The CLP EC asked the four candidates for written answers to the following questions (50 word limit for each answer). One of the main reasons for doing so was to help those who are unable to attend the in person hustings (particularly disabled people, carers and those vulnerable to Covid) decide how to vote.

EVELYN AKOTO

1. Energy

What can the government do to reduce energy costs for households and businesses, whilst ensuring a reliable and environmentally responsible supply? 

Short-term

• Levy larger windfall taxes on energy companies to help support those in need
• Develop a funding model to provide a free universal basic energy allowance.

Long-term

• Investment in renewables so that the UK is not dependent on fossil fuels from other countries. 
• Lead the way in green energy and the drive to net zero. 
• Allow new onshore wind-power and invest in tidal power.
• Reintroduce green incentives for household renewable energy, including photovoltaics and airsource / groundsource heating 
• Produce a national Home Insulation Strategy and a Retrofitting Strategy  

2. European Union

Was Brexit good or bad for the UK?

Brexit has had a negative impact on the UK in many ways. Our trading capabilities which has been severally weakened, and pave the way for deregulation of standards and employment rights.  The UK’s departure from the world’s largest trading block has made import and export a bureaucratic and expensive process.  It has curb the ability of smaller firms to compete in this environment and ultimately impacting jobs and economy.

Whilst people across the political spectrum supported brexit, we must recognise that it has been a tool for the libertarian right to use the pain of austerity to persuade many of those it hit hardest to drive the removal of employment rights

3. Immigration

What is the difference between Labour Party policy on immigration and Conservative Party policy?

Labour must win the immigration argument by focusing on compassion and remodeling a whole host of policies that stokes up the hostile environment. Labour has to be braver and willing to challenge the negative media rhetoric about immigration by actively choosing language that talk more loudly about the benefits of immigration.

4. NHS

To what extent is the NHS already privatized? Should there be more privatization or less and how can this be achieved?

Private companies have played a role in the NHS for decades. Services such as dentistry, community pharmacy have been provided by the private sector, not to mention that most GP practices are also private partnerships. 

I certainly feel there should be less privatization of the NHS. Labour must campaign for proper funding for the NHS, expanding its role in particular for care and mental health, and doing so in a way where there is more democratic control, not less.

5. Protest

Do you support the government’s Public Order Bill?

No. The right to protest must be upheld. The bill risks creating a “hostile environment” for people exercising a fundamental right. If this is not opposed now, I forsee more creeping restrictions being imposed. I pledge to work to overturn the restrictions this Bill puts on legitimate protest.

6. PR

Are you in favour of or against changing the UK electoral system to introduce proportional representation?

I’ve always thought that electoral reform was needed to boost democracy and energise the electorate, ensuring diversity in the political discourse. PR offers better chance of representation to smaller parties and groups. However a big concern of mine is that PR can potentially provide a route for extremists to force their way into the political mainstream.

7. Public ownership

Are you in favour of or against public ownership of any of the utilities, the railways or the post office?

In favour.  Since the 1980s when Thatcher introduced the ideology of privatizing most of our national services, we have seen over the years a reduction in quality and cost effectiveness. Rail fares have increased but customer experience is poor. Our water bills have increased, but the companies do nothing to combat the vast waste via leaks, not to mention polluting our beaches with raw sewages. Public ownership is both popular with the electorate and will drive up standards and reduce cost. 

8. Schools

The government wants all schools to become academies by 2030 – what do you think about this?

I am concerned about this. This trend has fragmented the English school system, weakened and undermined democratically accountable local authorities and its ability to influence the direction of school for the benefit of parents and children. It has boosted the power of private actors and I feel shifted from a child centred approach to one of profits. 

9. Social care

Is it right that some care home providers put profit before quality of care and what can be done about this?

No it is not right. It is clear that some social care providers are increasing their profits margins by not investing in vital things like staff or buildings. There is a need for regulatory bodies like the CQC to be given greater powers to force providers to spend money where it’s needed. In-Sourcing this service can also remedy the culture of profit before quality. I am proud to have played a leading role in Southwark in making sure quality is at the heart of our social care, and key to that has been making sure that care workers are paid properly and have good working conditions. That has been central to my work on taking Southwark’s Ethical Care Charter forward and developing the Residential Care charter to do the same in our residential care homes and nursing homes.

