News from Westminster Labour

No seats on the West End Commission for West End workers and small businesses

Only one woman on the 12 person Commission; no place for West End churches or restaurants.

Labour’s Westminster Councillors have criticized the omission of West End workers and small businesses from Westminster Council’s ‘West End Commission’.

Labour say that, at a time of growing unemployment and economic problems, tens of thousands of West End musicians, actors, waiters and kitchen staff, croupiers and shop workers, as well as small businesses, have all been ignored by the Council and have been denied a seat on the West End Commission.

West End churches and restaurants have also been denied a place on the West End Commission and there is only one woman on the 12-person Commission.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said;

“The membership of the Commission needs to be drawn as widely as possible so that it includes the tens of thousands of hard working people who drive the West End economy, either as workers or small businesses. In addition to the great and the good, we want to see the West End musicians and actors represented on the Commission. We want to see the casino croupiers and the restaurant waiters with a seat at the top table in their own right. Why are the tens of thousands of West End shop workers not represented, given the massive contribution they make to the West End economy? Why have small businesses been ignored? And, given their vital contribution to the anti-parking charges campaign, why have the West End churches been totally forgotten by the Council?”

Labour has also called on the Council to rule out evening and Sunday parking charges in the West End from the West End Commission’s remit.

Councillor Dimoldenberg said;

“Was the West End Commission set up on 19th January by a lame-duck former Leader as a meaningless quick fix to get the Conservatives out of hole they dug themselves?
Will it just be ‘talking shop’ or is the West End Commission a Trojan horse which will be used by the Council to revive plans to reintroduce evening and Sunday parking charges? We want an absolute and cast-iron commitment that evening and Sunday parking charges are off the agenda for consideration by the West End Commission.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Westminster Council to a hire new £125k a year Spin Doctor as it makes £12m cuts - 6 February 2013
• Minister must get tough with Westminster Council over "unacceptable and unlawful" temporary housing - 5 February 2013
• West End Actors join fight to save Westminster Council's arts and culture budget - 5 February 2013