We have just passed our council’s budget which protects our Council Tax Reduction Scheme, Free School Meals, council funded police officers and invests in council homes.

Despite cuts to our budget from the government we have protected local services people rely on and we still have one of the lowest council tax rates in London.

As the vaccine rollout takes place and the government’s roadmap gives us some hope for a return to normality we must however continue to do our bit to beat this wicked virus.

We will continue to call for our community to get the support from government it needs to recover.

The council has been there to support our community through the pandemic and we intend to build on that record and be at the heart of our borough’s recovery, particularly supporting those who have been affected most by the crisis and so I’ve just announced a local Covid recovery fund to ensure we bounce back strongly.