Friday 25 February 2011

Deputation to Council Assembly on the 22nd Feb 2010

Dear All,

Last night we were ready to deliver our deputation message and to take any
questions councillors might have asked us. There were three other
deputations Southwark Save our Services, Age Concern Southwark and a
combined deputation that included Southwark Irish Pensioners. In order for
deputations to be heard Council's standing orders had to be suspended. This
motion was moved by Catherine Bowman of the Lib Dems. Earlier we were
amazed to be leafleted outside the town hall by the Lib Dems who thought we
should consider their alternative budget proposals. Given that it is the
Lib Dem Con coalition who are forcing the cuts through they were very brave
and several protesters were urged to moderate language and show restraint.
They did manage to escape unscathed but were left in no doubt what anti cuts
protesters thought of them and their Party.

Inside the council chamber the motion to suspend standing orders to hear
deputations fell by 28 votes to 32. The Labour group voted against hearing
the deputations and justified this on the basis that it wasn't normal
procedure to hear deputations when Council Tax is set and by admitting the
four deputations that evening would be unfair to those who had "respected"
the tradition of not hearing deputations at Council Tax setting.

The deputations and observers in the public gallery were angered by this
position. It was felt to be undemocratic and questions were asked as to
what the Labour Group feared from the deputations? The mayor attempted to
maintain order and threatened to have the public gallery cleared -
eventually the meeting was again brought to order but not before one or two
people were ejected. It was a very disappointing reaction from the Labour
Party and everyone present thought it was cowardly. Knowing that the
business of the meeting would be passed as per the recommendations of the
15th Feb cabinet I left the gallery. I've heard this morning that a
concession was made to set aside £500,000 for lunch clubs and a further
concession was made to the environment and ecology grant - we'll get
the detail in the minutes

Don't forget next STUC meeting 7pm Peckham Town Hall 9th March

Brunswick Park By-election Public Meeting - 1 March 2011


Brunswick Park By-election Public Meeting (Southwark Save Our Services/Southwark TUC Hustings)
7pm, Tuesday 1st March 2011, St Giles Centre, 81 Camberwell Church Street SE5

Wednesday 23 February 2011

NEWSFLASH - Brixton Town Hall OCCUPIED

Brixton Town Hall has been taken, councillors have fled the building & protesters are holding a people's assembly!

Monday 21 February 2011

Tomorrow 6pm - PROTEST AGAINST THE CUTS IN SOUTHWARK

Tuesday 22 NO to ALL CUTS to Jobs and Services! Lobby the Council, 6pm Southwark Town Hall, Peckham Road SE5
Bring banners, whistles, drums and your kids! – tell the council what you think of the little axe men and women carrying out the Con-Dem cuts! Called by Southwark UNISON and Southwark Save Our Services

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Saturday 19FEB - making some noise against the cuts

To build for the demonstration at the full council meeting on Tuesday 22FEB, Southwark SOS will be meeting up at 11am on Saturday 19FEB outside the Peckham Library for some street theatre, leafleting, and lots of noise - EVERYONE to bring pots and pans for a chorus of disapproval against ALL CUTS. Join us!

Sunday 13 February 2011

This week

MONDAY 14th FEBRUARY
‘Don’t Go Breaking My Art’, 10am - 1pm  Leafleting, petitioning and leafleting at the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square. To draw attention to government’s intention to slash funding to public services and the culture sector in particular. Organised by PCS union.
‘Stop the Valentine’s Day Massacre of Our Public Services’ Rally, opposite Downing Street, 5 – 8 pm  Organised by Coalition of Resistance.

TUESDAY 15th
Mass Lobby of Parliament ‘Tell MPs: Hands off our homes, our benefits and our rights’. Rally in Central Hall Westminster and mass lobby of Parliament. 12-4pm. Called by Defend Council Housing.

WEDNESDAY 16th  
Planning meeting for publicity stunts and 22 Feb demonstration/lobby . 7 pm. Room A3, and London South Bank Uni, London Road Building. Ring 07939 090 667 for directions) Organised by SSOS

TUESDAY 22nd
NO to ALL CUTS to Jobs and Services! Lobby the Council, 6pm Southwark Town Hall, Peckham Road SE5 Bring banners, whistles, drums and your kids! – tell the council what you think of the little axe men and women carrying out the Con-Dem cuts! Called by Southwark UNISON

Sunday 6 February 2011

New Cross Library is Occupied!

New Cross Library has been occupied since Saturday (5FEB11) afternoon by local people wanting to stop the closure of the library and the threat to other library services in Lewisham. They welcome your messages of support and other help. Contact 07905 685 906


People of New Cross occupy their threatened public library.

Press Release:
At 5 pm today Sat 5th Feb, a group of about 30-50 local people from New Cross, South East London, who were taking part in a ‘read in’, decided that they wanted to continue the protest against council plans to stop funding the library by staying overnight. James Holland of The Save New Cross Library Campaign, said: “Local people made it absolutely clear that they want the library to stay open in council organised consultation meetings and with over 5000 signatures on a petition, in response the council has simply delayed and re-packaged their plan, so we are taking action that we hope it will be impossible to ignore.”

He continued: “The mayor’s new PR strategy is to claim to have 'saved the library' by transferring it to the community, but we are not fooled. Even if they satisfy huge concerns over who they might transfer it to, they must also give us the money we need to run it properly. The library costs only slightly more than the mayors salary (and significantly less than any of the executive directors), yet any transfer that doesn’t continue this funding will be no better than a cynical exercise to shift the blame for the eventual closure. ”

Earlier in the day the ‘read in’ featured music from Sly and Reggie, readings, discussions, poetry and The University of Strategic Optimism. Read ins were also happening at all the threatened libraries in Lewisham and many others across the country .

It was during discussions on the future of the library and what people could do to prevent the planned huge reduction in funding that the idea of occupying came up, after a lively discussion most people decided that they supported the idea (although some said that they were not able to stay themselves). People are currently discussing practicalities with staff.

Contact 07905 685 906 


Also....
Lambeth lobby & demonstration tomorrow, Monday 7th February at 6 pm outside the Town Hall in Brixton. Organised by Lambeth SOS.
In Lambeth, up to 1000 jobs to be axed, including cuts in libraries, housing, Further Education, children's services and care for vulnerable adults.
Lambeth and Lewisham Colleges merging - courses axed and sites closing.
Tube station and bus routes cut. Fares rising.
Education Maintenance Allowance cut and student fees rising.
Nightime fire cover cut - risking lives.
Benefits and pensions slashed and many more services under attack.
TAX THE RICH - SAVE OUR SERVICES

web: http://www.lambethsaveourservices.org
email: lambethsaveourservices@gmail.com