‘I want to scrap borough Mayor’
A former opposition leader is standing to be mayor on a platform of abolishing the post
Chris Maines, former Liberal Democrat councillor on Lewisham council, has been chosen to fight the Lewisham Mayoral election in May.
“Lewisham Mayor and council needs more rigorous debate and opposition,” said Mr Maines.
“We need different points of view represented in the running of Lewisham council.
“We must smash the one-party state and the anti-democrat attitudes that go with it.
“Lewisham’s elected mayoral system lacks the checks and balances essential for the good decision-making that delivers the best services needed by local residents.”
A spokesman for Lewisham Labour said: “Since 2010, when the Tory/Lib Dem coalition came to power, Government grant funding for Lewisham council has been cut by more than half.
“It is a scandal that funding for vital public services in the poorest communities has been slashed – and it’s a scandal that the Lib Dems supported these cuts. We’ve done all we can to protect vital local services.
“And despite these cuts we’ve been able to build council homes to tackle the housing crisis and promote the Living Wage to tackle poverty.”
Hi Chris, Since voting I have always voted Liberal. I must agree that the present Council running the Borough of Lewisham have grossly failed the people of Lewisham. Have you realised that they have acquired lottery money – not to help the needy and homeless – but to destroy Beckenham Place Park. They have felled many many trees (none of which were diseased) and which are being turned into Wood Chippings and sold on for a HUGE profit. Their contractors have killed and maimed all the wild life and flattened the Ancient Woodland. They have destroyed the Badgers nest and park goers have seen a dead badger as well as foxes with ears cut up and nursing vixens wandering aimlessly around trying to find their dens. The men operating these JCBs have little regard for the safety of the people who are using the park. This is a huge project going straight through the Park. All Park users from all over the Boroughs of Bromley and Lewisham and even those from further afield and from inner London have exclaimed their horror at what Lewisham Council has done in the name of progress! What a waste of Lottery Money.