Liberal Democrat Councillors have expressed amazement at the immediate ditching by Brent’s Labour Executive of an Election pledge made just months ago by Brent North Labour MP Barry Gardiner.
Pre-election leaflets were plastered with banners such as “Barham Park – Not for Sale”, “We say NO to selling our parks”, and asked “Why do the Lib Dems pretend they need to sell off part of Barham Park?” and “Why are Lib Dems always trying to sell off our parks?”
In more recent leaflets, along with Sudbury Labour Councillor Mary Daly, Mr Gardiner continued to pretend that huge blocks of flats would be built, denounced the sale of the small plot of land on the edge of Barham Park containing 2 park keepers homes, and said: “I am working to get the Council to stop the sale of the land and put an end to this outrageous Lib Dem plan.”
Now, a report going to Brent’s Labour Executive next Tuesday proposes that the area should be sold off via public advertisement, for the best capital receipt obtainable.
Paul Lorber, a Sudbury Councillor and the Liberal Democrat Group Leader, says:
“ What a surprise! Labour have done yet another U-turn immediately on taking office. After months of circulating leaflets containing lies and scaremongering about the plans for these houses on the edge of the Park, and despite repeatedly promising to stop the sale of land, they now want to sell the land for the best price they can get, even though the small-scale housing scheme has fallen through.”
“ There was of course never any plan for a tower block. But given his clear statements on the sale of land, I look forward to Barry Gardiner protesting loudly at the Executive meeting. Or is this just another trumped-up campaign that Labour want to quickly forget?”
