Pimlico Liberal Democrats

Save our ticket offices – Pimlico Lib Dems call for opening hours to be protected

pimlicolibdems — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Local Liberal Democrats are calling for local people to back their campaign to protect ticket office opening hours at all Underground stations.

Under proposals put forward by Boris Johnson, the Conservative Mayor of London, ticket office opening hours at all but one of Westminster’s Underground stations will be slashed.

The worst affected will be Charing Cross, Maida Vale and Warwick Avenue, all losing more than 70 hours a week. Pimlico will also be badly affected, with opening hours being cut by over 25 hours per week.

Liberal Democrats are warning that cuts to opening hours particularly affect the elderly and the disabled.

Simon Dodd, a local Lib Dem campaigner, says: ‘Without ticket offices for support, many vulnerable people could simply stop using London’s Underground network altogether.

“When elected, Boris Johnson promised local people that he would protect ticket offices. He must honour that pledge to local people.”

An online petition can be signed at http://www.ourcampaign.org.uk/saveourticketoffices

Help Nick scrap pointless Labour laws

pimlicolibdems — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:15:28 +0000

by Ben Mathis

Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today launched a new project, asking the public for suggestions for intrusive and pointless laws passed by Labour – or previous governments – that you would like to see scrapped.

If you would like to suggest a law for repeal, visit the new government website at http://www.yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk

Results: Lib Dems surge in Pimlico

pimlicolibdems — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:02 +0000

by Ben Mathis

After a long campaign the waiting is finally over and the results have been announced. The Liberal Democrat vote increased across the area but sadly not by enough to win council seats this time.

Churchill

Conservatives: 45% (down 15%)

Labour: 30% (up 2%)

Lib Dems: 25% (up 13%)

Tachbrook

Conservatives: 58% (down 7%)

Lib Dems: 22% (up 8%)

Labour: 20% (no change)

Vincent Square

Conservatives: 55% (down 11%)

Lib Dems: 23% (up 7%)

Labour: 22% (up 4%)

Warwick

Conservatives: 62% (down 11%)

Lib Dems: 21% (up 7%)

Labour: 17% (up 4%)

This gives us a great base to work from for elections to the London Assembly in two years time and for the next council elections in 2014. We couldn’t have done it without every one of the 3566 people who voted Liberal Democrat in Pimlico on election day.

Thank You!

Correction!

pimlicolibdems — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:25:06 +0000

by Ben Mathis

If you have received this weekend’s Churchill ward Focus you’ll see – as well as the shocking story of Churchill’s Tory councillors going AWOL in Bristol and Kent – that our candidate Tim Mougenot is listed as a “Housing Support Worker.”

Tim has asked that I point out that his job is actually in social care, not housing. Sorry Tim!

Show your support!

pimlicolibdems — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:36:33 +0000

by Ben Mathis

It’s been quite a whirlwind couple of days for the Lib Dems – in and out of Pimlico.

First our party leader Nick Clegg was hailed as the winner of Thursday night’s first Prime Ministerial Debate. Questions ranged from immigration to schools to the economy and polls immediately afterwards said Nick had impressed viewers the most. If you didn’t see it – and you have a spare 90 minutes – ITV have made it available online HERE.

Then over the weekend the Churchill ward team were out in force enjoying the wonderful weather and delivering yet another edition of Focus to 5000 local households. I’m exhausted and it’s only half-way through the weekend!

As we called it a day on Saturday we then received the news that several opinion polls have been published showing big jumps in support for the Lib Dems – including TWO putting the Lib Dems in first place! Whatever your politics, this year’s election looks like being one of the most fascinating ever.

If you want to join our team and help canvass, deliver leaflets or whatever you can, get in touch – we always welcome new faces and it really can be a lot of fun!

You can also help by downloading and printing off a Lib Dem poster – Posters are a great way of showing your support and showing the Lib Dems growing in our area. Download the file now!

LiberalDemocratsWindowPoster2010

Tachbrook Street Market

pimlicolibdems — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:02:42 +0000

by Paul Evans

Tachbrook Street Market is the beating heart of Pimlico and so like other local residents, I was pleased last Spring when Tory councillors told us that it would be renovated by the end of the year. I hoped that it would give the area a new lease of life.

Yet we’re now half way through 2010 and the work is still not complete. Stallholders have increasingly expressed concern at inconsistent messages from the Council about the redevelopment – and local residents have told me that they simply don’t understand why the work is taking so long and has seemingly achieved so little. For example, a covered market area would have given traders a real boost.

