Alex Wilson pic: Anurag Tagat
Alex Wilson, the Conservative candidate for Lewisham and Greenwich, told EastLondonLines about his campaign.
His pledges
• More police on the streets – 1,000 extra police, single patrolling, increased police presence
• Improving transport – the construction of Crossrail will “completely change the way this part of London travels”
• Better road transport , including the Silvertown Link
• Allowing people to recycle more glass paper and plastic; more education about recycling, and more street bins for waste and recycling
With the recent occupation of a number of properties in Lewisham, Wilson spoke about the action by Lewisham People Before Profit.
Wilson also discussed crime and policing, transport and the regeneration of areas such as Catford in Lewisham.
Currently a ward councillor for Blackheath Westcombe, Wilson also works as a surveyor and chartered planner in Lewisham and Greenwich.
Mr Wison,
You have an opportunity to voice a growing local concern about the 10 full-time union officials on the Greenwich Council payroll, bankrolled by Council Tax. The Greenwich salary bill for 2010/2011 was £298,974 for 10 full time union officials. The stated aims of the new Greenwich UNITE 2050 union are to fight the Government cuts agenda.
When there are so many people homeless on the streets of London, including this borough, why does the Greenwich Tax payer have to foot an exorbitant salary bill for union reps placed by Labour over many years in Greenwich Town Hall to pursue and enforce their political agenda? Can we afford this abuse, and are we to watch vital front line services in Greenwich continue to be sucked dry by people who provide no public service at all?
I believe this is a national scandal which should be addressed in current assembly elections.There is a growing view that putting full-time Union reps on the council payroll has no legal basis, especially when taxpayer’s money is used for politically motivated propaganda against the government’s deficit reduction measures.
If Borough Councils are to retain the trust of the electorate in the years ahead then I suggest a good dose of honesty at local level. Where better to start than a spring-clean at Greenwich Town Hall to cleanse the house of our 10 full-time union officials?
Paul Barker
20 The Birches
Victoria Way
Charlton SE7 7PB