Joanne Cash

Welcome,

Thank you for visiting my website and taking an interest in my campaign to become the Member of Parliament for Westminster North.

I am committed to fighting for my fellow residents in Westminster North and this site contains the details of some of the issues that I think are particularly important. In addition, I hope that you will keep me informed of what your priorities are for making our constituency a safer, better place to live.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Best wishes,

Sign Joanne's Petition to Save our Formosa Street, Lisson Grove and Harrow Road Post Offices

Petition to Save the All Stars Boxing Gym

Participate in Joanne's Online Literacy Campaign

Church Street's residents elect their first ever Conservative Councillor

Conservatives in Westminster North have today seen the election of their candidate, Mehfuz Ahmed, in the Church Street Council By-Election.

Church Street has been a Labour stronghold since its creation in 1964 – local residents have never before been represented by a Conservative Councillor.

Mehfuz Ahmed's victory is even more significant given Church Street's location – it is one of ten electoral wards, and one of only four Labour wards, in the newly redrawn, marginal constituency of Westminster North. 

Westminster North will be a key target seat at the next general election. The outcome in Church Street bodes well for Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Joanne Cash and is further evidence of the tidal support behind David Cameron and the Conservative Party.

Joanne Cash, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Westminster North explained:

"This result is momentous. It is a clear message to Gordon Brown and the Labour Party that our residents have had enough.

Mehfuz Ahmed will make an excellent Councillor – he embodies the positive spirit of the Conservative party and our campaign in Westminster North.

We work for the right to represent our constituents. People are realising that if they want to improve their lives, it is the Conservative Party that will provide the opportunities to do so."   

Westminster's newest Conservative councillor, Mehfuz Ahmed, agreed,

"Many people who have never voted Conservative before have put their faith in me.

I will repay their trust by working hard to ensure that the residents; views are heard and to make Church Street a safer and better place for us all."

FORMOSA STREET - The fight goes on

We are all tremendously disappointed that the Post Office has decided to close our branch in Formosa Street.

Many of us have campaigned hard to demonstrate how important Formosa Street is to our community and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave up their time to get involved.

Sadly, local opinion has been totally ignored and Labour's policy of closing down Post Offices is rolling on regardless.

We will not give up.  I will continue try to find a positive solution by working with Westminster's Conservative Council, who are as keen as any of us to keep Formosa Street open.

But I need your help.  One of our most persuasive arguments is that the Formosa Street Post Office can operate as a profitable business.  It is vital that we make it so.

Please, whether it's for a few stamps or to renew your tax disk, continue to use Formosa Street and encourage friends, family and fellow residents to do the same.

The Formosa Street Post Office plays a vital role in our local community and we must do all we can to protect it.

If you have any other suggestions, thoughts or ideas please contact me at joanne@westminsternorthconservatives.com

42 Days - Where is the Evidence?

This week, Members of Parliament will vote on proposals to extend the period of detention without charge to 42 days.

I would be happy to support this measure if there was a shred of evidence that it is needed. There is not.

Senior lawyers, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, and the former Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith are clear that there is no basis for extending the current detention limit of 28 days. Such an erosion of individual liberties, a cornerstone of our society for 800 years, will do nothing to bolster our collective security.

Even worse, Gordon Brown's apparent concessions on the issue are a con. A Labour minister recently promised a series of 'Mickey Mouse' amendments, designed to whip potential back bench rebels into line, and that is precisely what we have been given.

Labour's MPs are being bullied into supporting this proposal. 'Vote against 42 days on Wednesday and you get David Miliband on Thursday,' they have reportedly been told by their party whips. This is an issue of high principle that Labour have reduced to a test of party loyalty.

This is yet another example of Labour's gesture politics and it must be opposed. Once again, Gordon Brown is feeding his own ego, fighting for something we don't need, while neglecting the vital issues.

Re: Formosa Street Post Office - Open Letter to the Post Office Network Change Team

In excess of 500 local residents have contacted me directly to express support for their local post offices. This letter is largely a reflection of the views expressed by residents during the consultation period.

