News in Ealing

EVERY ward in Ealing and indeed any other London Borough should have a local Police Panel.

It is part of the commitment of the Metropolitan Police to Community Policing.

LAST weekend I was walking along the streets of Southfield ward where I am a councillor, in order to deliver the regular Liberal Democrat FOCUS newsletter and noticed many issues that were subsequently reported:

â— Blenheim Road had some loose paving meaning that some people will trip up especially as the darker nights draw in. Labour-run Ealing Council did change the qualification of what it calls a trip hazard a few years ago so that fewer trip hazards will require action meaning that the Council can bury its head in the sand as more residents trip up.

LOCALLY as a Southfield ward Councillor and across Ealing I have spoken to residents who do not feel safe as tenants in some housing blocks or some home owners cannot sell their properties due to a lack of government action.

Regionally, the Mayor of London should boycott developers who have failed to take action on their buildings at risk of fire, the London Assembly said this week after backing a Liberal Democrat motion.

ON behalf of Ealing Liberal Democrat council group, I raised an oral question in the full council meeting that any consultation must consult both those who surround an LTN (Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme) as well as those living in an LTN, and Ealing Labour agreed to that.

This week, the Council delivered consultation leaflets to the doorsteps in or around the nine LTNs.

LIBERAL Democrat's newest MP Sarah Green's recent victory in the Chesham and Amersham parliamentary by-election was won by an unprecedented 25% swing from what was considered an ultra-safe Tory seat.

This was largely due to anger about more Tory planning legislation, which allows and encourages developers to build on Green Belt land without objections or consultations with the community.

WHEN the Southfield Liberal Democrat Councillors and I were knocking on doors recently, many people spoke about issues they were having due to cladding.

Some spoke about the fears of whether their building was safe.

THE Southfield Liberal Democrats conducted a survey after the recent attempted murder of a woman on Acton Green Common, days before the horrific murder of Sarah Everard.

As the three Southfield councillors are male, we felt an urgent need to listen to the voices of women about their views on safety in our community.

IT'S been a weird existence for me as an MP.

From going a steady wage slave employed as a lecturer in higher education since the 1990s until 2015 I've gone to fighting three elections which by rights should mean a 15 year career but with one every other year it's less than half of that.

THIS week started off with the news that Ealing Labour Councillor and ex-housing portfolio holder Peter Mason has apologised for taking a £3,000 hospitality 'conference' in sunny France.

This includes flights, hotels and other items.

THE Ealing Liberal Democrats took part in the socially distanced march against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) with thousands of Ealing residents on Saturday, April 24.

Councillor Gary Malcolm, Leader of Ealing Liberal Democrat Group, said: "At the rally there were many people who vote for a range of parties, but they all are in union against how the Labour-run Ealing Council introduced LTNs despite huge public opposition.