Janet, James and Jack – the local team for Kilburn

Kilburn’s ‘Three Jays’ – Janet Grauberg, Jack Holroyde and James King

It’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog. I’ve been so busy talking to thousands of residents across Kilburn ward over the past few months it’s been hard to find time to write a post. But with the local elections coming up this Thursday (22 May), I thought it might be helpful to summarise why my Kilburn Lib Dem colleagues Janet Grauberg, Jack Holroyde and I are standing to be local councillors and what our priorities are.

Janet, Jack and I believe that Kilburn needs strong local voices to represent it, because Camden Council seems to be neglecting us. The streets are not as clean as they used to be, but the Council’s Clean up Camden initiative bypassed Kilburn. We lost our Citizens Advice Bureau on Kilburn High Road and the Housing Office on West End Lane is now standing empty.

The Abbey Area development is moving at a snail’s pace, but despite all the money spent on consultants, most residents feel that the Council hasn’t listened and the opportunity to offer affordable housing to young families has been missed. Janet had to push hard to get the Council to recognise the negative impact of High Speed 2 on Kilburn and South Hampstead, and still our Labour MP voted in favour of it.

Many people say they want local councillors who they recognise and see around the streets and estates of Kilburn. I live on Kingsgate Place, Janet lives on Cotleigh Road and Jack lives in South Kilburn.

We are the only local team standing to be the local councillors for Kilburn – by contrast the Labour candidates live on the other side of the borough in King’s Cross and Highgate.

It would be a privilege to represent the ward where I live, and it seems to me common sense that you are more likely to be an effective councillor if you spend most of your time in the area you have been elected to serve.

Here are some of our top priorities for the Kilburn Lib Dem team in the council elections:

• Reversing the cuts in street cleaning and taking action against fly-tipping and dog fouling
• An additional police officer for Kilburn ward to work with the local community in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour
• A new primary school in NW6 which meets the needs of local parents
• Bringing face-to-face housing and advice services back to NW6
• Revitalising the Abbey Area development and pushing for a better deal for local people
• Improving housing services for tenants and leaseholders and offering new housing options for young people
• Tackling the ‘Council says No’ culture on Camden Council, and reducing the money wasted on consultants and council propaganda

You can find out lots more about what we stand for in the Camden Lib Dem manifesto here.

If you are a Kilburn resident, please do drop Janet, Jack and I a line if you have any questions before you make your decision. And don’t forget to vote on Thursday!

 

Published and promoted on behalf of the Liberal Democrats by S.Drage at Unit 1, Streatham Business Centre, 1 Empire Mews, London, SW16 2ED, and by E. Watson on behalf of J. Grauberg, J. King, & J. Holroyde (Liberal Democrats) all at 242 Webheath Workshops, Netherwood Street, London, NW6 2JX.