Thousands are Joining us to Make a Fairer Society 

The Labour Party has just been through a long summer of introspection.

I’m sure South London Press readers will have seen that the Labour Party has elected a new Leader, Deputy Leader and Shadow Cabinet.

Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson make a fantastic team and if our conference was anything to go by, it’s going to continue to fizz with excitement for many years to come.

Lewisham MPs are playing their part as well. I was delighted to accept an offer to serve as a Whip in Jeremy’s Shadow Cabinet.

I also want to congratulate Heidi Alexander. I know that she will do a fantastic job as Shadow Health Secretary. People have said that the top jobs haven’t gone to women, but as Heidi said herself, “what is more important than leading the fight to save our NHS?”

But health isn’t our only focus. Sadiq Khan has been selected as Labour’s Mayoral candidate for next year’s election.

He wants to make this election a referendum on housing, putting homes in the capital at the top of the agenda.

I’m also very concerned about the levels of serious youth violence on our streets. Boris Johnson, the current Mayor of London, should be ashamed.

Since he came to power, nearly 120 young people have lost their lives due to his inability to tackle this serious issue. With two lives lost in Lewisham in recent weeks, I continue to engage and support local communities to understand what they think can and should be done.

My fortnightly surgeries continue to be as busy as ever. This shows me the negative impact Tory policies are having on people.

With foodbanks and temporary accommodation on the rise, people are still struggling with the cost of living.

Under the Tories, things are going to get more unequal and more unfair. That’s why more than 160,000 people have joined the Labour Party since the general election, making Labour the biggest political party in the UK and becoming a thriving campaigning grassroots movement.

In Lewisham Deptford, almost 4,000 people voted in the leadership election and new members are joining every day.

People are joining to support our campaigns. Across our communities, members will be taking part in shaping the agenda. They will be the ones who help Labour develop our policies.

So I ask you to join us. Join us as we fight Tory austerity. Join us as we fight cuts to our public services. Join us and help create a fairer, kinder country. There is so much at stake. Together we can make a difference.

** You can join the Labour Party by going online at www.labour.org.uk/join or by calling 0845 092 2299.

South London Press 09/10/2015