10. Trade Union rights

Do you think Labour MPs supporting balloted industrial action should be allowed, encouraged or prohibited by the Party?

We must never forget that the trade unions gave birth to the Labour Party and that our party should always be the voice of our unions. Labour MPs should be given the freedom to decide whether to support balloted industrial action. Strikes are a last cause of action when negotiations and other efforts have failed. It’s an important right that must be upheld and MPs should be allowed to offer support. 

11. Trans rights

LGBTQ+ members in the Labour Party, particularly trans members, feel increasingly unwelcome in Labour Party spaces. Given the large LGBTQ+ population in Camberwell and Peckham, can they count on your support to be an LGBTQ+ ally?

Yes.

 

PETER BABUDU

1. Energy

What can the government do to reduce energy costs for households and businesses, whilst ensuring a reliable and environmentally responsible supply?  

Firstly, back an expanded windfall tax on oil and gas companies. Secondly, create a publicly-owned clean generation company to harness the power of Britain’s sun, wind, and waves, cutting energy bills and delivering energy independence. Thirdly, launch a national programme to insulate all of our social housing and public buildings.

2. European Union

Was Brexit good or bad for the UK?

Bad. I see a better relationship with the EU as fundamental to the UK’s long-term prosperity, key to tackling inflation, low productivity and global challenges like tax avoidance, climate change and protecting workers’ rights. I will fight for the UK to negotiate the closest possible relationship with the EU. 

3. Immigration

What is the difference between Labour Party policy on immigration and Conservative Party policy?

Tories have presided over “hostile environment” policies behind the Windrush scandal and Rwanda deportations. Labour rightly opposes the hostile environment and has taken a different stance by calling for a new unit in the National Crime Agency dedicated to working with forces across Europe to break organised criminal gangs. 

4. NHS

To what extent is the NHS already privatised? Should there be more privatisation or less and how can this be achieved?

The NHS should always be a public health provider. Public services like the NHS should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders.  We can protect our NHS from being further privatised by ensuring that outsourced services provided from cleaners to porters are kept in-house.

5. Protest

Do you support the government’s Public Order Bill?

No. The criminalisation of the right to protest is unacceptable. New crimes include “locking on,” serious disruption prevention orders and the alarming and draconian expansion of police stop and search powers are all a step back for UK democracy and should be repealed.

6. PR

Are you in favour of or against changing the UK electoral system to introduce proportional representation?

I support introducing proportional representation, although the precise model will need to be developed through extensive consultation including a citizens’ jury. First past the post has helped the Tories dominate 20th century politics in spite of a national progressive majority. We must ensure this doesn’t happen in the 21st century.

7. Public ownership

Are you in favour of or against public ownership of any of the utilities, the railways or the post office?

In favour, where there is a natural monopoly and privatisation has been shown to be harmful. From water to railways to the post office, there are several areas of the UK economy where privatisation has been shown to lead to higher prices, lower investment, worse treatment of workers and customers.

8. Schools

The government wants all schools to become academies by 2030 – what do you think about this?

I do not support this. I think forced academisation should stop and there should be clear provisions for local authorities to take back control of failing academies, including academies that are proven to be offrolling or disproportionately excluding certain students.

9. Social care

Is it right that some care home providers put profit before quality of care and what can be done about this?

No, quality of care should always be prioritised. We need a National Care Service to put social care on a genuinely equal footing to health care in this country.

10. Trade Union rights

Do you think Labour MPs supporting balloted industrial action should be allowed, encouraged or prohibited by the Party?

I support without reservation the right to strike. The Labour Party was formed out the trade union movement that gives working people their own political voice. I therefore support Labour MPs standing as allies with workers through industrial action.  

11. Trans rights

LGBTQ+ members in the Labour Party, particularly trans members, feel increasingly unwelcome in Labour Party spaces. Given the large LGBTQ+ population in Camberwell and Peckham, can they count on your support to be an LGBTQ+ ally? 

Yes. I’m delighted the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre has found a permanent home in Southwark this year, secured for the next five years. LGBTQ+ people deserve to live lives free from discrimination and to be welcome in the Labour Party and in our community.

