TOM COPLEY

LABOUR LONDON ASSEMBLY MEMBER

ANNUAL REPORT 2012 - 13

Making the private rented sector a decent place to live
More than a quarter of Londoners now rent from private landlord, up from around 15 per cent in 2001. Despite the huge growth in the size of the sector, the rules governing it are rooted in the late 1980s. With private rents rising year on year at well above inflation, its time that action was taken to create a stable private rented sector that works for tenants. It is over a year since I was elected as a city-wide member of the London Assembly. I am sending you this annual report to keep you informed about the work I have been doing. My main focus has been on housing. Londons housing crisis is the biggest issue facing our city, and despite warm words the mayor has failed to take the necessary action to deal with the problem. I was delighted to be elected City Hall Labours housing spokesperson in May this year and am currently Deputy Chair of the Assemblys Housing Committee. Other issues I have focussed on include LGBT equality, pub protection and arts & culture. In July I launched a report into the challenges facing small theatres in London on behalf of the Assemblys Economy Committee following a six month investigation. Tom Copley AM Labour London Assembly Member

Challenging the Mayor to support greater regulation of private landlords at Mayors Question Time

Ive repeatedly challenged the mayor to lobby the government for the powers to introduce rent regulation to slow down soaring rents. He has refused throwing tenants to the mercy of a flawed market. I have also called for the introduction of longer tenancies to give more stability to both tenants and landlords, and an end to a landlords right to evict tenants for no reason. Twenty per cent of the growth in Londons private rented sector has been families with children. It is appalling that they can be evicted at two months notice for no reason, causing huge disruption for them and their children. The first report of the Assemblys Housing Committee published since the election called for all these measures to be introduced. The Assemblys Tory Group, however, rejected all of these reasonable proposals out of hand and produced their own minority report. facebook.com/copleyt @tomcopley gplus.to/tomcopley youtube.com/copleyt

About me
I was elected to the London Assembly as a city-wide list member in May 2012. Prior to my election I worked for the Searchlight Educational Trust - an anti-fascist, anti-racist charity which works with communities to fight racism and hatred. I am a patron of LGBT Labour and an elected trustee of the British Humanist Association. I live in Kentish Town and am an active member of Holborn & St Pancras CLP. Keep up with my work at City Hall on my website at

tomcopley.com

Centre Stage: an action plan for Londons small theatres

This year I led an investigation on behalf of the Assemblys Economy Committee into the challenges facing small theatres in London. This six month investigation culminated in a report, Centre Stage, which contains an action plan to help Londons smaller venues deal with these challenges. Londons 105 small theatres play a vital role in Londons cultural life and its economy. A third of the theatres that responded to our survey said that they felt insecure about their financial futures and half were worried about the threat of redevelopment. Three quarters needed significant upgrade or repair work, yet 93% had yet to raise the money to do this. Our report made a number of recommendations including: The Mayor should set up a philanthropic fund to raise money for upgrades and repairs to theatre buildings Expired advertising space at Underground stations
Hosting an event at City Hall with Mayor of Camden Cllr Jonathan Simpson and Mitch Winehouse to promote the Amy Winehouse Foundations Resilience Programme for schools

Visiting Theatre 503 in Battersea as part of my small theatres investigation

Launching the Centre Stage report on stage at the Finborough Theatre in Earls Court with John Plews, Chair of the Society of Independent Theatre, and Finborough Director Neil McPherson

should be used to advertise local small theatres The Mayor should offer rehearsal space at City Hall to groups looking for space to rehearse Small theatres should register as Assets of Community Value to gain extra protection against redevelopment You can find out more about the Centre Stage report at london.gov.uk/theatreplan

Backing Londons bid for the 2018 Gay Games

Time to end illegal blacklisting once and for all

In January my colleague John Biggs and I tabled a motion in the Assembly calling for an investigation into allegations of blacklisting on the Crossrail project. Blacklisting is an illegal practise that ruins the lives of workers and their families. It also puts workers at risk by making them afraid to come forward with health and safety concerns for fear of being blacklisted. Unfortunately Boris Johnson has so far dismissed calls for an investigation, despite evidence given to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee by a former operator of a blacklist that he had discussions regarding Crossrail.

