On Saturday I launched our Labour manifesto for the local elections on May 5th. Our plan to make Southwark fairer, greener and safer. With more good jobs, safer streets and estates, more homes local people can afford, a greener future and real support for Southwark residents who are struggling.
It is a plan that addresses the issues that matter to people across our community. Since I became leader of the council a year and a half ago, I have had the privilege of meeting thousands of people from every walk of life in Southwark. It is the hopes, dreams and ideas that you and many others have shared that have shaped our Labour pledges to you.
Our plan builds on Southwark Labour’s record of delivery. Whilst successive Liberal Democrat and Conservative governments have cut funding for local council services by two thirds, Labour has delivered on the promises we made to you.
Let’s take our key pledges from 2018 in turn.
We promised more quality homes for local people, and we are set to exceed our target to have 2,500 new council homes built or started on site by May this year.
We promised to create more jobs and opportunities for local people. We have created 5,500 new jobs and over 2,000 apprenticeships, more than any other London borough.
We promised to make Southwark greener. We’ve planted over 10,000 trees, invested in our parks and delivered on our promise to halve the council’s carbon emissions. Our plan to tackle the climate emergency has been independently ranked as in the top two in London.
We promised to give young people the best start in life. We have raised standards in our schools with 95% now Good or Outstanding, and we have ensured that over 16,000 children had access to food over the school holidays.
We promised to tackle inequalities in health. We have supported over 10,000 people through the Southwark Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub and introduced a Residential Care Charter to protect vulnerable residents.
We have done all of this whilst also stepping up to support our community through Covid – supporting 73,000 vulnerable residents, rolling out the vaccine and providing over £250 million of support to protect local businesses and jobs.
That shows we can be trusted to deliver.
It shows that when we say will invest in making our streets safer, with a £2 million antisocial behaviour taskforce and upgraded street lighting and CCTV, we will.
It shows that when we say we will start another 1,000 new council homes by 2026 and 500 new homes at discounted rents for local key workers, we will.
It shows that when we say we will create 2,000 more green jobs and 2,000 more apprenticeships, we will.
It shows that when we say we will half the council’s carbon emissions again by 2026 and increase the number of parks, nature sites, cycle hangers and electric car charging points, we will.
And no matter what comes our way, with the cost of living crisis set to worsen in particular, we will be there to support you when you need it.
I encourage everyone reading this to take a look. You can find it at southwarklabour.com/manifesto2022.