Southwark’s Conservative Party has published their 2022 manifesto ahead of local elections in May.
The seven-page document contains three core pledges to “bring accountability to Southwark Council,” “champion the community, transport and the environment” and “promote good governance and effective public services.”
Conservative candidates are hoping to break Labour’s hold in a number of wards, particularly in Dulwich and South Bermondsey, at the polls on 5 May.
Tristan Honeyborne and Clive Rates are standing for Dulwich Village, where they hope to channel anger against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), in-filling and anti-social behaviour into a win for the Tories.
“The past four years have been the only four in living memory without Conservative councillors on Southwark Council,” read the manifesto. “It means Labour have pushed through their ideologically driven, flawed policies and spending plans without any effective scrutiny or opposition.”
“Anyone who disagrees is simply ignored, and many people’s voices are not being heard. That’s bad for democracy and bad for decision-making,” it added.
Writing in the News, the leader of Southwark Council, Kieron Williams, said Labour’s plan would “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.”
He also defended Labour’s record in office, saying the party had exceeded its target of building 2,500 new council homes, created 5,500 new jobs and planted more than 10,000 trees.
Southwark is traditionally a strong Labour stronghold. In the 2018 local election, it won 107,400 votes, compared to the Lib Dems’ 43,760 and the Tories’ 20,160.
Comment: Get on our Soap Box and please do go out and vote on May 5th so the council represents you!
The 2022 Conservative Manifesto contained many policy commitments. These are the highlights:
Economy
- Ensure businesses are fully integrated into consultation processes
- Regard business as a key stakeholder in society, encouraging investment through business rates and transport
Transport
- Invest in public transport, using the funds generated from LTNs as a springboard
- Ensure all road users respect the High Code, particularly electric scooters
- Roll out more cycle storage
LTNs
- Remove LTNs in Dulwich Village, East Dulwich and Champion Hill
- Resist measures that displace traffic onto residents or schools, harm local businesses, create access issues for vulnerable residents and do not demonstrably reduce carbon emissions
Council Tax
- Bring much fairer rates of council tax to Southwark
Democracy and community engagement
- Commit to engage regularly with local residents and represent their interests and concerns
Governance and public services
- Set metrics for measuring and reporting on the performance of council employees, citing findings that in 2018/19, the highest special responsibility allowance – paid in addition to the basic allowance received by all councillors – was £53,239: ranking Southwark 12th highest in the country.
(Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this article we incorrectly stated that the Conservatives cited this as the basic allowance for councillors, the basic allowance is £11,813)
Education and sport
- Work closely with central government to secure ongoing investment for schools
- Promote local not-for-profit sports clubs and sports charities
Environment
- Roll out electric car charging points
- Improve access to Southwark’s green spaces, and repeal regressive parking charges
Housing
- Resist infilling
- Commission a review into the number of empty council properties
Southwark Soapbox: why does this woman think she’d be better having a bath outside than in her flat?
Policing and crime
- Create a dedicated councillor cabinet member for crime and policing
- Build on existing Neighbourhood Watch schemes, recognising they are the key pillars for policing anti-social behaviour
Recycling
- Improve enforcement against fly-tipping
- Make Southwark a London-leading borough in recycling its waste