place
NNA Elm Wood Primary School, (Tritton Road Entrance), West Norwood
NNB Kingswood Primary School – Upper Site, Gipsy Road, London
NNC Kingswood Children’s Centre, 18 Benton’s Lane
NND Berridge Road Estate Community Resource Centre, 13-17 Bridgetown Close
NNE Goodliffe Hall, 1 Highland Road off Gipsy Hill (next to Christchurch)
A Lambeth council spokesman told News From Crystal Palace: “The Park Campus is a school which is our usual polling station for NNC but we’ve moved it for the by-election to the children’s centre across the road as the school has GCSEs that day.
“There’s a similar issue with Paxton primary (NNE) so we’ve moved to Goodliffe Hall which is very close by.”
May 2014 Lambeth council election results:
Matthew Bennett Labour 2242 24per cent Elected
Niranjan Francis Labour 2202 23pc Elected
Jennifer Brathwaite Labour 2183 23pc Elected
Tom Martin Conservative 436 5pc Not elected
Ali Kayikkiran Conservative 434 5pc Not elected
Said Gutin Conservative 423 4pc Not elected
Ben McKeown Green 364 4pc Not elected
Cath Potter Green 317 3pc Not elected
Paul Wynter Green 257 3pc Not elected
David James Hare Liberal Democrat 164 2pc Not elected
Marietta Frances Crichton Stuart Liberal Democrat 161 2pc Not elected
Eddie Otoyo UK Independence Party 142 2pc Not elected
Marcus Franciscus Van Breugel Liberal Democrat 133 1pc Not elected
The by-election follows the death of Cllr Niranja Francis.
In other Lambeth council news:
COUNCIL CONSTITUTION “NOT CHANGED” – to be considered at NEXT council meeting
Draft minutes of the last Lambeth council meeting say consideration of changes to the constitution were “deferred” until the next council meeting (to be held Wednesday July 13th, 7pm, venue to be announced).
The draft minutes – which do not appear to agree with some people’s understanding of the meeting which was abandoned –
state:
MEETING ADJOURNED
Due to disruption from the public gallery, the meeting was adjourned for 12 minutes at 7.26pm.
MEETING ADJOURNED
The Mayor advised that due to the continued disruption from the public gallery she would ask for the gallery to be cleared so the Council business listed on the agenda could be considered.
The meeting was adjourned at 7.46pm for 28 minutes.
STATEMENT FROM THE MAYOR
The Mayor advised the meeting that due to continued disruption form the public gallery, and the refusal of members of the public causing disruption to leave she had no choice but to move to the vote on two of the reports. She advised that the any reports not considered would be deferred to the next meeting of Council.
Elsewhere, the draft minutes state: “The Mayor, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Council and Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite all offered tributes to the late Cllr Niranjan Francis, who had recently passed away. “Council then observed a one minute silence as a mark of respect.”
The proposed changes to the constitution include: “The first motion for debate is from the majority opposition party, and the second motion will be from the administration and will adhere to the following order:
1st Motion: Five minutes, mover: Conservative. Three minutes: 3x Labour 1x Green; Five minutes summing up: Conservative
2nd Motion: Five minutes, mover: Labour. Three minutes: 1x Conservative 1x Green 2x Labour. Five minutes summing up: Labour.”
(NOTE: The last council meeting took place before some of the Labour group on Lambeth council agreed that the party whip should be withdrawn from Cllr Rachel Heywood.
The changes as currently proposed would give Cllr Heywood NO VOICE on either motion – Ed.)
ONLY HALF LABOUR COUNCILLORS TURNED UP FOR RACHEL HEYWOOD VOTE” – Library campaigners
Asked for a comment on Rachel Heywood’s suspension from the party whip, Friends of Lambeth Libraries said: “This is farcical – but tragic for Rachel, and for Lambeth’s residents. “And this is supposed to be a Labour council!
“It’s not just libraries that are being trashed by its inept ideas and refusal to listen to reasoned criticism.
“We note that only around half the Labour councillors turned up for this kangaroo court, and we applaud the support offered to Rachel by Cllr Guilherme Rosa and Cllr Kevin Craig.
“Let’s hope this is a sign that more will pluck up the courage to voice their growing disquiet at the council’s bullying. “It has to change.”
1600 SIGN PETITION
4pm Wednesday: 1,612 people have now signed the online petition calling on Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn MP to lift the six-month suspension imposed on Cllr Rachel Heywood at a Labour meeting held on Wednesday June 1st. (Please see separate story – Ed.)