 

MIATTA FAHNBULLEH

1. Energy

What can the government do to reduce energy costs for households and businesses, whilst ensuring a reliable and environmentally responsible supply?  

The government should: 

• freeze energy bills for 6 months and introduce a system of free basic energy for every household; 
• launch a Great Homes Upgrade to insulate our homes and reduce the energy we use; and 
• create national and regional co-operative energy providers to flood the system with cheaper clean energy and bring the energy market back into public ownership and control. 

2. European Union

Was Brexit good or bad for the UK?

The evidence suggests that Brexit has been bad. It has hit our economy at the worst possible time and made it harder to address the genuine concerns that many leave voters had about an economy that simply does not work for them. Brexit was never the answer to this problem. I am proud to be nominated by Labour Movement for Europe and I will continue to campaign for closer co-operation and alignment With Europe. 

3. Immigration

What is the difference between Labour Party policy on immigration and Conservative Party policy?

I came here as a refugee, and I have been horrified by the cruel and hostile environment that the Tories have created for immigrants. The Rwanda policy and the horrific conditions at Manston exemplify a system that is fundamentally broken. We need a completely different approach. Labour has a chance to set out an alternative based on our values of compassion and solidarity – and I for one will be championing the rights of refugees and migrants. 

4. NHS

To what extent is the NHS already privatised? Should there be more privatisation or less and how can this be achieved?

About 7% of the health budget is spent on services delivered by the private sector. Healthcare free at the point of need is a core public service – and we need to put the public back into it and reverse this creeping privatisation. To do this, we need more funding and investment for the NHS to reflect rising demand and better pay and conditions for NHS staff that have been asked to do an impossible job with less pay. 

5. Protest

Do you support the government’s Public Order Bill?

No – absolutely not. The right to protest is sacrosanct and a vital part of a functioning democracy. This Bill undermines that and is wrong. 

6. PR

Are you in favour of or against changing the UK electoral system to introduce proportional representation?

I’m in favour of PR – the current system has created a huge democratic deficit that is leading to widespread political disaffection. In 19 of the last 20 general elections, a majority of people voted for parties to the left of the Tories and yet they have been in power 63% of this time. This has hampered progressive change in this country as advances made by Labour governments have gone backwards under Tories. 

7. Public ownership

Are you in favour of or against public ownership of any of the utilities, the railways or the post office?

In favour – energy, water, transport, telecoms and our post services are core public infrastructure that we cannot function without. They are foundational to people’s every day lives and should be owned by us and work in our interest. The current privatised model of a handful of monopolies operating in these broken markets simply does not work and has resulted in a raw deal for consumers and workers. 

8. Schools

The government wants all schools to become academies by 2030 – what do you think about this?

Over the last decade the pressure on schools and restrictions on the local authority has resulted in a situation where every secondary school in Camberwell & Peckham is an academy, free school or faith school, with limited accountability to parents or the local community. This has stretched limited resources and fragmented provision. Schools are now chronically underfunded and increasingly struggling to provide the rounded education, extra-curricular activities and additional support our children deserve. This has to change. 

9. Social care

Is it right that some care home providers put profit before quality of care and what can be done about this?

No. Our social care system is at breaking point and needs fundamental reform. Everyone needs good quality care at some point in their life and its should be a core public service, like the NHS, that is provided free at the point of use. We need a universal care system funded though taxation, with local authority oversight, co-operative providers and wages for carers that reflect the vital work they do. 

10. Trade Union rights

Do you think Labour MPs supporting balloted industrial action should be allowed, encouraged or prohibited by the Party?

I am proud to be nominated by Community, CWU, TSSA and USDAW, and endorsed by Mick Lynch and the RMT. I will always support and stand in solidarity with trade unions and workers in their fight for better pay, conditions and the right to strike to win these. 

11. Trans rights

LGBTQ+ members in the Labour Party, particularly trans members, feel increasingly unwelcome in Labour Party spaces. Given the large LGBTQ+ population in Camberwell and Peckham, can they count on your support to be an LGBTQ+ ally?

Yes – I am an ally. I’m a minority and so I understand the prejudice and abuse faced by LGBTQ+ communities. I will always stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ members and call out discrimination when I see it.

