Read on Twitter
1/ Barnstorming speech by Clyde Loakes @Labourstone at #HealthyStreets2018 - ‘I have been a councillor for a long time, since I was 27…I’ve spent more time dabbling in bins than anyone should and I have the scars from looking into car parking schemes.’
2/ ‘I spent years talking about encouraging a shift to bikes and walking without actually doing the things that make a difference. If I am honest - I was tinkering with parking schemes and pandering to car owners. I was not delivering for our community.’
3/ ‘Then I got a chance to do something extraordinary. We won our Better Waltham Forest mini-Holland bid with low traffic neighbourhoods and protected bike lanes . We had signed up to deliver a huge public health implementation at pace.’
4/ ‘Suprisingly our plans for a human centric, better community provoked rage, protest and the use of four-letter anglo saxon words from a 500-strong group. Removing £100 million from our social services budget, nothing, but if you talk about parking….’
5/ ‘…suddenly a small minority of residents were following me around with a coffin. Vociferous, loud and determined opposition’
6/ ‘But a ground-up movement of residents and fellow councillors championed a progressive intervention for our streets, making them better for everyone. We went house to house and made the case.’
7/ ‘In the local elections in May this year and worried by what was being said on social media, the local press, in public meetings and on protests - I drafted my resignation letter.’
8/ ‘But guess what… I got the largest majority I have ever had. Every Labour councillor that had backed the scheme showed a significant increase in votes. It was amazing. So it was popular once build… but was it impactful? ‘
9/ ‘We commissioned Kings College to see the what the health impact of the scheme was. Again if you believed the local press - no one was now walking or cycling as a result of our work. Again... I prepared by resignation letter.’
10/ ‘The impact of what we have done is enormous and its impacted public health measurably. DfT data shows that not only did the borough have the largest increase in walking last year, the increase is so large that life expectancy has been extended for residents.
11/ ‘For too long we, in fact I, as a councillor had been focused on maintaining a status quo that did nothing for anyone. But now we have done something extraordinary, a radical intervention that puts people first.’ Wow! Seriously inspiring stuff @LabourStone @WFLabourParty
