Helen Mercer Challenges Vicky Foxcroft on Health

Helen Mercer Challenges Vicky Foxcroft on Health

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Save our NHS. Say no to PFI and drop the debt

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Helen Mercer #Deptford parlimentary candidate 4 Lewisham People Before Profit

Press release 16.2.15

Lewisham People Before Profit (PBP), the local anti-austerity party is contesting two seats in the forthcoming general election – Lewisham Deptford and Lewisham East. Both Helen Mercer (Lewisham Deptford) and Nick Long (Lewisham East) are long-standing community activists and passionate campaigners for the people of Lewisham. Both live in their constituencies.

The Candidates

Nick Long has lived in the borough for almost 35 years, and having worked as a housing officer for 27 years, he is  particularly passionate concern about homelessness and housing. He is currently working to tackle empty homes in the borough and helping to offer housing to Lewisham’s 600 homeless . He is an active trade unionist, the chair of Lewisham Town Hall Unite union branch and a delegate to Lewisham Trades Council. Nick was actively involved in the defence of Lewisham Hospital and is now is active in Lewisham Keep Our NHS Public (KONP). He was a founder member of Lewisham People Before Profit, has acted as its election agent and is also a member of Left Unity. Nick is an evacuation marshal and an emergency Red Cross centre volunteer, a qualified football referee and a keen supporter of his local allotment.

Helen Mercer is a lecturer in economics. She takes a particular interest in Town Planning issues and co-ordinated local groups campaigning against the recent so-called ‘developments’ in central Lewisham with a stark absence of housing for local people. As a founder member of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign she co-ordinated the two massive Lewisham demonstrations. Because of her deep concerns about the effects of what is happening, she has worked hard to become an expert in the private financing of and profiteering from public services. She helped launch the website ‘Drop the NHS debt’ and is active at national and local levels in health campaigns. Helen actively supports her local (Hilly Fields) Park Users’ group, served as a governor of the former Lewisham Bridge School, and secured its listing by English Heritage.

What we are fighting for

Lewisham People Before Profit have been contesting local elections since 2010 and in 2014 won the support of over 5,000 voters in the wards making up Lewisham Deptford constituency and a further 3,500 voters in Lewisham East. The party came second to Labour in six wards across the borough and doubled its share of the vote.

Helen and Nick put this success down to the fact that:. ‘We campaign month-in, month-out on a range of issues affecting local people including housing, health, inequality, poverty and fuel bills. We campaign for rail nationalisation. Our actions frequently capture the imagination of the local and national press. Our manifesto is a truly alternative and realisable vision of an economy and society in which ordinary people come first’.

Lewisham People Before Profit actively opposes cuts, privatisation and corporate profiteering and stands for a strong local economy and first rate public services.

Nick Long Lewisham People Before Profit Parlimentary candidate 4 Lewisham East

Press release 16.2.15

Lewisham People Before Profit (PBP), the local anti-austerity party is contesting two seats in the forthcoming general election – Lewisham Deptford and Lewisham East. Both Helen Mercer (Lewisham Deptford) and Nick Long (Lewisham East) are long-standing community activists and passionate campaigners for the people of Lewisham. Both live in their constituencies.

The Candidates

Nick Long has lived in the borough for almost 35 years, and having worked as a housing officer for 27 years, he is  particularly passionate concern about homelessness and housing. He is currently working to tackle empty homes in the borough and helping to offer housing to Lewisham’s 600 homeless . He is an active trade unionist, the chair of Lewisham Town Hall Unite union branch and a delegate to Lewisham Trades Council. Nick was actively involved in the defence of Lewisham Hospital and is now is active in Lewisham Keep Our NHS Public (KONP). He was a founder member of Lewisham People Before Profit, has acted as its election agent and is also a member of Left Unity. Nick is an evacuation marshal and an emergency Red Cross centre volunteer, a qualified football referee and a keen supporter of his local allotment.

Helen Mercer is a lecturer in economics. She takes a particular interest in Town Planning issues and co-ordinated local groups campaigning against the recent so-called ‘developments’ in central Lewisham with a stark absence of housing for local people. As a founder member of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign she co-ordinated the two massive Lewisham demonstrations. Because of her deep concerns about the effects of what is happening, she has worked hard to become an expert in the private financing of and profiteering from public services. She helped launch the website ‘Drop the NHS debt’ and is active at national and local levels in health campaigns. Helen actively supports her local (Hilly Fields) Park Users’ group, served as a governor of the former Lewisham Bridge School, and secured its listing by English Heritage.

What we are fighting for

Lewisham People Before Profit have been contesting local elections since 2010 and in 2014 won the support of over 5,000 voters in the wards making up Lewisham Deptford constituency and a further 3,500 voters in Lewisham East. The party came second to Labour in six wards across the borough and doubled its share of the vote.

Helen and Nick put this success down to the fact that:. ‘We campaign month-in, month-out on a range of issues affecting local people including housing, health, inequality, poverty and fuel bills. We campaign for rail nationalisation. Our actions frequently capture the imagination of the local and national press. Our manifesto is a truly alternative and realisable vision of an economy and society in which ordinary people come first’.

Lewisham People Before Profit actively opposes cuts, privatisation and corporate profiteering and stands for a strong local economy and first rate public services.

Lewisham East & Deptford Lewisham People Before Profit select well known community activists to fight seat

Press release 16.2.15

Lewisham People Before Profit (PBP), the local anti-austerity party is contesting two seats in the forthcoming general election – Lewisham Deptford and Lewisham East. Both Helen Mercer (Lewisham Deptford) and Nick Long (Lewisham East) are long-standing community activists and passionate campaigners for the people of Lewisham. Both live in their constituencies.

