The stakes in these local elections are very high. With so many critical services – chiefly the NHS – brought to their knees over the past years, the living standards of the working and middle classes eroded significantly; the young are locked out of the housing market, especially in North London, where the councils, due to Central Goverment policies, are not building any more, encouraging Housing Associations to flourish with sky-high rents and bills, forcing many working families into food-poverty and may young couples moving to the suburbs.
The policing in this country is another service that is suffering badly; do you know that more that 21,000 police officers have been made redundant and three police stations in North London, Enfield, Winchmore Hill and Southgate have shut down? It is no wonder the crime in London is thriving. The statistics tell us that in March, London was above New York as far as murders were concerned.
It is critical for the Cypriot community – which is overwhelmingly progressive – to make its voice heard in the oncoming elections by supporting Labour, by electing Labour councillors who will safeguard our public services, protect the NHS, education and implement local policies, for the wellbeing of the many not the few and the welfare of the elderly.
The Left needs to pull together and move forward as a unified body. This is the only way to ensure that we don’t get another five years of Conservative controlling local councils, with all the consequences. This is why as AKEL in Britain, we have a longstanding policy of supporting Labour where there are no communist candidates standing, this is why it is critical to give this endorsement to Jeremy Colbyn, a true friend of Cyprus.
I would like to call on all of you to not only vote for our local Labour candidates today, but to participate in any way you can in getting the biggest Labour turnout possible around London. Get involved and talk to those who are undecided and stress the importance of voting for Labour councillors, for cleaner and tidier streets and safer neighbourhoods.
Bambos Charalambous
Secretary of AKEL in Britain