Southwark Labour party have decided to sell the boroughs silver – the three town halls. Lovely old seats of local democracy.

Apparently officers have told them it will cost £25M to modernise them. My experience of Southwark Town Hall is that its an ok office that I’ve happily worked from. I don’t get the need for £25M. Officers told Lib Dems three years ago this sum and for the last three years they’ve been used without a problem.

The Lib Dems were clear that the Tooley Street back office centre was exactly that. Labour seem rather keen on basing everything there even the democratic meetings. I don’t hold with the suggestion this is because so many Labour councillors such as Peter John live along the Thames river in posh blocks and traipsing down to Peckham Road was a chore too much for them.

Some the of the suggestions are idiotic. Like moving the Bermondsey One Stop Shop to Camberwell. No one from Bermondsey is going to travel down to Camberwell. Or holding Southwark meetings in Brixton Town hall – no residents from Southwark will go to Brixton. Our Lib Dem manifesto was clear every area needs it own local one stop shop and all three historic town halls are needed as local civic centres.

What doesn’t help is the antediluvian working practices – no voice or video conferences.

Weirdly such a big decision wasn’t announced at council assembly but to a newspaper.  The irony of Labour running a ‘demopcracy commission’ focusing on council assembly when they then go and sell the council chamber isn’t lost on many. So much for Labours idea of what local democracy means in practice.