The Candidates

Nick Long has lived in the borough for almost 35 years, and having worked as a housing officer for 27 years, he is  particularly passionate concern about homelessness and housing. He is currently working to tackle empty homes in the borough and helping to offer housing to Lewisham’s 600 homeless . He is an active trade unionist, the chair of Lewisham Town Hall Unite union branch and a delegate to Lewisham Trades Council. Nick was actively involved in the defence of Lewisham Hospital and is now is active in Lewisham Keep Our NHS Public (KONP). He was a founder member of Lewisham People Before Profit, has acted as its election agent and is also a member of Left Unity. Nick is an evacuation marshal and an emergency Red Cross centre volunteer, a qualified football referee and a keen supporter of his local allotment.

 

Helen Mercer is a lecturer in economics. She takes a particular interest in Town Planning issues and co-ordinated local groups campaigning against the recent so-called ‘developments’ in central Lewisham with a stark absence of housing for local people. As a founder member of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign she co-ordinated the two massive Lewisham demonstrations. Because of her deep concerns about the effects of what is happening, she has worked hard to become an expert in the private financing of and profiteering from public services. She helped launch the website ‘Drop the NHS debt’ and is active at national and local levels in health campaigns. Helen actively supports her local (Hilly Fields) Park Users’ group, served as a governor of the former Lewisham Bridge School, and secured its listing by English Heritage.

What we are fighting for

Lewisham People Before Profit have been contesting local elections since 2010 and in 2014 won the support of over 5,000 voters in the wards making up Lewisham Deptford constituency and a further 3,500 voters in Lewisham East. The party came second to Labour in six wards across the borough and doubled its share of the vote.

Helen and Nick put this success down to the fact that:. ‘We campaign month-in, month-out on a range of issues affecting local people including housing, health, inequality, poverty and fuel bills. We campaign for rail nationalisation. Our actions frequently capture the imagination of the local and national press. Our manifesto is a truly alternative and realisable vision of an economy and society in which ordinary people come first’.

Lewisham People Before Profit actively opposes cuts, privatisation and corporate profiteering and stands for a strong local economy and first rate public services.

Lewisham Labour party " Save our Hospital" Helen Mercer Deptford Parlimentary candidate & Labour porkie

A recent Labour Party newsletter circulating in the Lewisham Deptford constituency alleges that Vicky Foxcroft, their prospective parliamentary candidate, was ‘instrumental’ in the hospital campaign. As a founder member of the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign, and as a proposer and central organiser of the two major demonstrations, I would like to ask Vicky to substantiate that claim.

The newsletter of course fails to mention that the Labour governments from 1997 to 2010 played a notorious role in opening up our NHS to privatisation. Lewisham hospital was threatened because of the unpayable debts of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital incurred under their Private Finance contract, a system of robbing the public sector promoted by Gordon Brown – the Labour Chancellor. It is also a system which has been promoted by the local Labour Council which has used Private Finance Initiatives across schools, leisure facilities, housing and most recently street lighting. To pose as a saviour of Lewisham hospital when her party laid down the conditions its destruction at the hands of financiers is an act of gross hypocrisy.

Helen Mercer

Lewisham People Before Profit Parliamentary candidate for Deptford Lewisham

Lewisham Labour Council in abuse of power row.

LEWISHAM

Lewisham Council staff promoting Deptford Labour meeting was 'inappropriate'

Vicky Foxcroft

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First published Monday 9 February 2015 in Lewishamby Mark Chandler, deputy news editor

Lewisham Council is under fire after its Deptford market staff helped publicise a Labour-run event ahead of the election.

Deptford stall holders were handed flyers by market inspectors publicising last week's public meeting on issues facing traders in Deptford High Street.

The event was organised by local Labour councillors and included an appearance by the party's parliamentary candidate for the Lewisham Deptford seat Vicky Foxcroft.

People Before Profit - whose parliamentary candidate Helen Mercer, along with all other non-Labour candidates, was not invited - have put in a complaint that council staff, by publicising the event, were effectively campaigning for Labour and gave the impression it was organised by the council.

And the council has since admitted its staff's behaviour was "inappropriate".

Trader Leslie Faizi, who has previously campaigned alongside People Before Profit and attended the meeting, said the agenda made it clear it was organised by Labour - something the flyer did not.

He said: "Whilst I am no expert on the legality and duties of public office, these councillors' blatant disregard for political boundaries in the run up to an election smacks of arrogance.

"It seems to me that, because their party dominates the political posts in Lewisham, they think that they can rewrite the rules to suit themselves. 

"I really can't imagine that this type of behaviour would be tolerated were there councillors from other political parties to keep them in check."

However, Councillor Joe Dromey has defended the event he organised, saying it raised issues about parking and promoting the high street, was not a Labour event and did not use council resources.

Coun Dromey, who accused People Before Profit of "trying to score political points", said: "Given the popularity of the event, we're going to be organising another in around six months time, where we'll feed back on what we've done, and invite other organisations - perhaps Cathedral, the developers of the Deptford Project."

A spokesman for Lewisham Council said: "The officers in the markets team had the good intention of telling market traders about a public event, led by local ward councillors, on issues that traders have long held a strong interest in.

"They handed out leaflets to traders on licensed stalls but now understand that it was inappropriate to distribute a leaflet that drew attention to a prospective parliamentary candidate and the team will ensure there is no recurrence."