Liberal Democrats take revenge on campaigning
shopkeepers
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Vengeful Liberal Democrat councillors are launching a second attack on shopkeepers in Streatham Hill. Earlier this year, Lambeth's Lib Dem finance boss, Cllr Ashley Lumsden, was forced into a humiliating climbdown over his plans to sell off the shops along Streatham Hill Parade. Under pressure from residents who didn't want their local shops sold off and closed down, he withdrew his sell-off plans at the eleventh hour during a town hall meeting. Lumsden then offended local residents by distributing a Liberal Democrat leaflet in which he claimed that he had "blocked" the sell-off, rather than admit he'd been forced into a u-turn.
But, having failed to sell off the shops, Lumsden is now taking revenge on the shopkeepers for their campaign. He has just imposed a swingeing 50% rent increase on the shops. Small local businesses can't afford sudden hikes in their costs, and already one shop has announced it will have to close. Traders are due to meet to discuss what further steps they can take to save Streatham Hill's local shops from the Lib Dems.
Labour councillor Steve Reed, who is Leader of the Opposition on Lambeth Council, is giving strong backing to the shopkeepers. He said:
"The Lib Dems want to punish the shopkeepers who stood up to their bullying last time round. They are hiking up rents in the full knowledge that many of the shops will be forced to close.
Lib Dem councillors don't care that this spiteful
act will also hurt residents in Streatham Hill who now face seeing their
local shops boarded up."
Related stories:
Lib Dems take credit
Residents and shopkeepers
fight to save shops in Streatham
Save our shops
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