 

JOHNSON SITU

1. Energy

What can the government do to reduce energy costs for households and businesses, whilst ensuring a reliable and environmentally responsible supply?  

The cost-of-living crisis means the immediate priority must be lowering the cap on bills further this winter, funded by further windfall taxes – designed to stop companies like Shell getting away with paying no taxes. But without long term steps, we’ll lurch from crisis to crisis. We need democratic public ownership of utilities,  unprecedented investment in green energy, and a national energy efficiency programme to retrofit homes.

2. European Union

Was Brexit good or bad for the UK?

Brexit was, and continues to be, bad for the UK – bad for our economy, workplace rights, human rights, and global cooperation. As your MP I’ll stand up to the Tory bonfire of the workplace and human rights that were protected by the EU, and I’ll stand up to the xenophobia that makes European residents in Camberwell and Peckham feel unwelcome. The UK is stronger when we work with others.

3. Immigration

What is the difference between Labour Party policy on immigration and Conservative Party policy?

Our Labour values mean we are proud to count migrants as our friends, neighbours, colleagues. I am proud to be a child of immigrants, and migrant communities are one of the things that make Camberwell and Peckham special. It’s why the endorsement from Migrants 4 Labour meant so much to me, and why I’ll always stand up for migrants and against Tory hostile immigration policy. I’m also committing to campaign for residency based voting rights.

4. NHS

To what extent is the NHS already privatised? Should there be more privatisation or less and how can this be achieved?

The fact that nurses, porters, cleaners and other NHS staff are balloting to strike says everything you need to know: our health service is underfunded and overwhelmed. Privatisation is playing a role in accelerating that trend – staff working for outsourced companies have even lower pay and worse T&Cs. Our NHS is not for sale and the creeping privatisation must be reversed.

5. Protest

Do you support the government’s Public Order Bill?

No. We must stand up for our right to protest. Protest is the cornerstone of our democracy and this Bill puts dangerous limits on our rights.

6. PR

Are you in favour of or against changing the UK electoral system to introduce proportional representation?

It’s clear our electoral system isn’t fit for purpose. I’m in favour of introducing a more proportional system as well as reforming other anachronisms like the House of Lords and changing the rules so that migrants who live and make their home here have the right to vote, and lowering the voting age to 16.

7. Public ownership

Are you in favour of or against public ownership of any of the utilities, the railways or the post office?

I believe in public ownership of energy, water, railways, buses, post, telecoms, health, care, education and early years. It’s wrong that bosses and shareholders are making profits while many staff earn poverty wages and ordinary people face bills they can’t afford and a winter without their heating on. I will campaign for nationalisation so profits are reinvested into services rather than lining shareholders’ pockets, starting with the railways.

8. Schools

The government wants all schools to become academies by 2030 – what do you think about this?

I saw firsthand as a Councillor how academisation is damaging the education system – it’s more fragmented, teachers and support staff are at risk of lower pay and poorer T&Cs, communities have less of a say and it can often mean poorer outcomes for pupils (most notably young black boys). I oppose plans for all schools to be academies and will campaign with staff, parents and unions for proper funding so young people in Camberwell and Peckham get the best possible education, and so staff earn a good wage.

9. Social care

Is it right that some care home providers put profit before quality of care and what can be done about this?

There is no place for private profits in care homes or any other part of the care system. Care homes should be publicly owned and properly funded, and care workers visiting people in their own homes should be paid a decent wage including travel time.

10. Trade Union rights

Do you think Labour MPs supporting balloted industrial action should be allowed, encouraged or prohibited by the Party?

I’m proud my campaign is backed by the UK’s biggest trade union, UNISON, who are currently balloting all NHS members for one of the biggest strikes in UK industrial history. I’ve visited members to encourage them to vote, and listened to what they are looking for from their local MP: they want solidarity, but above all they want a representative in Parliament fighting Tory attacks on trade union rights and fighting for decent pay. I’ll be that MP.

11. Trans rights

LGBTQ+ members in the Labour Party, particularly trans members, feel increasingly unwelcome in Labour Party spaces. Given the large LGBTQ+ population in Camberwell and Peckham, can they count on your support to be an LGBTQ+ ally?

Yes, absolutely and everyday.