Our agenda for hard working people in Islington

By Catherine West

Labour is resurgent in Islington Town Hall – with groundbreaking policies such as universal free school meals and a progressive campaigning agenda – after years in the wilderness. Following a rebellion from within the ruling Lib Dems, we were able to pass a bold budget for working people in our borough.

In some parts, there is a stereotype of my borough of Islington as being all cappuccinos and urban elites. Sadly, the reality is that Islington is a borough that has some of the greatest levels of poverty and deprivation in the country, and many of the problems we face have been ignored over the last ten years by a Liberal Democrat administration that doesn’t care about the borough’s have-nots.

We are celebrating the introduction of free school meals for our primary and nursery school children here in Islington with good reason. Where free school meals have been trialled before – most notably in Hull, where they were promptly ditched by the incoming Lib Dems in 2007 – the social, educational and health benefits have been utterly compelling; with family’s eating habits, classroom behaviour, and dental health all improving significantly as a result.

In addition to this are the economic benefits brought to Islington, as kids who are currently receiving free school meals will continue to do so even if parents who are currently not working take up a job – meaning another barrier to work is removed for these parents.

And with 24% of Islington’s ten year olds obese; the worst exam results in London; and double the national average of lone parent families, there is no doubt that something radical must be done.

Beyond free school meals, our budget offered a great deal for families in Islington, and for the young and the old. We’ve introduced a £100 council tax rebate for over 65s, to relieve the pressure on one of the groups currently struggling the most. We’ve invested £300,000 in free leisure access for under 18’s, in a move aimed at not only making our kids healthier but also reducing anti-social behaviour. And in line with government commitment and investment, we’re extending Islington’s apprenticeship scheme to help local people got on the job training and get on in life.

Our budget, just like our vision for Islington’s future, is bold. We know that Labour need to be brave and show Islington’s residents that we are on their side by demonstrating exactly how we are standing up on key issues for the people who most need our support.

I believe that, in many ways, is a model for Labour in local government. In each area, the challenges will be different, as will the solutions, but the key thing is that it is not good for Labour in local government to simply manage good services – important though that is. We should be asking ourselves whether, over the term of our office, or indeed in opposition such as in Islington, we will have made a real abiding difference to our neighbourhoods.

So we will be building on this further over the next year, in the countdown to the local elections, where we believe that our prospects for success are excellent. Whilst we are proud of what we have achieved with our opposition budget we are under no illusions about how much more needs to be done to redress the poverty and inequality the Lib Dems have failed to tackle – and we can’t wait to get to work.