Chuka Umunna MP

This video – featuring Streatham-born actor Peter Davison – charts some of Labour’s most significant achievements over the past thirteen years, and how we intend to build on these.

Since coming into power in 1997 the Labour Party has dramatically increased the funding available for the National Health Service.

Demonstrating how the NHS is safe in the hands of a Labour government, there has been an average annual increase of 6.7% in resources since 1999. However, we cannot be content to rest on our laurels, and this is why we are continually adapting and improving the service.

With this in mind Labour has turned the time targets which have improved the delivery of vital medical services into legally enforceable rights. The NHS constitution sets out what professionals, patients and the public can expect from the NHS.

Since April 1st of this year, patients have had the legally enforceable right to be seen by a specialist within 2 weeks if they are expected to have cancer. Further to this, over the next five years the Labour Party will deliver its commitment to provide diagnosis for suspected lung, colorectal or ovarian cancer within a week, which could save up to 10,000 lives per year.

The Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, commented:

“As the NHS continues to improve, so will its Constitution – that is why we are already looking ahead at future rights. We want patients to have the legal right to key diagnostic tests and results for patients who may have cancer within one week of seeing a GP, to die at home, to evening and weekend access to GPs, and to access to NHS dentistry.

“As the NHS strives to move from good to great and becomes more people-centred and preventative, the Constitution will ensure that all the improvements it makes can be safeguarded for generations to come.”

Details of the rights you are entitled to as a patient of the NHS can be found on the NHS website, and if you wish to support this initiative then you can pledge your support at www.votenhs.com.

School building projects at four local schools could face the axe if the Conservatives win power, it has emerged this week.

Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb has admitted that under a Conservative government, only school building schemes at the ‘financial close’ stage of development would be guaranteed funding.

This would mean that over 750 school building projects across the country could be scrapped, which would include planned developments at St Martin in the Fields, Dunraven, La Retraite and Bishop Thomas Grant schools.

Lambeth has benefitted from more than £280 million in educational funding through the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The money is being used to expand school places, provide new state of the art classrooms and learning environments and facilities for students.

Last year, an innovative and environmentally-sustainable new sports hall at Dunraven School built with former shipping containers and funded through the BSF programme was opened.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham said: “The Conservatives refuse to guarantee our programme of improving school buildings in this constituency which is deeply concerning.

“Schools in our area have been transformed since I went to school here myself in the 1980s and our excellent new school buildings and facilities have played a major part in this. If we are to provide the best education for our children, this investment must continue.”

Ed Balls said: “This revelation means hundreds of new school buildings right across the country face the axe if the Tories win the election.

“It’s particularly shocking that even building projects which are already a long way down the track could be cancelled by the Conservatives in just a matter of weeks.”

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, is challenging Conservative candidate Rahoul Bhansali to match Labour’s commitment to Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams, after Tory Mayor Boris Johnson’s failure to support their future.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs), which were introduced by Labour, are dedicated teams of local police officers for each ward, working in the community to tackle and prevent crime and antisocial behaviour and provide a visible presence on the streets.

Local residents have a real say in how the teams operate and what their priorities should be through community safer neighbourhood panels.

The Streatham constituency has eight SNTs with representative panels overseeing their work. Every ward in London has an SNT comprising of a minimum of one sergeant, two police constables and three PCSOs to patrol local streets.

Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to guarantee the future of SNTs, and has described them as a “pointless piece of top-downery”.

Although police numbers have risen by almost 17,000 since 1997, alongside more than 16,000 Police Community Support Officers, under Boris Johnson police numbers in London are being cut by a total of 455 officers. Over his four budgets Boris Johnson will oversee a decline in the total number of police officers for London.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said: “Safer Neighbourhood Teams have made a real difference in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. To continue this work, they need to be maintained at their current strength.

“I am deeply concerned by Boris Johnson’s failure to guarantee the future of neighbourhood policing, and I challenge Conservatives in Streatham to stand up for our dedicated local police teams.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “Labour will ensure that frontline policing is protected but the Conservatives won’t match this guarantee.

“The Conservative threat to frontline services is shown here in London where the future of local police teams is at risk from the Conservative mayor Boris Johnson.”

Rev Lisa Wright, local resident and retired curate at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham discusses why she is supporting Chuka in the general election.

London has seen the biggest decrease in unemployment in the country – our unemployment rate has fallen by 5.71 per cent in the three months to February – by 22,000 – the Office of National Statistics announced this week.

