Brockley
Patrick McGinley
I have lived in Lewisham for 22 years and have been a Londoner all my life. I work as an Accountant for a London based firm. Having been a council tenant for 16 years and subsequently purchasing my flat under the right to buy some 6 years previous I made the commitment to stay in Brockley because it’s a great place to live as our community is so diverse and culture rich.
In the last 10 years I have personally witnessed much in the changing face of housing in Lewisham. The last 7 years have been the worst. It was the lack of investment, transparency and honesty that has spurned me on to stand this time as a local councillor in Brockley because there are too many career politicians in Lewisham and not enough local people fighting for local needs. I strongly believe that local people know what kind of homes they want for their future.
I have been actively involved over the last 3 years with the Brockley PFI Leaseholders Association. This is a voluntary organisation that was set up to give free advice and help council leaseholders to defend themselves against Lewisham council with regard to issues with PFI. So many leaseholders have been treated badly when Lewisham rolled out its privatisation of council services in Brockley.
To date PFI has not worked in Brockley because it’s too costly, not transparent and vital money that is needed in our community is being hived off out of our community as the private PFI companies do not employ local people in the community. Like you I am fed up with Steve Bullock privatising our hospitals, schools and homes. When will Steve Bullock start caring about the people of Lewisham and stop running it like a private company. The answer is never. So it’s going to be up to us to change that.
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Toby Abse
Toby Abse has been a lecturer in History at Goldsmiths for the last sixteen years, during which he played a leading role in organising a conference commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Lewisham.
As an active member of his UCU branch, he is involved in the campaigns against the Goldsmiths Trust and the racist, points-based immigration scheme. He also takes a particular interest in the current struggles against cuts and privatisation both in higher education and in educational funding at primary and secondary level, consistently opposing all moves towards academies and trust schools, which are designed to weaken the position of both parents and teachers in favour of domination by private business.
He firmly believes that education at all levels ought to be secular, in the public sector and under the control of bodies democratically accountable to local communities, not to the whims of car salesmen and religious fanatics, as is already the case in other areas, where such privatisation has occurred.
He is a long-standing member of the Socialist Alliance and the Alliance for Green Socialism, and is active in the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group.
Can you help?
If you want to help get John Hamilton elected as Mayor and Patrick and Toby elected as two of your three local councillors by
- putting up a poster in your window
- helping us to deliver leaflets to homes in Brockley
- helping us to give out leaflets at railways stations and schools
To go to the John Hamilton for Mayor site please click here: Mayoral site