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20 Most Recent News Stories

Lib Dems choose Layla Moran for Battersea

Tue 2nd Mar 2010

Battersea Lib Dems have chosen Layla Moran, as their prospective parliamentary candidate.

Layla Moran with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg

Nasser Butt to challenge Sadiq Khan in Tooting

Tue 2nd Mar 2010

The Liberal Democrats have selected Nasser Butt as their prospective parliamentary candidate for Tooting. Nasser Butt is one of the party's senior human rights activists, a long time campaigner for the party, and one its most senior Asian figures.

January Focus highlights rise in bus and Tube fares

Fri 22nd Jan 2010

Publishing the January edition of Tooting Graveney Focus, the Liberal Democrats are highlighting the Mayor of London's steep increase in bus and Tube fares. Bus fares have risen 12.7% overall, and Tube fares are up 3.9%. Inflation for the year was just 1.1%. They condemn this as another Tory stealth tax, while money is being wasted on projects like replacing all the bendy buses. Focus also highlights the local NHS's plans to provide more funding to local doctors.

Jan 10 Focus (photography: Matthew Green)

Graveney Focus for December highlights plight of local businesses

Fri 11th Dec 2009

Tooting Liberal Democrats have published the December edition of their Focus newsletter for Tooting Graveney ward. This highlights the plight of local businesses in the recession: many face an increase in business rates. This edition also launches the petition for a 20 mph zone in Graveney and reports on attacks on shops in Franciscan Road.

Graveney Focus for December 2009 (photography: Matthew Green)

Call for 20 mph zone as November Graveney Focus is published

Tue 10th Nov 2009

Liberal Democrats are calling for a 20 mph zone in Graveney as they published the November edition of Graveney Focus. They say that in a recent survey 57% of all respondents in the Tooting Graveney area think that speeding traffic is a problem. Complaints include both danger to vulnerable residents and noise. Public opinion is divided on whether speed humps are a good idea though. Local campaigner Jamie Gillespie says "Graveney is a natural island for traffic encircled by the railway line, Tooting High Street, Tooting Bec Road and Rectory Lane. It would be highly suitable a 20 mph zone, which should be the normal for quiet residential areas anyway."

Graveney Focus for November 2009 (photography: Matthew Green)

September Focus published

Fri 11th Sep 2009

The Liberal Democrats have published the September edition of the Graveney Focus local newsletter. This gives the result of a recent survey of trees in the ward carried out by Focus volunteers, in which they spotted 76 missing trees. These are trees planted in streets that have been cut down but not replaced, or simply gaps where trees are meant to be planted. "Trees are an important part of the local environment," says Focus's Surinder Rhode "But here in Tooting they seem to be suffering from neglect by Wandsworth Council." Focus also reports on a new traffic petition for Church Lane, and the latest delay to the new Tooting library.

NHS polyclinic consultation "is inadequate"

Wed 2nd Sep 2009

Liberal Democrats are questioning NHS Wandsworth's plans to establish three new polyclinics in Tooting, Earlsfield and Balham. The proposal is contained in a consultation document that they say has too much prescription and not enough diagnosis. "This consultation is inadequate," says local Chair Matthew Green. "There is no review of alternative ideas for investment, and the questionnaire would be a joke if the issue wasn't so serious. The local NHS needs to be more independent, less political, and better connected to local people."

July Focus published

Wed 22nd Jul 2009

The Graveney Focus team have published their July newsletter, which has been distributed in Graveney ward. The lead story raises concern about the removal of public toilets from outside the Long Room pub (formerly The Mitre), which has caused problems at night after pubs have closed. Apparently the toilets were closed because of the availability of toilets in the pub itself - not thinking about what happens when the pub is closed. Also in this month's edition is coverage of the Oyster card confusion during rail strikes and the NHS "South Wandsworth" consultation exercise...plus a regular roundup of local Focus action issues.

Graveney Focus for May/June published

Fri 29th May 2009

Just before the Euro elections on June 4th, we are publishing an election edition. In addition to the usual local news, Jeremy Ambache and Stephanie Dearden explain why they are supporting Sarah Ludford and the Liberal Democrat team for the European Parliament. "We need more hard working Lib Dem MEPs" they say.

Graveney Focus for April published

Thu 9th Apr 2009

The Liberal Democrat Focus Team in Graveney has published its latest Focus newsletter for Graveney ward in Tooting. The main story is how the recession is hitting local businesses. "Local businesses need to be helped, not treated as scapegoats."

Liberal Democrats launch petition against 26% hike in parking charge

Mon 26th Jan 2009

Wandsworth Council have put the annual residents' car parking charge up from £75 to £95 - an increase of over 26%. In nearby Merton Council it costs just £60 for an annual permit. The increase was effective last October, but residents are only finding out when they renew. In the previous year the charge was £66, so the charge has gone up by 43% in two years.

