This week has been an important milestone in the campaign across London’s boroughs with the launch of party manifestos. It’s fair to say that once party branding is removed, you’d struggle to guess what pledge came from which party.
Find out more below.
“Town and Country Borough” not Town and Country Planning
Havering Conservatives pledge to make sure Havering remains a “Town and Country Borough” by opposing Sadiq Khan’s tower blocks. They also are campaigning “to keep Mayor Khan out of [their] affairs” all together – it’s local views for local people.
Hackney Labour pledge to hold their planning committee to account
Hackney Labour pledge to ensure their planning committee is open and transparent in its dealings and decisions, and that it reports annually on its activities. It’s not clear what part of their current planning committee fails to be open and transparent.
A pledge to report on the planning committee’s activities will make interesting reading. Our recent research has shown that not enough homes have been approved in the last three years to keep place with London plan targets, hopefully this will form part of the annual reporting.
Croydon Conservatives successfully organise p**s up in brewery
Clearly undeterred by ‘partygate’, Croydon Conservatives have come under fire for organising resident facing campaign events in local pubs. Eagle eyed Croydon residents were however quick to point that the pub in question was not their local given it’s run by a Green Party candidate.
Wandsworth Labour: All for one, and one for all.
The battle continues in Wandsworth this week and with both Tories and Labour you’d expect messages to become tighter, and aimed straight at the hearts of swing voters.
Battersea, however have taken a slightly different approach and pledged just about everything for everyone.
It’s an ambitious and noble pledge from Battersea Labour, but Labour’s local election campaigns in Wandsworth have a reputation for having confused messaging as we’ve seen with the -still unclear- council tax pledge.
Video of the week
I wish I can take the credit. Someone, somewhere in Tower hamlets has had enough! pic.twitter.com/8Oekowj2E1
— SN (@Najmeen) April 13, 2022
