John Austin
to retireJohn Austin, Labour MP for Erith & Thamesmead, has informed his local constituency Labour
Party that he will stand down at the next General
Election.
The announcement was made at a meeting of the General Council of the Erith &
Thamesmead Constituency Labour Party held at
Abbey Wood Community Centre.
Jokingly, the MP, who has just celebrated his
64th birthday, had asked the meeting ‘Will you still
need me when I’m sixty four’.
The answer from a
stunned Party was “Yes” and tributes were paid by
many members.
John Austin who had been reselected unanimously by the Party’s Wards, sections and affiliated organisations after
the last
G e n e r a l
E l e c t i o n
told his
Party that
his decision
was for
purely personal reasons and
said:
“It is unlikely that
there will be
a General
Election before late
next year or 2010; in either case I will then be over
65, and 70 by the end of the next Parliament.
At
present I feel fit and well and I had thought of delaying a decision until I reach 65, but that would
have been unfair on the Party and risk the possibility of being so close to an election that there
might not be time for a full selection process if I
chose to stand down then.
Erith & Thamesmead
is one of the most challenging constituencies with
one of the highest levels of casework and whilst I
feel fit, active and enthusiastic now, I am not sure
that I will want to be working a 7 day, 70 hour
week when I am 70.
“Of course there will be some regrets but it has
been a great privilege to represent the area and I
am grateful for the good comradeship and support
I have received over the past 16 years as MP.
I will
not be slowing down during my remaining period
as MP.
It will be business as usual.
“The Party now has the chance to select a new
candidate who could be in post by the end of the
year and I will work and campaign with him or
her to ensure a Labour victory at the next election.
”
Austin a good public servant
Commenting on the announcement that
Thamesmead MP John Austin is to stand down,
Old Bexley & Sidcup MP Derek Conway said,
“Although John and I are from different political
perspectives, as an individual he has been a very
good MP, a hard-working parliamentarian and it
has been a pleasure to work with him in representing the Borough of Bexley.
”
Mr.
Conway was Vice-Chairman of the InterParliamentary Union during Mr.
Austin’s chairmanship and the two MPs from different parties
became friends.
When Mr.
Conway initiated a debate in the
Commons on the future of Queen Mary’s Hospital Mr.
Austin attended the Chamber and spoke
in support of his colleague and Borough neighbour.
Mr.
Conway added, “I wish John and Sylvia a
long and healthy retirement.
He has been a public servant for a very long time and the residents of
the Borough should be grateful for his tireless endeavours on their behalf.
”
Chronicle 40p
Where
SoldT h e Vo i c e o f T h a m e s m e a d
Thamesmead & Erith
Your Local! NEWS • MOVIES • THEATRE • MOTORING • LIFESTYLE
26 Movies20 Motoring16 Competition
SEPTEMBERwww.
bexleychronicle.
com
THE FRONT PAGENewsagents and Much More.
.
.
.
.
.
Newspapers Magazines,
Stationery, Confectionary,
Tobacco, Travel Passes,
Photocopy Fax Services
Full Post Office
Service Available
Unit 2 Joyce Dawson Way, Thamesmead Town Centre
Tel/Fax 020 8310 7119
September 2008
NHS & Private Dental Care
Vijay Vithani Dental Practice
12 Joyce Dawson Way Thamesmead Town SE28
Ring for details: 020 8311 9400
LATE NIGHT AND SATURDAY APPOINTMENTS ALSO AVAILABLE
GET READY FOR A REAL
SUMMER SMILE.
.
.
ASK US
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL OFFER ON
TEETH WHITENING
All empty offices
must pay rates!
Property consultant Peter Simons who owns
Prospect House and Tudor Cottages in Foots
Cray is furious with the government for
changing the law so that all empty offices must
now pay National Non-Domestic rates with
no exceptions.
He has written to Privy Councillor the
Rt.
Hon John Hutton who is the Secretary for
State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory
Reform asking him to explain how he is
supposed to finance the payment of rates when
there is at present no demand for small office
space.
Neither can he sell his property because
there is no market for such premises!
He is now questioning whether it is official
government policy to completely destroy small
businesses like his or have they not thought
through the consequences of their actions?
BLUE BADGE CHEATSTwo Greenwich residents have
been successfully prosecuted
for Blue Badge Fraud.
In two separate cases, a 31-year old man
from Plumstead and a 44-year-old woman
from Eltham both received fines for illegal use
of a Blue Badge.
Possessing a Blue Badge enables people with
disabilities who travel as drivers or passengers
to park in almost all parking spaces across the
borough for free.
In the first case, the 31-year old man from
Plumstead was seen on two separate occasions
to have displayed a Blue Badge in the windscreen of his vehicle enabling him to park
without charge at Woolwich Arsenal station
whilst he boarded a train to his job in London.
Enquiries by Greenwich Council’s awardwinning Corporate Anti Fraud Team identified
that the man was not the lawful owner of the
Blue Badge and that it actually belonged to a
disabled relative.
As a result, the Blue Badge was seized and
following an interview under caution regarding the offence, the man admitted to not having a disability and therefore having no legal
right to use the badge.
He also accepted that he
was evading parking charges by doing so.
He appeared at Woolwich Magistrates Court
on 4 August 2008 where he pleaded guilty to
both offences and received fines totalling £300
and an order to pay costs of £124.
On the very same day, the 44-year-old
woman from Eltham, Westhorne Avenue, SE9,
was fined a total of £100 and ordered to pay
costs of £100 following a guilty plea to a charge
of falsely displaying a Blue Badge whilst parked
in Bexleyheath.
The woman admitted that the badge belonged to a relative who had not been present
at the time it was displayed and that she herself
had no disability.
Residents have played a big part in helping
to detect fraud and can continue to help, by
contacting the ‘blow the whistle’ hotline on
0800 169 6975 or emailing fraud@greenwich.
gov.
uk.
Mead win friendlies
THAMESMEAD TOWN complete an unbeaten
run of pre-season friendlies.
Goals from Pedro Knight and new signing Nick
Smith ensured a solid win in a competitively
fought friendly against Blue Square South team,
Fisher Athletic.
Individual errors by Slade Green enabled Mead to
win 4-1 at Bayliss Avenue.
The friendly saw Mead lift the inaugural “Chopper Trophy.
” The trophy is in memory of Neil
“Chopper” Harris, who played for both Thamesmead and Slade Green, who sadly passed away
earlier this year.
Both clubs have agreed that the match will be
played each year at alternate grounds.
Mead met Ryman Premier League Margate and
held them to a 1-1 draw, thanks to a second half
goal from new forward, Peter Smith.
For more information, visit www.
thamesmeadtownfc.
co.
uk
Tandoori RestaurantFully Licensed and Air Conditioned
Open 7 Days a week for lunch & dinner
169-171 Station Road, Sidcup, Kent DA15 7AA
Reservations: 020 8300 0777 / 020 8300 2527
Top tribute and
cover artistes Sarah
Jayne and Andy
Crust
with tributes to
Patsy Cline and
Shania Twain, and
great songs
from Johnny Cash,
Dixie Chicks, John
Denver, The
Mavericks and more.
Bring your Stetsons
and cowboy boots
and join in with the
Line Dancing!
(Est 1978)
Free entertainment for diners
(Usual top quality menu)
Tuesday 7th October
Theme Show
WIN TICKETS
TO LEGOLAND!
[Menos]
