Local Campaigns

Can you help Local Youngsters?

Can you help local campaigner and entrepreneur Cllr Chris Philp to help local young people prepare for work? Chris, who is also the Conservative candidate to be our next MP, is setting up a "Learn to Earn" scheme to help Brent's 15-19 year olds get ready for the world of work.

Learn to Earn will include work experience with real businesses - from local shops to top City firms. It will also include CV workshops, interview preparation and discussions with local businesspeople. If you could offer local young people work experience - whether in a small business or a large one - or can help in any other way with the scheme, please email Chris at: philp_chris@hotmail.com.

Chris said, "I've set up three businesses from scratch, the first when I was just 24 years old. It's so important that we help young people in the Borough prepare for work. In some areas, 25% of 16-24 year olds are not in education, training or employment. We have to take action now to fix this." In 2003, Chris was voted Ernst & Young and The Times as London's emerging entrepreneur of the year and in 2004 he floated one of his businesses on the stock market. He said "I've had lots of ups and downs as an entrepreneur. I'd like to pass some of that experience on, and hopefully inspire the next generation."

Please contact Chris if you can help with Learn to Earn.

Save our Local Police Stations!

The fight to save our local Police stations from potential cuts has received a boost as a reprieve is won. Hampstead Police Station was threatened with outright closure, and West Hampstead and Kilburn (on Salusbury Road) risked losing 999 and patrol teams - which would be relocated to distant central bases.

These cuts, proposed under the Met's "Asset Management Plan," would reduce Police visibility and make it harder to respond to 999 calls in our area. Our campaign has won a reprieve, but we must remain vigilant to make sure that the reprieve is permanent.

Local Conservatives have been leading the campaign against the cuts. Fighting crime needs more Police on the streets, not cuts to the local Police presence. Here's an update on our campaign:

• Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn, Chris Philp, has collected over 2,000 local signatures against the closures and he has met with the Police Authority in an attempt to change their mind. They promised him that they will not close Hampstead Police Station without first opening a replacement and to look again at the arrangements for 999 and patrol officers at West Hampstead and Kilburn
• As a local Councillor in Camden, Chris also launched a formal Council enquiry into the planned closures and reductions, which resulted in a unanimous vote against them
• Chris led a public demonstration against the Police Station closures (pictured) with over 200 of our neighbours. This featured on the BBC's London evening news.

"We'll continue the fight to save our local Police Stations from cuts until the plans are permanently withdrawn," vowed Chris Philp.

Save the Royal Free's specialist stroke Unit

The Royal Free's stroke unit is under threat under recently published Government plans.

The unit was recently rated the top in the country by the Royal College of Physicians - yet the Government plans to downgrade it, and move the most important parts of the service to UCH as a cost-cutting measure.

Chris Philp said, "I believe that this is totally wrong. We pay a huge amount of money in taxes - Camden deserves two proper stroke centres. This will destroy the country's leading stroke centre and increase emergency patient journey times - which are crucial for treating strokes."

Protesting against the planned downgrade

Press

Only the Conservatives can beat Labour here

The race to be the next MP for Hampstead & Kilburn will be a Conservative- Labour photo-finish, according to the largest ever opinion poll of marginal seats.

The Observer newspaper commissioned the poll of 35,000 voters in key marginal Parliamentary seats, also reported locally by the CNJ (pictured). The results in Hampstead & Kilburn showed the Conservatives on 36% and Labour on 34%. The Lib Dems were in a distant third on 23%. This is consistent with last May's London elections, which also put the Conservatives just ahead of Labour, with the Lib Dems in a distant third across the constituency. A vote for the Lib Dems sadly risks leaving us with a Labour MP. "Our votes will help determine whether Labour or the Conservatives form the next Government," said Cllr Andrew Marshall. "It's a simple choice."

The Lib Dems claimed to be "within 474 votes" before the London Assembly elections last year - and then promptly lost by 6,000 votes! No doubt they will continue to make these highly dubious claims - but 40,000 real votes cast in real ballot boxes tell the real story.