News in Ealing

THERE are many reasons why I helped to set up Ealing Independents as a grassroots group to explore the opportunity to have independents run Ealing Council.

Over the coming months, in my column on Ealing Nub News, I will share these reasons.

EALING Liberal Democrats argue that the Council's recycling figures have worsened in recent times.

Initially, Greener Ealing (GEL) seemed to be performing well, and there was general relief that Amey had been replaced.

THE Conservative Government's offer of a 1% pay rise is an insult to the hard working NHS staff who have worked tirelessly to keep us and our loved ones safe during COVID.

I was proud that the Liberal Democrats passed a motion at one of its annual conferences recently backing a proper pay rise for NHS staff, recognising the huge effort made by NHS workers during the pandemic.

UP to 25,000 people in the whole of Ealing look after elderly or vulnerable relatives and neighbours and many do not get paid a single penny for their work.

They do this for the love of their friends and relatives.

AT yesterday's Ealing Council Tax debate, the Liberal Democrat Group moved a budge amendment that would have saved Acton waste and recycling centre on Stirling Road.

The amendment was approved by the council's Finance Officer and is funded by small reductions in the council's marketing budget and a cut to councillors' allowances.

EALING Liberal Democrats have uncovered that the government only told Ealing Council about the variant sample on Wednesday, January 27 and that the Council attended the first meeting on this enhanced testing initiative on Thursday, January 28.

Following the emergence of the South African COVID-19 variant in a sample from a Hanwell (W7) resident on December 29 (nearly a month before the Council was told), Ealing Council has been urging asymptomatic residents and people who work in Hanwell and West Ealing postcodes to get tested.

SADLY, one of the evils that accompany lockdown is the skyrocketing of domestic abuse.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), one in five recorded crimes are domestic abuse related - and that is just the ones reported (on average, only 18% of domestic abuse crimes were reported)!

EALING Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Gary Malcolm has called for parents to be given vouchers after pictures of 'woefully inadequate' food parcels were shared on social media.

Councillor Malcolm said: "It is shocking that this Tory Government seems so unwilling to prevent child hunger.

DESPITE many saying the elections in May could be delayed due to coronavirus, Luisa Porritt has continued to detail some of her policies to improve London if she became Mayor.

Many voters who voted for the current Mayor, Sadiq Khan, now say that he has failed to deliver on his promises.

AS each lockdown takes place, we have seen that they are less successful than the previous lockdowns or conditions set by the government.

Given that the most recent restrictions were announced just as many in Ealing were due to leave London to celebrate Christmas with relatives they have not seen for many, many months, it has created a huge amount of anger.