Live Q & A with Tooting MP, Sadiq Khan -

[LocalEditorWandsworth]

We are delighted that Tooting MP and Shadow Minister for London, Sadiq Khan, will be joining us live on Monday 6th October between 10.30 and 11.30 am to answer your questions.

Having lived in Tooting all his life and served as a local councillor for 12 years, Sadiq was elected MP for Tooting in 2005. His constituency encompasses not just Tooting but also Balham, Earlsfield, Furzedown and Wandsworth Common.

Sadiq is also the Shadow Justice Secretary and Shadow Minister for London.

He will be happy to answer your questions on all things Tooting related and has previously campaigned on many local issues including schools, one o'clock clubs, stations, hospitals, traffic, transport and the protection of local pubs.

Join us on Monday morning, or if you can't make it along post your questions here in advance.

Good point willemdefoeismine - it's nice to see Tooting getting write ups in the papers but when semis on Broadwater road are being advertised for over £1m the diversity that makes Tooting so individual will be impossible to maintain. Balham has already morphed into a second northcote road. Hope Tooting isn't next.

localparent As I have mentioned to tiredofwetsheets, improving facilities in our stations is a big priority to me and I was delighted after years of campaigning and lobbying, we secured an £8million refurbishment of the station back in 2007 (www.sadiqkhan.org.uk/sadiq_formally_opens_fantastic_new_facilities_at_earlsfield_station_after_8_year_campaign).

As someone who grew up on the Henry Prince Estate, just down the road from the station, this is one of my proudest achievements as the local MP.

I know that overcrowding on the station platforms, particularly on the morning commute, has become a real problem at Earlsfield and since first being elected in 2005 I have been in regular contact with the company responsible for Earlsfield Station (South West Trains) to address overcrowding at the station. At one of my regular meetings with Earlsfield Station Manager, we caught up on the plans to address the issue. More here www.sadiqkhan.org.uk/earlsfield_station_update.

I am pleased to report that the lengthening of platforms 2 and 3 is now complete. This means that Earlsfield Station began to receive 10 car trains in July rather than 8 cars. (Note this currently only affects a number of services). Whilst this will start to make a real difference to overcrowding at the station and vastly improve residents’ commutes, we need to see many more long-car services at peak times. Rail chiefs tell me this won’t be until 2017, as it is part of a much bigger project, as platforms need to be extended at Waterloo Station too.

In the meantime, I have received confirmation from South West Trains that they are now operating two extra services from Earlsfield to Waterloo in the mornings (07:29 and 09:40) and have also introduced a turn up and go policy to prevent delays and are in the process of reviewing staffing levels on the platform.

With the local population continuing to grow, (as is the rest of London’s), we do need a proper transport policy to address this.

LocalEditorWandsworth Of course, will do. Worth saying that Mumsnet, and other local forums, are invaluable in keeping the community updated on what is happening. Wandsworth Mumsnet played a huge role in the fight to save our one o'clock clubs, and The Wheatsheaf pub in Tooting Bec would not have been saved from a supermarket takeover, if it wasn't for a local forum!

Thanks everyone - that's our time up. We'll leave the thread up so Sadiq can answer any questions he didn't get time to do this morning if he wants, but please don't add any more questions for him here.

Many thanks for your time this morning SadiqKhan .

We are off to grab a much needed cup of tea!

Toots17 One of the biggest gripes raised with me by local residents is the poor state of our high streets – not just the rising numbers of betting shops, but pound shops and pawnbrokers too. Betting shops have a big impact on encouraging on-street drinking and can often become a centre for disorder and anti-social behaviour. There are also worries about children being able to access the betting shops and the impact their prevalence has on the image of the town centre. There is a strong feeling that the high density of betting shops (especially when added to pound shops and pay day lenders) can deter both customers and other reputable businesses from coming to Tooting.

The government need to realise that their approach to local planning isn't working, because it isn't local anymore. Nobody is taking ownership of what shops should and shouldn’t be allowed to open in Tooting. In my opinion, our local councillors should get more involved in deciding on the type of shop that opens up on our high streets. I know that local residents are frustrated that their local councillors appear weak because central government has taken away local authorities' ability to reject these planning applications. The government claim their approach to the planning process will make it easier for new businesses to open on the high street but this simply isn't true. Their changes aren't bringing good businesses to Tooting, all they have done is make it much easier for payday lenders, pound shops and betting shops to open on our high streets.