The value of Formosa Street to the local community

1) The continued operation of the Formosa Street post office was used to justify the closure of the Clifton Road Post Office in 2005. This blatant breach of trust has led to uncertainty amongst local residents regarding the long term security of the post offices nominated as alternative branches in this round of closures.

2) Formosa Street is a small post office with only two serving positions, and yet it serves 1000-1499 customers every week. Despite this substantial customer traffic, waiting times are minimal - rarely more than a few minutes.

3) The importance of local knowledge amongst the post office staff should not be underestimated.

- This branch is a focal point of the local community; the staff provide an excellent quality of service and are well acquainted with their regular customers and their needs.

- This issue is particularly resonant amongst the more vulnerable members of the community who have found that the alternative branches do not offer the same level of personal assistance.

4) A number of small, local businesses rely on the Formosa Street post office; it is simply not feasible for them to use the proposed alternatives on a daily basis.

- It has been suggested to me that, were Formosa Street to close, some local businesses would be forced to revise their operating methods, resulting in a loss of revenue for the Post Office Network.

5) The number of potential customers living in the vicinity of Formosa Street is set to rise in the next few years.

-  Leonora House, the local elderly residence, is due for expansion, thus increasing the number of vulnerable residents reliant on a local post office.

- Furthermore, the continued trend for converting houses into flats will also cause an increase in the number of local residents.

6) The value of this post office to the local community is illustrated by the large numbers of residents who sought to register their opposition to its closure. In addition to the messages of support I received, more than two thousand people signed a petition set up by the local residents’ association and several hundred braved dreadful weather conditions to participate in a public march.

The unacceptability of the proposed alternative branches

1) The Post Office access reports were based on misleading data and do not reflect the situation on the ground.

- The Kilburn Park branch has no other shops or local facilities around it and does not represent a natural journey for Formosa Street customers. Local residents will have to travel a significant distance with the sole purpose of using the post office.

- Edgware Road is well over a mile away for many Formosa Street customers, and involves crossing several busy main roads.

2) If 1000 – 1499 customers per week are forced to use an alternative post office, they will incur a significant cost, regardless of their chosen method of transport.

- Using public transport to get to Edgware Road involves a journey along a very congested road and can take more than half an hour, at a cost no less than £1.80 (although many pensioners are exempt) for a return journey.

- The closest parking meters to the Edgware Road branch are seldom available and cost £2 for an hour.

- Driving can be time consuming, expensive (especially in light of rising fuel prices) and environmentally damaging. People sending or receiving large parcels will not be able to use public transport and thus the closure of Formosa Street will result in an increase in the number of journeys made by car.

3) The proposed alternatives do not have the capacity to deal with the expected increase in customer levels. Edgware Road will also have to absorb customers from the Lisson Grove post office (1499 – 1999 customer sessions per week).

- Both of these post offices already suffer from long waiting times; increasing the number of customers will place them under an unsustainable amount of pressure. This is particularly true at Edgware road where, even before the closure of Lisson Grove has taken effect, the queue is often in excess of 20 minutes.

Flaws in the consultation process

There is a feeling amongst residents that this consultation process was designed to provide legitimacy for a pre-determined decision to close their post office. A number of factors have contributed to this feeling of dissatisfaction and disengagement:

1) Following sustained local pressure, it became clear that the alternative braches originally proposed for Formosa Street were unacceptable. Instead, they were abruptly replaced by two equally unacceptable alternatives.

-  This is a damning indictment of the quality of research that went into producing the network change document and provides an insight into how little thought went into the original decision making process.

- The revised network change document for Formosa Street continued to show the final date for consideration as 2nd April. This was misleading and led to confusion amongst residents.

2) There has been little or no consultation with stakeholders and it is unacceptable that the postmaster was informed of the date for the announcement of closures before the consultation period ended.

3) The decision to close Lisson Grove has severe implications for Formosa Street as it could increase the number of customers at Edgware Road by up to 30%. The decisions regarding the future of these post offices should not have been taken independently of one another.

I trust that you will give these factors due consideration in the course of the decision making process.