Stephanie Dearden & Srinder Rhode protest at increase in Wandsworth's car parking charges (photography: Matthew Green)

Wandsworth NHS should be brought under democratic control, say Lib Dems

Fri 17th Oct 2008

Wandsworth NHS Primary Care Trust, which commissions health services for Borough, should be brought under democratic control, say local Liberal Democrats. This follows the announcement of £4 million extra spending due to financial surpluses, after saying they could not afford to maintain services at Bolingbroke Hospital. "Important changes are happening in local NHS services, but local people are getting little or no say," says Matthew Green, Chair of Battersea & Tooting Lib Dems, "and we keep getting different stories about the state of finances. Meanwhile the Audit Commission rates the local finances as 'good' but quality of care as only 'fair' - surely the wrong way round in a properly prioritised service."

Fear of knife crime makes a nonsense of falling crime statistics

Mon 7th Jul 2008

With yet another death from knife wounds reported in London this morning, fear of knife crime is rising. Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson announced that knife crime is now the Metropolitan Police's number one priority, overtaking terrorism, and that a special knife-crime unit was being set up. Commenting, Tooting Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, Stephanie Dearden said, "This comes as no surprise when we read almost daily of yet more and more young people failing victim to senseless killings on our streets. Ministers have repeatedly claimed that crime is falling, but figures show serious attacks that require hospital admission are up. What is most disturbing is the steep rise in serious stab wounds amongst young people. Teenagers don't feel safe on our streets, which is only fueling the spiral of knife crime in this country, and especially here in London."

Another nail in the Boly's coffin?

Thu 5th Jun 2008

We know that the local NHS bureaucrats don't like the Bolingbroke hospital, in their search for prestige new building projects. But many local people have rallied to its cause, with perhaps 17,000 signing petitions in its support. The Battersea Society has done a worthy job of representing local people's interests against the the various bureaucratic threats that keep confronting us. So imagine the shock of many of the Society's members when its latest newsletter came out in favour of a site in Grant Road for a new primary care facility, instead of the Boly. And this was the substance of the Society's response to Wandsworth PCT's consultation on future health services in Battersea & North Wandsworth.

Alice and Richard outside Bolingbroke Hospital (photography: Matthew Green)

Thank you for your support!

Sat 10th May 2008

Wandsworth Liberal Democrats thank all those who voted for the party and its candidates in the recent Mayoral and London Assembly elections, and all those who helped in the campaign. Special thanks is due to Shas Sheehan the Wandsworth & Merton Assembly candidate, and Wandsworth member Jeremy Ambache who was on the London member party list. They both worked tirelessly to get the message across.

Wandsworth post offices to close

Thu 21st Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats condemn plans to close yet more post office branches. On 19th February the Government announced the planned closure of 8 Post Offices in Wandsworth Borough, four of them in Tooting. This was part of 2,500 closures planned nationally, 169 of which are in London. Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor, has launched a major campaign to save local post offices. "Post offices are often the heart of a local community and we must all do our utmost to preserve them. The trouble with economic arguments is that they leave people out of the equation and they are the most important part. Many people rely on a local post office, and to close 20% of London's post offices just shows a complete disregard for the needs of the local community," says Brian. See www.brianpaddick.org

Shas Sheehan, Brian Paddick outside post office

"I will not be invisible" says Shas Sheehan

Tue 5th Feb 2008

Shas Sheehan will fight the Wandsworth & Merton constituency for the Liberal Democrats in the London Assembly elections on 1st May. "I will not be the invisible representative for Wandsworth & Merton," she promises. "Nobody knows who their current representative is, because Tories and Labour take people for granted and don't try to communicate. I pledge to fight for my constituents in the London Assembly and tell them what I'm doing through newsletters and online."

Shas Sheeham with Jeremy Ambache and Stephanie Dearden

London Tube passengers must not suffer from Metronet collapse

Wed 17th Oct 2007

Local Liberal Democrats have expressed their concerns that the collapse of Tube company Metronet might affect services to Londoners. Metronet, which was brought in by the Mayor Livingstone to upgrade much of our outdated Underground rail and stations, went bust earlier this year.

Focus team calls for improvements at Amen Corner

Tue 31st Jul 2007

The Liberal Democrat Graveney FOCUS team has called on Transport for London to make improvements to the road junction at Amen Corner. Residents have been complaining about traffic congestion, which causes delays to pedestrians and worries about safety. As a major road junction, this is the responsibility of Transport for London. Earlier this year there was a fatal accident on Southcroft Road nearby.

Jeremy Ambache and Denys Robinson at Amen Corner

Jeremy Ambache selected to stand for London Assembly

Fri 1st Jun 2007

Graveney Focus team member Jeremy Ambache has been selected for the Liberal Democrat top-up list for next year's London Assembly elections. He is fourth on the list, after current leader Mike Tuffrey, Dee Doocey and Caroline Pidgeon. This followed a ballot of all Liberal Democrat party members in London, using the single transferable vote system. A former local authority chief officer for social care and housing, Jeremy was Lib Dem candidate in Graveney ward in 2006, and parliamentary candidate for Putney in 2005. He is a long-standing activist in Wandsworth Borough. "I am delighted with this result," says Jeremy. "A big thank you to all those who supported me."

Jeremy Ambache

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