Humiliated Again

Amongst the changes at the cabinet meeting in February, the threatened cuts to the commissioned youth work were reversed. My London reported the U-Turn which will restore the money to commissioned youth work budget. 

Some years ago, we noted that that by making a fuss, it was simple to get Mayor Fiaz to reverse her position. When protesters from the Victoria St housing made a fuss at a council meeting, Fiaz went off to have a chat and came back promising them everything that they had asked for.  This rather undercut both her director of housing and her cabinet member for housing who had had no part in the promising and had no idea how her promises were going to be implemented.  

But in the end, it didn’t matter. Fiaz reneged on the promises a year later. All we can say to the voluntary groups that will benefit is “well done, but watch out for next year”. 

As to the mayor, it is evident that she no longer exercises control over the spending. It is perhaps because she lacks a vision for the borough; her primary objective is to remain in office. 

There are younger councillors who have successfully stopped her over the budget. They now need  to  articulate a vision for the future. Winning a vote amongst 60 politicians is one thing. They have to decide, what the vision is that they will put before the electorate in 2026. That sounds a long time away, but it isn’t.  

Labour councillors are working hard on the door knockers, but what do they have to offer? They are facing credible challenges from a Green Party that looks nice and cuddly to the electorate, but is as loony as any London council from the 1990s; and a communitarian party that is eating into its electoral base and builds its support primarily on identity. 

Labour must offer something beyond platitudes if it wishes to retain the support of the voters and retain a coalition of support across the borough. Sorting out some of the key services will help, but when voters ask “Why should I vote Labour?”, what is the response?