An Exercise in Hypocrisy
Never willing to let a band-wagon pass her by without jumping on, Mayor Fiaz has become a recent convert to the idea of women’s safety.
Of course, she is not promising to do anything. That responsibility belongs to the police. But she feels that it is very important.
The trouble is that community safety is not just a policing matter.
Better street lighting, incorporating safety into the design of public spaces, the education of children and support for women’s organisations and self-help groups etc. All of this is in the hands of the council and ultimately, the mayor.
So, let’s see how supportive the mayor has been in the three years before this became a cause celebre.
Council funded police officers to address anti-social behaviour and charged with keeping the streets safe. When Mayor Fiaz came into office there were 40 of these, now we are told there are 16. The actual number in post may be as low as four.
Council-tasked Police Officers
CUT
Domestic Violence support was provided by a council-funded police officer based at Forest Gate
DV Support
CUT
Support from council staff to women experiencing gender-based violence, sited at various locations across the borough.
Gender-based Violence Support.
CUT
The organisation providing preventative work on domestic violence for 30 years has had its contract ended.
Preventative DV Work.
CUT
The Manor Gardens Project was working to prevent FGM and other harmful practices on young girls.
Needless to say, this work has been
CUT
This service with sex-workers has been decommissioned, i.e.
CUT
Nia worked to prevent violence against women and girls. Needless to say, this work has been
CUT
Newham once boasted a nationally admired multi-disciplinary one-stop shop for women experiencing any forms of violence, threats or abuse. That initiative was too closely linked to the
previous incumbent so the service had to be
CUT
Almost everything that is left has been bundled into a contract with Hestia. Almost…
As residents are discovering, the mayor has something of a yo-yo record when confronted on certain matters. When she threatened to cut the contract for refugees with London Black Women’s Project, they protested.
And would you believe it, the contract was reinstated.
The Mayor’s new found support for the prevention of violence towards women is to be welcomed. Will she now put this support into practice or are her pronouncements just an exercise in hypocritical hand wringing until the next band-wagon passes by?