Canvassing for Kate Heywood in Brunswick Park

This morning I was canvassing in Brunswick Park for my former work colleague Kate Heywood, who is standing there in the by-election on Thursday. Alas, neither Cleopatra nor Jesus were in when I rang on their bells. It wasn’t just those doors – although every other door knocker in our team of five found plenty of people in, it became a running joke how for me it was nearly always no answer. Just like London buses – the empty doors all come along at once!

Labour-run Southwark Council is another of the Labour councils around the country that has just voted through a big round of cuts – but has decided to make the cuts on frontline services worse by also putting more money into their reserves. Financial reserves are there for a rainy day and if now doesn’t count as a rainy day when on earth would?

It would be bad enough if the reserves were not being called on, but Southwark Labour is actually putting more money into the reserves. Perish the thought they want big cuts now which they blame on the government and then spend all those extra reserves just before their own seats coming up for election…