Over the last year I have launched a 'save our high streets' campaign in Tooting; to work with local businesses and residents to call for a change in planning laws, to hand the power back to local communities and away from central government. Only then will we begin to see our high streets thrive again – when our communities have the shops they want to use. It is time for the government to rethink this and admit they got it wrong. Even government supporting councils like Wandsworth are unhappy that the government has tied their hands in this way, with a local planning strategy which totally contradicts 'localism'. If the government really believes in its own policies it should scrap these ridiculous planning laws which give big betting companies the upper hand, and leave local communities powerless.
You can find out more about my campaign to ‘Save our High Streets’ and sign the petition www.sadiqkhan.org.uk/save_our_high_street.

mrsmum1 Throughout my nine years as the local MP, I have campaigned alongside the local community to make our roads safer. Together we have successfully fought for more road safety measures outside local schools, more pedestrian crossings on dangerous roads. I also want to see more 20mph roads in our area, and I am pleased to report that Wandsworth Council recently rubber stamped our campaign to bring 20mph zones to residential roads both in Furzedown and parts of Tooting Bec and Balham.

I was delighted when all of our hard work was recognised, with an award from the road safety charity Brake, earlier this year. This was brilliant news, and everyone involved in our road safety campaigns should be extremely proud. Find out more here
www.brake.org.uk/component/content/article/23-whats-happening/parliamentarian-awards/1200-sadiqkhanpom

But I agree Tooting Broadway is a dangerous junction, and more needs to be done to make it safe – for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

The roads in Wandsworth are managed by a combination of TfL and the council, and the two need to work together to improve Tooting Broadway. One of the measures they should be looking into is a diagonal crossing, like we have at Tooting Bec and Balham – so why not Tooting Broadway!? There is also an issue in relation to buses and HGV lorries turning at this junction, that is dangerous and problematic. I continue to raise this with TfL and the council.

I will continue to work with local councillors and residents to improve safety at Tooting Broadway, and across Tooting. If you have any ideas or concerns you would like me to raise, let me know by emailing [email protected].

Willemdefoeismine Toots17 As someone who has lived in South London all my life (a tad over 20yrs!!), I have seen many changes in our community, mostly for the good, although some have led to real problems and challenges.

When my father first moved to London from Pakistan in the 1960’s, London was a place of real opportunity. My dad had the opportunity to get a steady job and my family to get a warm and safe council home on the Henry Prince Estate in Earlsfield. By working and saving hard he was eventually able to put aside the money to buy his own home in Tooting. In turn, my brothers and sisters have been lucky enough to be able to buy our own family homes locally and send our own children to the same local state schools we studied in as children. To me, my family story sums up what London is all about; countless opportunities to make a better life for you and your family provided you work hard and get on. But when it comes to housing, I often wonder whether my family would have enjoyed the same opportunities if they moved to Wandsworth today rather than 40 years ago?

London’s housing crisis is complicated and some of the solutions are technical, but as the local MP every day I see the very real human cost; families who have to choose between eating and heating because their rent is too high; teenage boys and girls sharing a room because their parents can’t afford an extra bedroom; adults living with their parents into their thirties because they can’t afford to rent a flat of their own; and a generation who are giving up on the chance of ever owning their own home. If there is one problem the next Labour government must fix, it’s this.

As many of you will know – one of my other jobs is Shadow London Minister. Since I took on the job over a year ago I have fought tooth and nail for Labour to put housing front and centre of our campaign. Housing is one of the biggest concerns to local residents, and is the single biggest cause of inequality in our city.

So I'm really proud that we have the most radical housing offer of any party in a generation. If Labour wins the next election, some of the things we will do include - building a million homes in five years, with the majority in and around London. For renters, we will make all contracts three years long and cap rent rises over that period. We will also ban letting agencies from charging fees to tenants. For the first time ever renting in London will become affordable and stable. Families will no longer have to move further away from school every year because rents are rising by 10%. And we will double the number of first time buyers - giving kids the chance that my generation had of owning their own home if they worked and saved hard.

This is the biggest issue facing my generation of London politicians. I have no time for those who say the problems London faces are insurmountable or refuse to look at radical solutions because they are too difficult. I know from my four years in Government, nine years as Tooting’s MP and twelve years as a Wandsworth councillor that it is possible to fix any problem if you work in collaboration with all your partners. I have written and said a lot about this, if you want me to send you some links or you have any ideas, just drop me an email at [email protected].

dadaroo As a Member of Parliament I raise issues of national importance in Parliament, vote to make and amend the law to the benefit of my constituents and lobby the government. I also regularly hold advice surgeries in and around Tooting, and help with problems with work carried out by central government department, for example the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions. But as Tooting’s MP, and someone who was born and bred in the area, I do much more than what we are supposed to!! Having been a local councillor for 12 years I know how the council departments work, and know many of the officers and councillors, and this has been of huge benefit to me as the local MP.