I look forward to receiving your response in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Cynical, opportunistic Labour shown the door in Crewe and Nantwich

Last week, the constituents of Crewe and Nantwich launched a new era in British politics. For sure, it was a wonderful victory for us and a damning indictment of Labour and Gordon Brown, but I believe that the scale of the Conservative majority was achieved by the positivity and constructiveness of our message, both as a Party and in the personal campaign of Edward Timpson.

Amidst a barrage of negative campaigning, he kept his dignity and allowed the voters to cast their own verdict on Labour's inverted snobbery and dirty tricks. What a shaming exposure in The Mail on Sunday for the young Labour activist posing as a "Toff" to mock Edward, despite having enjoyed a private school education himself. Asked to comment, his former Principal, Dr Martin Stephen, produced one of the best quotes I have heard in ages: "In my opinion everybody should be a toff, because everyone in the country should have the benefit of a decent education.”

I could not agree more. I went to a state school. I support aspiration and opportunity for everyone. I would no more consider denigrating someone for having, by birth, had the opportunity to attend a good private school than I would criticise someone for having been forced, through different circumstances, to attend the worst of comprehensives. That sort of discrimination is a cheap distraction from the need (and our desire) to provide every person, regardless of social background or political affiliation, with the requisite tools for success.

The voters in Crewe and Nantwich have made it very clear that the days when such nonsense would allow politicians to skirt the real issues are over. I am delighted.

Help Save the Formosa Street Post Office

It is incredibly disappointing that the Lisson Grove and Harrow Road post offices in Westminster North are set to close.

Even more reason why, in the last two weeks of the Formosa Street consultation, we must keep up our fight to save this post office.

I would urge everyone to put in writing the reasons why this branch must remain open and to send their representations to the following people:

Mrs Anita Turner                                          Mr Terry Stafford
Network Development Manager                    Postwatch
Post Office Ltd                                            28 Grosvenor Gardens
c/o National Consultation Team                  London
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM               SW1W 0TT
consultation@postoffice.co.uk                      REF 458/437
                                                                  info@postwatch.co.uk

Encouragingly, 7 of London's post offices are to be saved following the public consultation period. It is clear from these successful campaigns that we must highlight the positive attributes of the Formosa Street post office as well as the inadequacies of the alternative branches (Kilburn Park and Edgware Road).

When writing to the Network Change Team, it is worth considering the following points:

-       How much further will you have to travel?
-       How long is the queue at the alternative branches?
-       Are there any issues with access, either for disabled people or those with young children?
-       Are there adequate public transport links and/or car parking facilities?
-       What other facilities exist in the area surrounding the alternative branches?
-       Do you have to cross any main roads?
-       Will the closure of Formosa Street result in you using the post office less?

A Special Request

The Post Office Network Change team claim that the Edgware Road post office has the capacity to absorb an increase in customer levels, I disagree.

There are often long queues at this branch and, given that Edgware Road has also been proposed as an alternative branch for customers of the (soon to be closed) Lisson Grove Post Office, this situation will only get worse.

It is important to convey just how overwhelmed the Edgware Road post office is at present, never-mind when thousands of additional customers are forced to use it.

In the coming weeks, I would ask that people try to use the Edgware Road branch (however inconvenient this may be) and take note of the time and date of the visit as well as the length of queue and quality of service encountered. This information can be used to demonstrate that Edgware Road is utterly unacceptable as an alternative branch for customers of the Formosa Street Post Office.

To report your findings in confidence, please contact my office on 020 7625 3805 or email me at joanne@westminsternorthconservatives.com

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sayeeda Warsi Visits Community Groups in Westminster North

Above - Visiting the London Tigers with Baroness Warsi

Baroness Warsi, the Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action, yesterday spent the afternoon visiting a number of community projects across Westminster North with Joanne.

The Conservative politicians visited the London Tigers in Church Street and Real Action's Learning Store in Queen's Park to discuss their community projects and the ways in which they promote interaction between different groups in the local area.

Joanne commented:

"It was a great privilege to welcome Baroness Warsi to Westminster North.

