News
Water Chaos Across Hoxton
2006-04-24 20:42:18 Liberal Democrat MP, Simon Hughes was aghast as he walked round Hoxton recently. “It’s the bank holiday weekend and local people are having to queue at a standpipe for their water”, he exclaimed. “In all my time as MP for Bermondsey, I have never seen anything like it!” But that’s just how it’s been for unfortunate Evelyn Court residents.
More water woes
At nearby Parr Court angry complaints by residents about the lack of proper water supplies were ignored until Lib-Dem pressure forced action. Suddenly the Council agreed to rush in emergency booster pumps. Mayor, Jules Pipe, asked why he hadn’t bothered to go to the block on one of his rare visits to Hoxton to distribute election leaflets reportedly said “Labour Party canvassers visited Parr Court last week” So, that’s alright then.
A poor attitude
In a nutshell, that’s New Labour’s attitude to local people in Hoxton— “We’ll push out glossy election leaflets. Don’t ask too closely who’s paying for them. Don’t ask too closely about all the claims and promises we’re making. Just give us your vote and then get lost for another four years.” People are angry Is it any wonder that many people are really angry? Like the nurse from Royal Oak Court, working her whole life in NHS Hospitals after coming to this country as a youngster, who said “I know what Third World conditions are like. I never expected to find them here under Hackney Council”. Or the lifelong Underground employee at Moneyer House living with his family in a damp unrepaired flat the Charles Dickens would have condemned. Or the lady at Bianca House who can’t get her dangerous windows fixed because she has got to wait for the renewals programme — yet no date has been given! Or the pensioner at Napier Court suddenly faced with a £22,000 service charge bill she has no way of paying.
Is there a solution?
The list is endless. Is it any wonder so many people are saying “I’m not going to be fooled by New Labour’s promises this time. It’s great to have the new kitchens and windows when you can get them. But at the end of the day it’s my money being poured into them after decades of mismanagement and neglect, and we’re still living by stairwells stinking of drugs, urine and everything else.” So why should you trust us with your vote? We can’t promise you the world, but we can promise we will work hard for you all year round and we will fight hard for Hoxton and Shoreditch when and where it matters. You know we keep in touch with our regular Focus newsletters and you know that we regularly undertake casework for local residents. You’ll see our phone numbers to the right of this article. They are there for you to use.
Tags:
water, parr court, evelyn court, decent homes