If I can’t personally help, I will put people in touch with their local councillor or GLA member, or other local authorities and bodies who may be able to help. I also work with different elected representatives, of both main political parties, on a day to day basis, to help support our community. For example in the recent campaign to save The Romany scout site from redevelopment, I worked with the councillors from both main parties, council officers and local residents, to achieve a fantastic result which has seen the site sold back to the local community. Other examples of good teamwork have been campaigns around The Wheatsheaf, the Springfield overdevelopment and one o’clock clubs. This just goes to show what can be achieved when we work together.

So in answer to your question, if you send your concerns to me via email ([email protected]) and I will see how best I can help.

sw12 As I’ve well overrun on my hour on here, the only thing I’m thinking of running for is my next meeting!

But seriously, the Mayor of London is an incredible job and as the son of a bus driver, born and raised in London, to be even mentioned in connection with it is a real honour.

But my number one priority is to make sure we have a Labour MP elected in Tooting next year (me!) I don’t want to get too political – but I see every week at my advice surgeries how the Coalition government are causing untold damage to families and residents across Tooting - and only a Labour Government can fix that. One example is the government’s bedroom tax – which has affected hundreds of constituents. If Labour win the next election – one of the first things we’d do is scrap it. Another example is the impact of coalition policies on our NHS; waiting lists are increasing, it’s getting harder and harder to see a GP, care for the elderly is getting worse and the impact on St George’s is of growing concern.

I also want to take a minute to tell you about Labour’s plan for women and families. We will guarantee every working family with 3 and 4 year olds 25 hours of free childcare – that’s 10 extra hours a week, 38 weeks a year – And that’s on top of Tax-Free Childcare. Working long hours I know how hard it is for parents to juggle work and family life- so we will guarantee access to Breakfast and Afterschool clubs.

And when it comes to women in work - in our first year in office Labour will give every employer back 1/3rd of the cost of raising their staff’s pay to the living wage helping the quarter of working women now earning less than the living wage under this Government.

Another example - women-led small businesses contribute £70 billion to our economy - so we will back more women to start their own businesses by cutting business rates in 2015 and freeze them again in 2016 for small businesses rather than going ahead with the Government’s corporation tax cut for the largest firms.

That’s just a few ideas – but in answer to the question – my main focus is ensuring we have a Labour government to ensure the residents of Tooting get a better deal.

1 hour and 50 minutes on and all questions answered! I hope you found my responses to be helpful. I really enjoyed this Q&A – huge thanks to Mumsnet for hosting.

If you have any more questions, please do get in touch via [email protected]. You can also keep up to date with my work as the local MP by signing up for my weekly e-newsletter here www.sadiqkhan.org.uk/enews or you can follow me on Twitter @SadiqKhan.

Thanks everyone.

Best wishes,

Sadiq

Dear Sadiq,

Thank you for your efforts, your answers and your support for Tooting against Megacorp, The Pickler and other anti-heroes . . .

As far as I remember, in fact I am pretty sure, I completed the survey you mention.

What is wonderful is the diversity and potential uses of this much needed green space. Yes we have Tooting and Wandsworth Common and how wonderful they are. Residents in Earlsfield in particular, would I am sure welcome more diverse greenery, rather than speculative pickling of our once gone, never returned resources.

Are the proposed new buildings up to green standards, with access to roof gardens for all interested parties? How much of the development is underground where it will not interfere with parkland? Surely Wandsworth Council still has some power to block these get rich quick merchants?

I see no reason why some new buildings can not be built on part of the sports ground opposite Wandsworth common, end of Beechcroft Rd. It's environmental impact will be less. I believe compulsory purchase is still an option for the council? The field is rarely used and only part is required for sporting events, unless a new polo field is planned?

I appreciate the support of mental health facilities but feel this can be expanded in St George's and funding for community care, health through working in parkland and such. We also have the facility to expand mental healthcare into Wandsworth prison which also has grounds for regeneration.

It seems from what you are saying, residents don't want development, the CEO David Bradley wants development of hospital care without maddening the residents, the council wants the parkland. Everyone wants greenery.

The only big obstacle is the Pickler gang with his support of malevolent over development for profit not people. As far as I know the Springfield Park will do more for mental and physical health than other propositions. Can we go ahead with developing the parkland that is available? What organisations and efforts are in place?

Thanks for keeping us informed