News from Labour Matters

Hammersmith and Fulham Tories ‘hoodwink’ The Times

In September we highlighted that Channel Four News may have been hoodwinked by Hammersmith and Fulham’s ruling Conservatives. Today we can reveal that it looks like another journalist has also recently been taken in by false claims from the service-cutting Conservative council.

In an article entitled Council tax freeze in London may be hint of a Conservative future The Times’ Whitehall Editor, Jill Sherman, reported the following claims made by Stephen Greenhalgh, Hammersmith and Fulham Council leader:

“He said that the council, judged one of the top performers in the country by the Audit Commission, had improved services. Streets were cleaner, a £2 million library had opened, £4 million had been spent on extra police and £8 million on improving park services.”

Jill Sherman however might be surprised to learn that the new library was arranged by the last Labour Administration, despite it being what tripped Cathy Newman up on Channel Four News. She may also like to know that two of the three improved parks mentioned were also arranged by the last Labour administration.

It’s interesting that the Tories are repeatedly taking false credit by purposely blurring the line between their actions and the action taken by Labour previously. Journalists seem to be easily taken in by this as it creates the mirage that the Conservatives are in the centre political ground and care about public services, while in reality they’re on the extreme fringe and rapidly reducing the quantity and quality of local public services.

Stephen Greenhalgh is not only leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, he is also in charge of the Conservative Councils Innovation Unit, and was awarded ConservativeHome’s 2007/08 ‘Local Hero Award’. His ’slash and charge’ policies really are indicative of what the modern Conservative Party is planning if they win power nationally.