• COUNCILS need effective oppositions.

Residents in Camden will welcome having councillors from other parties to hold Labour to account if they win on May 5.

The Liberal Democrats have been an effective and reasonable opposition group over the past four years.

Our ideas and actions have provided alternative leadership – pushing Labour to do better and be more ambitious for Camden.

We pushed the council to call for an end to section 21 “no-fault” evictions. We got the council to call for a second referendum on the Brexit deal.

Sadly our call for the council to divest from fossil fuels was voted down by Labour, an unfortunate example of inaction on their part given the council’s pension pot is now trapped with £6million of Russian investments.

The Lib Dems got Labour to raise its game on tree planting. They told us planting more than 400 new trees a year was unachievable.

Two years ago Labour turned down our budget amendment to fund 600 new ones but this year that figure was in their own budget. We are now calling for 800.

Camden Lib Dem group leader Cllr Luisa Porritt secured a council debate on violence against women and girls after the murder of Sarah Everard and others.

Thanks to the Lib Dems the council is finally trying to sort out the widespread problems with waste collections.

It took the spectacular victory of the Lib Dems in the Fortune Green by-election, followed by relentless campaigning, to get Labour to wake up to the need for action.

We achieved all this (and more) with just three councillors. Camden would benefit from a stronger Lib Dem presence.

For a flavour of things we will fight for in Camden, our proposed amendments to the council’s recent budget included:

— Restoring funding to help the homeless find good quality, permanent homes and help rough sleepers off our streets.

— Doubling financial support for residents to insulate their homes to tackle both the climate emergency and cost-of-living crisis.

— Additional funds for more cycle hangars and trees.

— Greater support for young people.

Meanwhile the Conservatives either oppose blindly or offer dangerous, unworkable, policies, such as their proposal to rent out parking on Camden’s housing estates, encouraging more car journeys, worsening congestion and air quality.

If you want more from the effective opposition on Camden Council, vote Liberal Democrat on May 5.

CLLR TOM SIMON
Liberal Democrat, Belsize ward