The Lib Dems would work to make the neighbourhood work better for local businesses – the council needs to communicate better with traders and deliver the great market space that stallholders – and local residents - deserve.

The Churchill Team

pimlicolibdems — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:40:49 +0000

The election is on! On May 6th we will go to the polls to choose not just a government but our three local councillors.

The Liberal Democrats have selected three local campaigners to take on the Tories in Churchill ward and we are fighting to win.

Paul Pettinger, Naomi Smith and Tim Mougenot all live in the ward and already work hard for local people.

Naomi, who was born and bred in London, previously worked in the City and now works in finance education here in SW1. She lives on the Churchill Gardens Estate and has been campaigning with the Liberal Democrats for ten years.

“I feel that people in Churchill ward are getting a rough deal from the Tories. The borough seems to have money to burn on propaganda magazines and luxury gala banquets but here in Churchill we have to work really hard just to get basic services like street cleaning or fixing the pavements. The borough cannot keep being run solely for the good of people in Mayfair and Knightsbridge – we need Lib Dem local champions.”

Paul Pettinger, a charity campaigner in the West End, also lives locally and has been working to get Churchill ward the attention it deserves. Paul has been particularly vocal in opposing the council’s attempts to wring yet more money out of Churchill ward motorists.

“Many local residents are lucky enough to be able to do without a car, but for those who do own one the Conservatives keep hitting us with more and more costs. Residents’ permits are massively oversubscribed – there are 4,000 more permits than there are spaces; the council were recently exposed for imposing disciplinary action against parking wardens who aren’t mean enough; and then we discovered they want to ban free evening parking on yellow lines, earning yet more fines. It’s crazy.”

Paul was previously a local councillor in Exeter in Devon where he grew up and lived before moving to London.

Care professional Tim Mougenot works for a neighbouring council and so also knows how to get things done for local people. He has been all over the ward meeting people and finding out how Lib Dems can help to build a fairer Westminster. Tim is originally from Boston, Massachussetts but has lived in the UK for many years.

“Pimlico is an area that attracts a huge range of people to live here and that’s part of what makes it such a vibrant community – but that also means that people here have needs and problems that cannot be met by the Conservative ‘easyCouncil‘ ethos. We need councillors who actually get their hands dirty.”

The Liberal Democrats are also fielding candidates in other Pimlico wards – wherever you live in this area you will have a strong Lib Dem team to vote for this election day.

Tory MP says train noise isn’t his problem

pimlicolibdems — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:57:08 +0000

by Naomi Smith

Train noise and the disruption it causes has been one of the biggest issues I’ve been trying to address as your local Lib Dem campaigner.

One resident who sought help from our Conservative MP recently received an email stating:

“The influence of an MP is limited. There is little more [he] can do.”

This just isn’t good enough. Our MP is meant to be our area’s local champion.

If he won’t go the extra mile to help, Churchill residents will elect someone who does.

The Fountain – Part II

pimlicolibdems — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:14:17 +0000

by Paul Pettinger

Back in January we declared victory in our campaign to clean up Pimlico Road fountain. Maybe we celebrated too soon…

For months last year the fountain at the junction of Pimlico Road and Avery Farm Row was left in a disgusting mess and looking a real eyesore.

Following a campaign by the Lib Dems, the council cleaned it up just after Christmas.

I hoped that would be the end of it but on a recent walk around the area, we discovered it was back in the same disgusting state – the surrounding area had also been vandalised.

The fountain needed cleaning once so it might seem pretty obvious it will need doing again, but it has clearly not been added to the regular cleaning rota. We will keep hassling the council until they keep this corner of Churchill ward clean.

Keeping an eye on Tesco

pimlicolibdems — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:00:34 +0000

by Naomi Smith

Eagle-eyed Pimlico residents will have spotted the empty shop fronts on Lupus Street currently being turned into a Tesco Metro store.

When I’ve spoken to people in the area they have told us they are worried about noise and disruption from deliveries. Nobody wants to have to put up with trucks calling in the middle of the night or deliveries making it difficult to walk on the streets.

For once there is good news. We have found out from the council that Tesco has been given some strict rules to control these problems:

* No night deliveries – 7am-7pm only.

*Deliveries from the street, never the back.

*Lorry engines turned off while waiting.

*Always keep the pavement clear.

The Lib Dem Focus Team are all local residents and we will be keeping a close eye to make sure these rules are obeyed. Please help us by keeping an eye out too and tell us if you experience any trouble.

I hope there won’t be any problems. Tesco should be a good addition to the range of shops in the neighbourhood – but we want to make sure.