"This constituency is home to an extremely diverse population with over 100 languages spoken in our schools.

"There are a number of organisations in Westminster North that offer inclusive, community-led programmes and that provide positive opportunities for people of all ethnicities.

"Programmes such as these transcend traditional cultural barriers and encourage genuine social interaction between different communities. I look forward to working with Baroness Warsi in the coming months and years to ensure that they are given the support they deserve."

Above - Adult literacy classes at Real Action's Learning Store

The Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action added:

"In areas with high levels of ethnic diversity and high population turnovers such as Westminster North, cohesion within the community is vital because it helps to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and drives social mobility upwards.

"Under this government, there is a worrying trend that young people appear to be integrating less well than their parents and, if this trend continues, we could end up with a country more divided and segregated than ever before.

"It is encouraging to see social action projects in Westminster North helping to develop greater levels of cultural understanding amongst local residents.

"The good work of these organisations must not go unrewarded; I am responsible for ensuring that, under the next Conservative government, funding is available to build upon the achievements of those in the voluntary sector and that every citizen has an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential."

"Suicide Bomb Backer Runs Ken's Campaign"

So ran the front page of Wednesday's Evening Standard this week in an article which revealed that 200,000 Muslims across London have been targeted by the "Muslims4Ken" campaign, assisted by a Mr Azzam Tamimi. 

Such a targeted campaign is politics at its most cynical, exploitative and dangerous. Serious research shows that the radicalisation of young Muslims begins with cultural and religious segregation encouraged by the type of extremists Ken Livingstone has welcomed to London, and by the likes of Mr Tamimi. 

The brazenness of such a campaign is all the more galling in the wake of Guardian journalist Jonathan Freedland's love letter to Livingstone in last week's Jewish Chronicle. He believes that Jewish voters should vote for Ken Livingstone regardless of his choice of friends, because Ken runs London efficiently. You are wrong on both counts Mr Freedland, NO voter should support Mr Livingstone if they care about London. Violent crime is up, pollution is up, transport fares are up and the Mayor's tax is UP. It is time to bring this Mayor down. 

It is important for us to remember that the radicalisation of certain members of the Muslim community has had fatal consequences. No flirtation with those who propound such views should be treated lightly. I want to be safe in London, not just from rising crime (which Mr Livingstone shrugs off as lightly as Lee Jasper's investigation) but from terrorism. That should be a priority for ALL voters.

Livingstone is the Mayor who hugged Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Muslim cleric who justifies attacks on non-Muslims and condemns women and gays. He is the Mayor who told the Reuben brothers to go back where they came from and who offended a Jewish reporter by comparing him to a concentration camp guard.

Astonishingly, Freedland acknowledges these facts. However, as he is so quick to dismiss them, let's remind him of a few more: Livingstone is also the Mayor who has courted Hugo Chavez in Venezuela where the human rights record is appalling, he is the Mayor who has bred a culture of cronyism at City Hall and he is the Mayor who has wasted £2.8 million of public money in this financial year alone, bankrolling that pointless exercise in self-promotion, the Londoner.

AA Gill has described the post of Mayor of London as the best job in British politics yet Livingstone has disrespected this office again and again and again. He takes its name in vain, just as his extremist cronies take in vain the name of decent Muslims across this city.

I do agree with one thing Freedland wrote: we should choose the new Mayor on the grounds of what he will do for London as a whole. Ken Livingstone's time is up. 

Boris, Joanne and Shaun Bailey host a forum in Queen’s Park to discuss knife crime amongst teenagers in the area

- Two teenagers stabbed, one fatally, in less than three weeks in Westminster North
- If elected London Mayor, Boris pledges to lead the fight against gun and knife crime
- Joanne Cash believes that violent crime amongst teenagers should at the top of the political agenda
- Shaun Bailey backs Boris’ support for voluntary organisations

Last night, the Conservative Candidate for London Mayor, Boris Johnson, and Conservative Parliamentary Candidates, Joanne Cash and Shaun Bailey, hosted a forum in Queen’s Park to discuss the problem of violent crime amongst teenagers in the area.