Rough sleeping: challenging the Mayors broken promises

In 2008 Boris Johnson made a bold pledge to end rough sleeping in London by the end of 2012. He repeated this pledge during the election campaign in May last year just six months before his self-impose deadline. The Mayor not only failed to meet his pledge, in fact the number of people sleeping rough on Londons streets has risen every year since he was first elected in 2008. There are now 6,500 people sleeping rough on Londons streets every year. I have challenged the Mayor repeatedly about his failure to meet his pledge and reduce the number of people sleeping rough on Londons streets. Despite repeated questions from me, Boris Johnson has refused to say when he was informed that he would not meet his pledge to end rough sleeping. By failing to provide a clear answer to these questions, the Mayor has given credence to the view that he was aware he would not achieve his pledge even when he told Londoners he would during the 2012 election. I have now written to him asking him to provide a clear answer.

Meeting local business people in North Finchley as part of the Economy Committees investigation into high streets

Campaigning in Golders Green

In other news...
Heres a quick look at some of the other things Ive been working on this past year: Hosting a reception at City Hall in July with the Mayor of Camden, Cllr Jonathan Simpson, to raise awareness of the Amy Winehouse Foundations Resilience Programme for schools. The Resilience Programme has been set up to educate young people about the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse. Backing the bid for London to host the 2018 Gay Games. Campaigning for Labour across London and speaking at dozens of CLP and branch meetings. Challenging the Mayor over City Hall plummeting to 278th place in the Stonewall Equality Index. Under Ken Livingstones mayoralty City Hall was ranked in second place. Exposing the failure of the Mayors programme to bring empty homes back into use.

Being interviewed about the Mayors empty homes programme on BBC London News

Seconding a motion calling for an investigation into alleged blacklisting on Crossrail

I will continue to push for a full investigation to ensure that no contractor on Crossrail or any other project is using illegal blacklists.

Visiting Battersea Cats and Dogs Home with Fiona Twycross AM

Protecting Londons pubs: welcoming CAMRA to City Hall

In March I hosted an event about pub protection at City Hall. The event brought together councillors, pub campaigners and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for a panel discussion and a showcase of selected real ales brewed across London. Due to high property values many are being sold off for flats and other uses. Supermarkets and betting shops are also exploiting planning loopholes to expand their London presence, putting even profitable pubs at risk. Good, well-run pubs are the heart and soul of so many town centres and communities across London, so it is vital that we protect them.

Enjoying some London-brewed ale at City Hall with CAMRA Chief Executive Mike Benner

London is also home to a growing number of small, independent breweries producing fantastic beers as well as boosting our citys economy.

Save our services!

Boris Johnson rejected a fully costed Labour amendment to his budget in February which would have stopped his proposed fire station closures in London. Labour proposed a freeze, rather than a cut, to council tax which would have generated the money necessary to prevent closures.

Mayor lets the poorest take the hit

Boris Johnson has refused to accept that the governments welfare cuts will drive the poorest Londoners out of their communities and even out of London itself, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary. Although he assured Londoners during his re-election campaign that he would oppose Kosovo-style social cleansing he has since refused to oppose the governments benefit caps, despite reports that a serious of London councils are planning to house families outside of London for the first time. The mayor also continues to repeat the lie that all people on benefits are unemployed. In fact, a large proportion of benefit recipients in London are in work and do low paid jobs that this city relies upon to continue functioning.

Have your say at City Hall

I want to hear from you about the issues you think I should be raising with the Mayor at City Hall. You can suggest a question for me to put to the Mayor by filling out the form on my website at tomcopley.com/questions Do you have a petition that youd like me to present to the Assembly? If so please visit tomcopley.com/petitions Finally, if youd like a tour of City Hall please email me using the contact details on the right.

Contact me
Write to me: Email: Telephone: Website: Social media: facebook.com/copleyt @tomcopley flickr.com/tomcopley gplus.to/tomcopley youtube.com/copleyt Tom Copley AM City Hall The Queens Walk London SE1 2AA tom.copley@london.gov.uk 020 7983 5545 tomcopley.com