Although this is good news for London, the picture was mixed across the UK with rises in unemployment in other regions. Overall, the statistics show the importance of not taking any risks with the fragile economy to secure the recovery.

Last week Labour launched its manifesto and over the next two weeks, leading up to the election on May 6, we will be highlighting particular aspects and policy areas.

Firstly, we look at democratic reform and renewal. Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, Chuka Umunna, who has been lobbying for democratic reform for many years, welcomed the measures proposed. The Labour Manifesto provides a roadmap for real and lasting democratic renewal.

Labour will offer the public a referendum on a series of democratic reforms by October 2011. An alternative voting system will be offered which would mean that no MP would be elected on less that 50% of their constituent’s votes, which would increase the democratic legitimacy of the House of Commons while maintaining the link between MP and constituency.

The second item on the referendum would be the possibility of replacing the House of Lords with a democratically elected Second Chamber. This would be achieved in stages, with one third of the Second Chamber being elected on the same day as elections for the House of Commons. This Chamber could be elected by an open list proportional system.

As the success of the recent elections for the Youth Mayor and Member of Youth Parliament in Lambeth has shown, young people are politically engaged. With this in mind, the Labour Party firmly support a free vote on reducing the voting age to 16, which would coincide with increased citizenship education, preparing our youth for the democratic challenges of tomorrow.

It is important for the political parties to recognise that the expenses scandal really shook the electorate’s faith in the political system. This is an issue that Chuka has addressed in the past. With this in mind Labour propose to introduce the right to recall MPs who are found guilty of serious misconduct.

Further proposals include legislating for fixed term parliament and creating an All Party Commission to chart the course for a written constitution.

If you’re interested in finding out more then you can download the Labour Manifesto. Alternatively you can find out more and get involved with campaigns for electoral and constitutional reform by going to the websites of Vote for a Change, The Electoral Reform Society or Unlock Democracy.

In this video, former Streatham resident – and former flatmate of Keith Hill, Labour MP for Streatham from 1992 to 2010 – discusses why he is voting Labour in the general election.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, has been named one of the top 100 most influential users of micro blogging website Twitter.

The ‘TweetLevel’ list of political Twitter users is compiled by public relations firm Edelman, and has been updated this week. Former Labour MP Tom Watson came out on top in the list, which ranks people in terms of influence, trustworthiness, interaction and popularity.

Mr Umunna, who has made social media a key element of his campaign, has 1,744 Twitter followers.

In January 2010, he was named by The Independent as one the politicians making the best use of Twitter as a communication tool. He has had Twitter interactions with other prominent users of the site including the Prime Minister’s wife Sarah Brown and Schools Secretary Ed Balls.

Mr Umunna said:

“Alongside traditional campaigning, sites like Twitter provide a great way of communicating with voters directly. Local constituents often use the site to get in touch with me.”

Last month, the Streatham Hub Redevelopment was given the go-ahead.

The project includes a brand new ice rink, swimming pool, leisure centre as well as affordable housing, and will bring up to 600 new jobs to our area.

Following pressure by the “Keep Streatham Skating!” campaign, Tesco have agreed to guarantee continuous ice rink provision and Lambeth Council has said the retailer will not be allowed to open it’s supermarket until the new rink and leisure centre are opened.  To read more about the history of the project and the campaign to maintain ice provision, follow this link.

Of course, we have been here before – agreements with Tesco to develop the project have been reached in the past. However, when I spoke with Tesco on behalf of local residents at the end of last month (and asked why we should believe the scheme will proceed this time round), I was told that on the last two occasions the scheme had gone to the Tesco Plc Board for approval and no approval had been forthcoming, whereas on this occasion the scheme was promoted by the Chief Executive himself and given Board approval.

Tesco has agreed to provide a temporary ice rink whilst the new rink is built.  Finding a site for this structure has been difficult, and I have concerns over placing a large structure on Streatham Common.  Doing so, in my view, should only be considered as a matter of last resort if no better alternative site can be found in Streatham.

If the Common is the only option, a full explanation should be given to the community with reasons and the structure should be there for as short a time and take up as little space as possible. The Common should also be restored to a better state once the temporary structure is gone. Consultation with interested parties, including skaters and users of Streatham Common, is currently underway.

So there are still issues which need to be ironed out but I believe that our area – including skaters, swimmers and users of the common – will benefit and Streatham High Road will be given a much needed boost from the Streatham Hub development.