Lambeth Liberal Democrats have no shame!
July 2005

Having been forced into an embarrassing U-Turn over the proposed sell off of shops in Streatham the Liberal Democrats have done the unthinkable and are actually attempting to claim credit for their rescue!

Councillor Lumsden is quoted in a leaflet to local residents; “After all the lies spread by Labour, it was sad that they voted against my proposal to block the sale.”

THIS IS A BLATANT LIE

The truth of the matter is that Liberal Democrat Councillor Ashley Lumsden was the man responsible for putting the shops up for sale in the first place, which resulted in massive protests and a campaign by local residents and shopkeepers. After resisting for weeks, Lumsden was eventually forced into a humiliating climb-down hours ahead of a planned town hall demonstration. But now he and his Liberal Democrat colleagues have put out leaflets trying to pretend that they are responsible for stopping the sell-off!

The Liberal Democrats didn’t save the shopping parade in Streatham, they tried to sell it. It was the people or Streatham who saved it and the praise should be reserved for them alone.

Cllr Steve Reed, the leader of Lambeth’s Labour Opposition, said:

“This is absolutely unbelievable. I am so angry for the local residents and shopkeepers who campaigned so hard to save their shops.

“The Liberal Democrats are wrong to treat local people as fools. Everyone knows the Liberal Democrats threatened these shops in the first place. By lying about what they tried to do, they will only make local people more angry.”

You can view how the campaign really started by coming here and view how the community came together to support the fight here.

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