Dreams became reality for the Labour party overnight in Westminster according to re-elected Lewisham Mayor Damien Egan.
Egan believes the London election results have exceeded Labour’s expectations, reflecting a “distressed” electorate.
His majority in Lewisham grew by 4% after Thursday’s vote, taking his total share of the vote to 58%, a record for the borough.
Egan said: “Labour’s results in London have exceeded all expectations. We talked about maybe Wandsworth.
“People were dreaming about Westminster, but it didn’t seem like that could happen. The messages that I heard in Lewisham have been resonating across London and I think people want a change.
“They’re actually quite distressed about the direction the country is going in.”
Egan stressed that voting Labour at the next general election would ensure greater funding for councils thereby empowering them to tackle issues, such as the cost of living, which are being felt across the country.
“I hope it gives Keir Starmer confidence in the direction that he’s taking the Labour party,” said Egan of the swings elsewhere in London.
“Hopefully it gives our MPs confidence as well because we’ve had these fantastic local elections but all eyes will now be on the general election.
“It’s great at the local level that we can make a difference but the reality is that it’s hindered a lot because the Government keeps cutting our budgets.
“What I’m hoping for is that we get a Labour Government that will give us a fairer funding settlement that we can start to invest again in our communities, make our areas cleaner and more beautiful to live in, do more for our young people and I would hope under a Labour government that we see a reduction in the number of people completely reliant on food banks.”
Egan was re-elected in Lewisham with 39,966 votes, nearly 30,000 more than the second placed candidate, Nick Humberstone of the Green party.
The Greens percentage gain was higher than Labour’s however, with Humberstone securing a 5% rise in support from the 2018 elections.
Labour have promised to tackle the Climate Crisis in Lewisham, after the council was one of the first local authorities to declare a Climate Emergency.
Egan’s pledges include increasing Lewisham’s recycling rate by 65% by 2030 and offering food recycling for people living in flats.
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