Peckham Labour councillor quits party

This in from Peckham Liberal Democrats:

Labour Councillor for Peckham Ward, Ola Oyewunmi has sensationally quit the party and applied to join the Liberal Democrats. In her letter of resignation she accused Labour of ‘running out of ideas, energy and time.’

Ola had been a member of the Labour party for more than 10 years and was elected as a councillor in 2006. Ola has worked with people with mental health problems for many years and it was a combination of Labour closing the emergency clinic at the Maudsley hospital and Nick Clegg’s commitment to a fairer deal for people with mental health problems that attracted her to the Lib Dems.

She says, “You have to ask what is Labour for when there are more children growing up in poverty after 12 years of a Labour government than there were under 18 years of a Tory one. When a Labour government sends our troops to fight an illegal war in Iraq at the whim of a right wing US President or allows mental health patients to wait an average of seven months for treatment on the NHS, it’s time to ask questions. No wonder so many of my friends and neighbours feel let down after 12 years of Labour government .

“I’ve also looked around at Peckham and Southwark and I’ve seen how locally the Lib Dems – led by Nick Stanton – have made a real difference. Cleaner streets, less graffiti, more recycling, faster housing repairs and a better chance of a good education – all transformed by the Lib Dems.”

Here is part of her resignation letter:

I have been a member of the party for over a decade and a councillor for three years, but I can no longer carry on. It isn’t an easy decision to make, but having thought about it for months I now know it is the right thing to do…

When there are more children growing up in poverty after 12 years of a Labour government than there were under 18 years of a Tory one you have to question what is Labour for? When a Labour government sends our troops to fight an illegal war in Iraq at the whim of a right wing US President, you have to ask what is Labour for? And when mental health patients have to wait an average of seven months for treatment on the NHS after 12 years of a Labour government and a Labour Health Secretary closes the Emergency clinic at the Maudsley hospital, you have to ask what is Labour for?

I have worked for many years with people who suffer from mental health problems. I want to see mental health patients treated fairly – after all one in four of us will suffer from mental health problems at some point in our lives – and having looked around I see there is only one party standing up for them and for what is right – Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats.

I’ve also looked around at Peckham and Southwark and I’ve seen how locally the Lib Dems – led by Nick Stanton – have made a real difference. Cleaner streets, less graffiti, more recycling, faster housing repairs and a better chance of a good education – all transformed by the Lib Dems.