Tag Archives: lambeth council

Abuse victims to get chance of legal redress

Today I’m proud of the work I have been doing for the unheard, marginalised ignored and abused members of our society. Read on.

During the last few years I have admired the work of Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA).

They represented hundreds of people who were abused whilst in the care of Lambeth Council.

SOSA was able to get over £140m from Lambeth Council in compensation paid to those affected by the Shirley Oaks abuse scandal.

I sat and listened to the stories of those affected by sexual abuse. A friend of mine told me at the age of 35, that he was abused by one of our teachers at school, one by one others came forward. I felt pig sick that I never knew anything about it. They suffered in silence.

I was determined that people who committed crimes like this should not hide any longer.

Working with SOSA in their endeavour to get the 3 year time bar status lifted was time consuming, however, made easier by knowing that perpetrators could no longer hide behind the three year rule.

Those police officers involved in avoiding justice and the families who were kept out of the Lambeth legal redress scheme can now have their day in civil court.

Whilst I must thank the hard work of Dr Raymond Stevenson & Ms Lucia Hinton of SOSA, it has been a cross Party affair.

The agenda is not pretty or fashionable, a lot of people stay clear of it, however, when you know close friends who have been abused and not been able to communicate it to you for over 20-25 years it focuses your mind.

I must also thank other people that made this ground breaking day happen:

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | 16 Comments

Local liberal heroes: Peter Truesdale

A while back, I penned a series of posts profiling forgotten liberal heroes (to which a couple of other people also kindly contributed), looking at some of those who achieved great things for liberalism in their time but have been unjustly forgotten – such as Margaret Wintringham, the very first female Liberal MP.

There is also another group of people who I think are often unjustly obscure – those local campaigners who are often at the heart of their local community and local party, delivering liberalism and helping others, but as their stage is a local one they are often unacknowledged in the wider party.

Today it is the turn of Lambeth Liberal Democrat Peter Truesdale.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | 3 Comments

One post-coalition election won in London, another on its way

The prophets of doom had an off day this week with Camden Liberal Democrats winning the delayed Haverstock election. They held all three seats against a Labour challenge and even scored a small swing from Labour compared to the last Camden council elections.

The next election test in London will be south of the river in Lambeth for, as the Evening Standard reports,

A London Labour councillor has been arrested by police on suspected child porn charges. Toren Smith, 42, was arrested at his home and questioned before being released on bail. His computer was seized for further examination. He has resigned

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 5 Comments

What can the party do to encourage better e-campaigning?

In early March 2009 renowned Lambeth bakers De Lieto applied for planning permission for a new bakery. Lambeth Council astoundingly decided that the local residents would be distressed by the smell.

In stepped local Lib Dem councillors Rob Banks and Andrew Sawdon. There followed a rapid online and offline campaign to get residents to sign a petition in favour of the bakery, with over 100 petitions through De Lieto’s front door in less than 24 hours. A combination of leaflets, emails, Rob and Andrew’s superb blog and the council rapidly u-turned. More on this story can be found here.

This simple …

Posted in Lib Dem TV and Online politics | Also tagged | 4 Comments
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