HHaacckknneeyy HHaacckknneeyy Independent Independent www.hackneyindependent.org Hackney Council Elections May2006 The team for Haggerston - see back page COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2006 A CLEAR CHOICE FOR HAGGERSTON There’s a clear choice in the local elections this year. You either get more of the same by voting Labour OR you back the Hackney Independent challenge to the Council. Voting Hackney Independent councillors into the Town Hall would show that we have had enough of this Council who put the needs of their developer friends before those of the people of Haggerston. There is a very clear difference between New Labour and Hackney Independent’s community politics. Whilst they hide away in the Town hall and tend to only show up at election time we believe that grass roots campaigns and the action of local people is what politics is really about. But we do think that by standing local independent candidates we can continue the challenge to their complancency . Here are a few of the real differences between Hackney Independent and New Labour: Hackney New Labour vs Hackney Independent L J L Labour shut Haggerston Pool in 2000. They said it ☺ Hackney Independent members have cam- would be shut for 3 months! paigned since 2000 to reopen the baths as a pub- lic facility at affordable prices. L J L Stood in 2002 election knowing they were going to ☺ We joined Laburnum parents, children and the close Laburnum School but kept it a secret. wider community in a huge campaign to save this popular school. L J L Labour are making unpopular changes at ☺ Hackney Independent supports the pupils and Haggerston School. First they want to make it a staff of Haggerston School in their campaign to mixed school. Then they want it to be a privately- keep it a girl’s school. Councillors should support sponsored City Academy. the views of the community. L J L Sold shops and pubs at knock down prices to ☺ We were part of the community campaign to save developers in Broadway Market, Dalston Lane Tony’s Café and Spirit’s shop on Broadway Market and across Hackney. and to demand action over Hackney’s dodgy prop- erty sell-offs. L J L Labour is pushing through a big rent rise next ☺ We always support tenants on repairs, rent rises month with little to how for it. They also see lease- or safety on our estates. We support a fair deal for holders as an easy source of money leaseholders. L J L The Council provides less and less for kids and ☺ Hackney Independent Kids Cinema shows films in young people. Haggerston community centres in the school holi- days. L J L Haggerston councillors took £40,000 each in ☺ We distribute Hackney Independent four times a expenses but were rarely seen in the area. year, support local campaigns and run local advice services. L J L You can’t trust Tony Blair’s Labour Party. Whether ☺ Instead of New Labour clones who only do what it is lying over the war in Iraq, taking donations their party leaders tell them, we need councillors from millionaires in return for honours, or wasting who work with and are part of the working class £70 million on a new Town Hall. majority in Haggerston. Hackney Indpendent in Haggerston Hackney Independent’s Carl Taylor was just 90 votes behind Labour in Haggerston last time. We are in a stronger position now to beat Labour and make sure of an independent voice for Haggerston in the Town Hall Re-open Haggerston Pool Protect Local Traders Continue to campaign for the Pool in the community and We need useful local shops in the area. as councillors speak out at Council meetings to demand the re-opening of the Pool. Councillors in the community We will open an office near your home where you can talk Funding for Apples & Pears to your councillors about local issues and any problems Hackney Council should guarantee full funding for Apples you have. Local groups will be able to use it as a base for & Pears Adventure Playground their campaigns as well. Representing Haggerston More Council Housing We will call regular Ward meetings to report back what we We want to see more council housing for overcrowded have done, tell you what is on the Council agenda and tenants and sons and daughters instead of all the luxury you can say what you think we should be doing .We will private flats approved by the Council. vote the way the Ward tells us to vote. Support Haggerston School An Independent Voice We support the campaign of parents, pupils and staff to Labour councillors have to follow the Party line. We will keep Haggerston a girls school. Any changes must be vote for any council proposal that benefits the people of agreed by the community not pushed through by a Haggerston and the wider community, and oppose those Labour block vote in the Town Hall. that do not. The Hackney Independent Team for Haggerston Arthur Shuter Arthur Shuter is 48 and is based on Goldsmith’s Row after being evicted by the Council from his flat on Whiston estate over £20 rent arrears. He is a regular in the Albion. For the last 15 years he has been helping local people and traders to fight problems with the Council and to deal with housing, health and benefit issues. He has researched the Council’s sales of local shops and pubs to off-shore developers and believes these were both corrupt and incompetent. Arthur led the occupation of Tony’s Café to block its demolition and is now playing a leading part in the campaigns for Spirit’s Shop on Broadway Market and the shops on Dalston Lane. Peter Sutton Peter Sutton is 38 and a father of four. He played a leading part in the Save Laburnum School Campaign and is well known to parents and children through the Independent Kids Cinema shows in Goldsmiths and Geffrye Community Centres. He is an elected UNISON shop steward. Peter lives on a Hackney Council estate and has worked managing council estates for 18 years. He has helped many Haggerston tenants through Hackney Independent advice surgeries, and is recognised as a housing expert. “Hackney Council needs to start running council housing for the benefit of tenants and leaseholders,” says Peter. Carl Taylor Carl Taylor is 41 and lives on Suffolk Estate by Regents Canal. He is a regular in the Old King John‚s Head. Carl worked in benefit offices for 15 years and has used his knowledge of the benefits system to help many Haggerston people who have come to Hackney Independent advice surgeries. Carl played a central part in the successful campaign to get rid of ITNet, the Council’s bungling housing benefit contractor. Carl was an elected UNISON and GMB shop steward for 14 years. In 2003 Carl left work to study at Queen Mary University in Mile End. He played a leading part in the campaign for Tony’s Café in Broadway Market and is an active supporter of the Haggerston Pool Campaign.