The three Conservative politicians were speaking less than 24 hours after a teenager was stabbed in Westbourne. Although this attack was not fatal, it came less than three weeks after Amro Elbadawi, a fourteen year old boy, died from a single knife wound to the neck during a dispute with another teenager on the Mozart estate in Queen’s Park.

Joanne Cash was appalled by Ken Livingstone’s recent comments about violence amongst teenagers:

“Ken Livingstone has criticised the media for focusing on these events. He is wrong.

“There have been two stabbings in this constituency, and one young boy has lost his life, during the last three weeks. The more press coverage, the better; this issue has to be kept at the top of the political agenda.

“Some children carry a knife as a status symbol to impress their friends, others believe it provides them with protection; very few intend to use it. Practically none of these teenagers will be aware that they are much more likely to be stabbed by their own knife than by someone else’s.

“It is the job of the mayor to lead the fight-back against violent crime; every Londoner has the right to walk our streets, to use our public transport and to enjoy our green spaces in confidence, and without fear of attack.

“Electing Boris Johnson as the Mayor of London on May 1st will be a massive step in the right direction.”

The Conservative Candidate for London Mayor, Boris Johnson said:

"After 10 years in Government and 8 years with Ken Livingstone as Mayor, with two weeks to go until London's elections, Labour have failed to address the serious issue of knife crime.

"Gun and knife crime has been blighting London's streets and we need fresh ideas to rid our communities of these weapons.

"Our current Labour leaders seem to be in a state of despair and Labour's lack of action on this issue in London has led to families unnecessarily losing loved ones. All Londoners have the chance on May 1st to vote for a change to help make their streets safer."

Shaun Bailey, who also heads the youth orientated charity My Generation, praised Boris’ crime manifesto:

“Boris understands the gravity of the situation that we are facing in London and his policies reflect that. A lot can be achieved by focusing on the smaller issues, such as anti-social behaviour on buses.
“Our children have to be educated about their responsibilities. They have to realise that their actions have consequences for both themselves and others.

“Boris’ pledge to provide support for the voluntary sector is absolutely vital if we are to win this fight.  There are many organisations experienced in dealing with deprived families and youth gangs and we have to make sure that we put their expertise to good use.”

Child Murder IS Headline News

Many of you will have seen the reports last week about the death of Amro Elbadawi, the14 year old boy stabbed near his home on Dart Street in Queen’s Park. This was a tragic loss, the third stabbing of a teenager in this constituency in 14 months and the second death. In a sombre meeting with his father last week, I listened to a devastated but dignified parent desperate for something to be done.

So you can imagine how angry I was when Ken Livingtone dismissed the importance of the incident and criticised the press for focusing too much on violent crime. “If it bleeds, it leads,” he snorted when asked to comment on the epidemic of teenage violence in London.

I could not disagree with him more. This is the murder of a child, by another child. In a supposedly civilised society. The people of Queen's Park have displayed remarkable community spirit, rallying together and behind the police (who have also been fantastic) but they are shaken and worried. Why should this not be headline news except to protect Ken Livingstone from the tragic truth?

We need the press to keep reporting on this issue so people are aware of the reality on our streets. Under this Labour government, literacy levels in the UK are appallingly low. Social mobility is a fantasy if you are born on a housing estate and the gap between rich and poor has never been wider. This chills me to the bone because if people have no opportunity to realise their potential or their dreams, where is the incentive to change their lives?

The fact that so many teenagers carry weapons is a symptom of this widespread social and family breakdown. All of this needs to change but the immediate issue is preventing further deaths.

We need to educate our children, schools and parents so that, with a concerted effort, we reduce the carrying of weapons, There are many organisations experienced in dealing with deprived families and youth gangs (“My Generation” for example) and we must make sure that we put their expertise to good use.

I will not stop talking about this until positive steps are taken throughout our constituency and the press will not be criticised by me for leading on Amro’s death, or any of the issues it has brought to light. The murder of a 14 year old child is front page news in my book and I am grateful to the media for ensuring that this issue is kept at the top of the political agenda.