Formula E - Speech to Full Council, 9 December 2015

For those who are interested in the speech I made during the debate on Formula E at the recent meeting of Wandsworth Borough Council here it is in full:

I hope Cllr Cousins and Cllr Jones are listening as they sometimes miss what I say… 

If so I’m pleased because at the meeting last month when we agreed that Formula E should return to Battersea Park we listened gratefully to Cllr Cousins as he praised the Council for its imagination and creativity in attracting events such as Formula E to the Borough, but also to the objections of the petitioners he represented. 

We listened carefully to the five deputations as they articulated their concerns. 

We listened to Professor Ekins agree with me that Formula E was about reducing future carbon emissions and couldn’t be carbon neutral itself.  We listened as he expressed support for Formula E, but not if it took place in his local park. 

We listened sympathetically to park users, including the old, infirm, vulnerable or blind, as they explained how disruption to the park affects their lives. 

We listened to Officers and Enable explain under questioning from both sides how disruption can be limited and difficulties can be mitigated. 

We listened as Officers set out the financial implications to the Borough of not continuing the event. 

We listened to the list of benefits the Park could enjoy with £200,000 a year of Formula E funding. 

We listened to Labour councillors explain their change of heart. 

We listened to protesters heckling. 

And finally we listened to people telling us we weren’t listening! 

But let’s be clear: Listening to something is not the same as agreeing with it.  But we did agree on so many things: 

We agreed that damage to the Park should be avoided or repaired quickly when unavoidable.  We agreed that closure of the Park should be minimised over the set up and clear up stages; that signage needs to be better; that health and safety is a priority; that noise should be reduced; and that helicopters shouldn’t be hovering around the neighbourhood on race weekend.

We also agreed that regrettably for some, hosting the event simply would never be acceptable. 

It is all a far cry from the decision over a year ago when Labour and Conservative councillors agreed to host Formula E.  Or is it?  What has changed? 

We all knew some local residents didn’t want it to take place.  They still don’t. 

We all knew that there may be problems with hosting the event.  There were problems and they need to be dealt with. 

We all knew the potential revenue for the Borough and the Park.  This has been realised and is set to continue. 

We all hoped that this would be a popular event, with an excellent atmosphere.  And so it proved with nearly 60,000 spectators, thousands from within the Borough. 

When the decision was made in 2014, right up to aftermath of the races, Labour Councillors tweeted enthusiastically about the event: 

Cllr Anderson said it was a great opportunity. 

Cllr Jones welcomed the advance of green technology. 

Cllr Carpenter encouraged locals to enter ballots for tickets. 

And Cllr McKinney celebrated the victory of a racer from Roehampton. 

At the meeting last month Cllr Speck spoke movingly about the residents she had spoken to who enjoyed it, who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to attend a world class sporting event on their doorstep at such a low price.  She spoke of the fact that these people can’t organise into an effective lobby and their voices aren’t easily heard. 

Only one thing has changed since we agreed Formula E.  A significant protest has been mounted by angry residents and Councillors have faced a powerful campaign of very articulate objections. 

Conservative Councillors have withstood this barrage, whilst Labour has neatly stepped to one side. 

Was it cowardice or calculation? 

Labour Councillors described the report into Formula E as “Damning”.  However one of the deputations described it as “Biased”.  My view is that the report was thorough.  It covered every expressed objection, it quantified the problems and it offered solutions.  It cannot reasonably form the basis of Labour’s change of heart. 

Labour Councillors have also failed to address the consequences of a decision to pull out.  We all had the gold papers with the financial implications of not going ahead.  We all know that the Borough needs to make savings.  Labour Councillors didn’t even consider this.  They offered no suggestions how the Council can meet this shortfall.  They made no suggestions of where they would make the savings necessary without this revenue.  They didn’t seem to grasp that this wasn’t a revenue neutral decision. 

I’m sorry to make that partisan point.  This was not a partisan matter until Labour withdrew its support.  It would have been great if the positive manner in which the original decision was made had continued.  We would welcome Labour’s suggestions on addressing resident’s concerns.  The party of the community could have made suggestions such as arranging volunteers to take vulnerable people to one of our other parks on the days Battersea is closed.  Organising dog walkers to band together and find alternative routes.  Or offering to guide people to the parts of the Park that remain open, such as the blind gentleman who spoke to us. 

Formula E could be a great community event but Labour has chosen not to be involved.  Instead they are telling residents in other parts of the Borough that they wish to cut services important to them in order to subsidise Battersea Park and keep it clear for the lucky few who live nearby. 

I find that a terrible shame.

Update: Now available on YouTube here.

Formula E - Things we learnt about Wandsworth Labour

The meeting of the Community Services OSC last night was the most challenging I have attended since becoming a councillor.  A great many residents of Wandsworth were quite reasonably upset about continuing to stage an event that will affect their enjoyment of one of our great parks.  I think most of the meeting was very constructive and all concerns were stated and discussed.   The OSC was asked whether to exercise the break clause in the contract with Formula E and when it came to the vote the committee was split down party lines.  This is despite unanimous support for the original contract and I think highlights some major problems with the Labour Group in Wandsworth.

Weak

We knew when we agreed to the original contract that there would be opposition from residents but all councillors supported it because of the overall benefits it gives to Wandsworth.  At the first sign of a placard being waved in their faces the Labour Group got scared.  None of the arguments changed which is why the Conservative Group held firm.

Fickle

If you think you know what Wandsworth Labour think about something think again.  They are likely to change their mind with the wind.

Opportunist

Rather than stick with their original decision and work with the Conservative Group to mitigate and minimise problems with staging of Formula E they saw an opportunity to direct criticism towards Conservatives.  They will not accept responsibility for tough decisions and would rather play to the gallery.

Rudderless

They don't appear to have any direction or idea about where they would take Wandsworth.  The leadership of the Labour Group seems only to react to events and I can only assume the attendance of their leader at a committee where he isn't a member was to ensure that his colleagues voted according to his whim.

Financially Illiterate

When the contract was first agreed members of the Labour Group were practically salivating at the prospect of additional Council income to spend.  Told last night what the loss of this income meant in terms of loss of services for Wandsworth residents and the loss of £200k a year for Battersea Park they were unmoved.  They haven't thought of what savings they would make in the light of losing this income.  Neither have they come up with any ideas to replace the income stream.  The Council have been very creative in managing efficient services and balancing the budget but it is no thanks to the Labour Group.

Commercially Clueless

The break clause was there for a reason and the Council would have exercised it if it had reason to.  The clause gave both parties the opportunity to walk away if the arrangement simply didn't work.  Formula E have no plans to exercise the clause and despite the protests and reasonable concerns, all of which were anticipated when we agreed the contract, Wandsworth Council has no reason to exercise it either.  The Labour Group would place Wandsworth Council in a very bad position if their attitude to contracts held sway and they terminated at the first sign of trouble.  The Council must contract with commercial companies and it needs to have grown up approach to managing them.  Wandsworth Labour's attitude would deter many companies who require more sturdy partners to work with.

The ideal party of opposition

All of this confirms that Labour cannot be taken seriously as an alternative to the Conservatives in Wandsworth.  When they can show some leadership, creativity, conviction and common sense on important issues like Formula E then maybe residents might trust them but until then it is only the Conservatives who are providing this.

There are no doubt many residents who are understandably upset with the decision we made last night and some might wish to punish Conservatives for the action we have taken.  However, it is worth reflecting on the points above before considering the alternative.