Labour’s launched our campaign to win re-election in Lambeth – aiming to be the first administration re-elected in the borough for a quarter of a century.  Our new manifesto outlines what we will do to improve life and public services in Lambeth over the coming four years, and you can read it in full by clicking here.

Since taking over from a failed Tory-Lib Dem coalition in 2006 Labour’s made a tremendous difference to Lambeth.  We’ve moved from a one-star, failing council to become the fastest improving council in the country.  We’ve doubled spending on youth services after inheriting the worst-funded services in London.  We’ve eliminated the shortage of secondary school places by opening two new schools.  We’ve stabilised the finances after Lib Dems and Tories left the reserves plundered and the council on the brink of bankruptcy.  And we’ve kept council tax down with no increase at all for two years after Tories and Lib Dems hiked council tax up by 40% in just four years. 

But there’s still more to do.  All parties have signalled reductions in funding for council services after the general election, so Labour’s exploring new ways to work with communities and service users to protect frontline services.  That’s all part of our plans to relaunch Lambeth as Britain’s first cooperative council.   Other priorities include improving the housing service which has still not recovered from the mess the Lib Dems and Tories left it in, investing more in roads and pavements, cracking down on anti-social behaviour, and the biggest expansion of sport and leisure facilities in our borough’s history. 

Lambeth’s a better, fairer borough than the one we inherited from the Lib Dems and Tories four years ago.  I’m proud of the difference we’ve made in tackling poverty by getting more people back to work and making sure more people claim the financial support they’re entitled to.  We made a big difference on equalities too with the biggest ever increase in diverse representation on our council.  It’s been a privilege for me to lead Lambeth Council for the past four years.  This is a wonderful, vibrant borough full of people who really make a difference to our community.  The task now is to build on Labour’s past four years and turn Lambeth into what I know it can be – a high performing council offering real value for money, at the forefront of the fight for better public services and a fairer country.  That’s what a re-elected Labour council will be all about. 

Prime Minister Gordon Brown endorses Labour's manifesto for Lambeth 2010