Launch of Havering & Redbridge Campaign

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Apr 2008

Havering & Redbridge Liberal Democrats launched the London Mayor and London Assembly election campaign.

On Tuesday, 1st April 2008 Havering & Redbridge Liberal Democrats launched the London Mayor and London Assembly election campaign.

The launch was attended by Baroness Ros Scott of Needham Market and Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrats Leader at London Assembly. Mr Denys Robinson, Chair of London Region Policy Committee of Liberal Democrats also attended the launch along with Havering & Redbridge Liberal Democrats Councillors, Members and many local community leaders including Mr Bashir Chaudhry MBE, Chairman of British League of Muslims and Liberal Democrats Muslim Forum Executive Nasser Butt.

Mr Mike Tuffrey briefed the meeting on the work done by five Liberal Democrat Members at the Assembly for last four years most prominently one of them chairing the Metropolitan Police Authority for efficient and effective policing of London. He urged the gathering to vote for Liberal Democrat Mayor Brian Paddick and Farrukh Islam the local candidate for Assembly.

Mr Denys Robinson said that last six months local by-elections in London show that the support for Liberal Democrats has increased gaining 40% of total polled votes where as Conservatives had 32% and Labour trailing at 28%. This shows that London is going to be governed by Liberal Democrats after this election.

Baroness Scott asked the members and community leaders to work hard in their local areas by delivering Focuses to get Brain Paddick and Farrukh Islam elected on 1 May. Baroness Scott said "Farrukh is an absolute dynamo with a long track record of community and charity activism, and his range was reflected in the audience which covered the whole spectrum of the constituency".

Launching the campaign Havering & Redbridge Constituency Liberal Democrats candidate Farrukh Islam said that the Labour and Conservatives are not doing enough for London which is a multicultural and multiethnic city. He reminded everyone that the Londoners have not forgotten the illegal Iraq war supported by the Labour and Conservatives which has cost the country about £6.5 billons and high loss of human life including more than two hundreds of our soldiers. This money would have been better used on provision of hospitals, schools, social care and housing to meet the needs of Londoners.

Farrukh Islam attacked the dictatorial style of current Mayor Livingstone by comparing him to President Mughabe of Zimbabwe as Mr Livingstone also does not listen to common people and acts on his own whims. Farrukh Islam has said that the Mayor has ignored outer London boroughs such as Havering & Redbridge for the last eight years.

On Tory candidate Boris Johnson, Farrukh Islam said that nobody takes him seriously, he is an outsider, and electing him as Mayor would be a disaster for London.

Farrukh Islam warned voter to be careful of some groups such as British National Party who have a racist agenda and are out to destroy the harmony of multicultural and multiethnic London.

He urged members and community leaders to work hard to get Brain Paddick elected as Mayor and to elect more Liberal Democrats Assembly members to receive quality of service that Londoners deserve.

The function was conducted by Councillor Richard Hoskins who thanked everyone for attending.