Santander bikes are coming to Brixton. Seven docking stations, linking Brixton to Stockwell will be installed, with space for up to 200 bikes. 

Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite with TfL Cycling Commissioner Will Norman

Lambeth Labour has doggedly campaigned for the network to be extended since 2010, lobbying the Mayor, putting together a detailed business case and submitting a community petition signed by thousands. 

Under Boris Johnson while the bikes were rolled out to Tory-run Wandsworth and affluent postcodes in West London, Brixton was overlooked.

Now Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite, Cabinet Member for Environment & Housing, has reached an agreement with TfL that will see the seven new docking points installed by the end of this year. 

Under Labour Lambeth has become one of the best places in London for cyclists. We've introduced a 20mph limit on all our roads, installed more secure cycle spaces than any other borough and re-designed dozens of dangerous junctions. 

Councillor Jennifer Brathwaite, Cabinet Member for Housing & Environment, Lambeth, said:

“Extending the bike hire scheme further south into the borough is excellent news for Brixton and something we have campaigned for a long time. I’m delighted that the Mayor is as committed as we are about improving cycling infrastructure and making it easier for people to swap their cars for more active modes of transport. This all helps to make people fitter and healthier, reduces the congestion on our roads that is contributing to such poor air quality, and reduces the burden on other forms of public transport. I’d encourage everybody to give it a try and get cycling.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“I’m thrilled that we are expanding our iconic cycle hire scheme to Brixton. We’re working hard to make cycling more accessible across London and this will make a real difference to those living in, working in or visiting Brixton. It’s another step forward in our work to improve air quality and the health of all Londoners.”

The bikes will be available for as little as £2 per day and details of the locations of the new docking points will be confirmed later this year. 

Labour Council leaders have declared their opposition to any further police station closures. In an open letter coordinated by Lambeth Leader Lib Peck, the representatives of 20 boroughs across London have called on the Government to scrap planned cuts to the police service and work with the Mayor to keep police stations open:

Dear Sir,

As London council leaders, we are extremely concerned about the warnings from the Mayor of London about plans to keep just one 24-hour police station open to the public in every borough in response to government cuts to London’s police force. 

This government has made huge cuts to the Metropolitan Police to date, with even deeper cuts on way (bringing the total to £1 billion since 2010). At the recent General Election, Londoners made clear that enough is enough and that the Government cannot protect the public on the cheap.

We know what an important job our police do across our city, and how important community-focused policing, based in our local areas, is to tackling crime and providing reassurance. Recent tragic events have only underlined how important their work is, and yet how stretched our police services currently are.

We urge the Government to reconsider their cuts to our police services at a time of heightened public concern and to work with the Mayor of London and local authorities to keep our police stations open and the police visible and accessible to the public.

Cllr Stephen Alambritis, Leader of Merton Council

Cllr Jas Athwal, Leader of Redbridge Council

Cllr Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council

Cllr John Biggs, Leader of Tower Hamlets Council

Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council

Cllr Clare Coghill, Leader of Waltham Forest Council

Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council

Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council

Philip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney

Cllr Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council

Cllr Denise Hyland, Leader of Royal Borough of Greenwich

Cllr Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council

Cllr Claire Kober, Leader of Haringey Council

Cllr Tony Newman, Leader of Croydon Council

Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of Lambeth Council

Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking & Dagenham Council

Cllr Sachin Shah, Leader of Harrow Council

Cllr Doug Taylor, Leader of Enfield Council

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham

Voters in Lambeth had the opportunity this week to question candidates standing for election on 8^th June about their views on education, thanks to the work of local parents. The Fair Funding for Lambeth Schools campaign organised a Fair Funding Picnic on Streatham Common as part of the school funding campaign day of action, giving people the chance to speak to parliamentary candidates about their views on education.

This is particularly important as more details have emerged in the last few days of the choice on offer on education in this election. The highly-respected Institute for Fiscal Studies has analysed all the main parties’ manifestoes and made clear that only Labour will invest in education and our children’s future. In particular, they highlight that the Conservative plans “could spell further cuts to already struggling schools after the General Election”.

It comes as no surprise, considering the Conservatives’ record of cutting school funding and obsessing about school structures rather than driving up standards in our schools. In particular, their plans to cut up to £24 million from education in Lambeth has rightly caused outrage among parents, teachers and local residents. Since April 2016, we have been campaigning against these plans to cut funding for local schools. We have been clear that this would put at risk the huge progress made by Lambeth schools in the last decade, concerns shared by hundreds of parents, teachers and local residents. One of the largest public meetings in the country about this issue was held in Streatham in March (pictured) and over 1,000 people have signed Lambeth Labour’s petition against the government’s changes.

Last week, they finally caved in to pressure and offered some money for schools in the manifesto. But, as the IFS makes clear, this is far short of the money needed to ensure per pupil funding is protected, and it comes alongside cuts to free school lunches for working families. We also know what Conservative manifesto pledges on this issue really mean: David Cameron promised to protect the money following each child into school just two years ago, only to introduce huge cuts to the funding for schools after he’d won the election.

The government has repeatedly defended its policy, arguing that taking and spreading funding around the country is a fairer way to fund education. Yet we firmly believe that funding should be levelled up, not levelled down, and that we should be investing in our children’s education.

 This view isn’t shared by the local Conservatives, who have continuously supported these deep cuts and who declined to turn up to the recent public meeting to answer for that support. Indeed, the Conservative leader in Lambeth criticised the parent-led campaign for highlighting this issue, despite repeatedly getting his own figures on the cuts wrong.

The pattern is now being repeated with Conservative candidates refusing to attend hustings events, showing their contempt for local voters - they want our votes but refuse to answer questions about how they would vote on this issue in Parliament if they were elected.

Only Labour has consistently opposed these cuts, campaigning throughout the last year in our local communities, working with schools and parents, gathering signatures from local people and raising awareness of the impact they will have on Lambeth children. In contrast, the Greens and Liberal Democrats have been silent about this crucial issue. A Labour government in Westminster will fully fund education and our parliamentary candidates in Lambeth have consistently campaigned in Parliament to protect our local schools.

Please do make sure you take the opportunity to speak to local candidates about this issue and make clear to them how important this issue is to our children’s future. And on 8^th June, I urge you to vote for a party that will invest in their education and protect our local schools.

Councillor Claire Holland

Deputy Cabinet Member for Schools