Andrew Dismore

Shadow Home  Secretary  Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP joined  Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly member and parliamentary candidate for Hendon on a visit to Pavilion Way to hear from local football leaders, Labour Group leader Alison Moore and  Labour Council candidates Roger Lyons, Pierre Jeanmaire and Ammar Naqvi about the threat to the  fields from Conservative Barnet Council. 

Mr Dismore said:

“it was wonderful of Yvette to join us in Pavilion Way. Our campaign demonstrates all that is wrong with this Conservative Council. Instead of adopting Labour’s plan to refurbish the badly needed fields for local kids to use and enjoy, they plan to sell off the land for a block of flats and free school. Their free school plan has now been scuppered by their own Conservative led Government who have withdrawn support for it, but the threat remains as the Council are refusing to say whether or not they have already sold the land.

“ We need a Labour Council that recognises the importance of the fields to local football clubs and will work with local football teams and coaches to ensure the land is used for what it was originally intended under the covenant which still applies from  when the Council was first given the land.”

Yvette Cooper MP said:

“Burnt Oak and this part of Hale represent the most deprived area in Barnet and local children deserve better. It is facilities like these that are so important in ensuring local young people have somewhere to go, to provide opportunities in the heart of the community and to prevent anti social behaviour too. The Conservative Council have turned their back on the community instead of working with the community for far too long. That’s why it is so important that Barnet Labour Party are campaigning to restore the fields and ensure they are available for local youngsters to use.”