Absentee Councillor Townend Resigns - Finally!

1.02.10pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 8th May 2009

Caroline Pidgeon and John Roberts

After months of wriggling and trying to justify claiming to represent residents in both Vauxhall's Princes ward and his hoped-for Bristol parliamentary seat, Labour Councillor Sam Townend has finally resigned causing a Lambeth Council by-election on June 4th.

The absentee Labour councillor also trousered more than £15,000 in Council "Allowances" while resident in Bristol more than 100 miles away.

The councillor was so low-profile in his own ward that faces Parliament from across the river that he was almost disqualified from office for only attending two meetings.

Finally shamed at both ends of the M4 motorway by mystified constituents into resigning, lawyer Townend has argued that he is entirely justified in keeping his generous Lambeth allowances which would probably pay to have a couple of run-down vacant flats in Princes ward restored for needy homeless families.

Liberal Democrats have now named hard-working local activist and campaigner John Roberts to fight to win this seat from Labour.

Lib Dem's John Roberts is no newcomer to the area having fought against Labour's cuts, shoddy services and sky-high rent increases as a resident member of the Ethelred Tenants Management organisation since its inception in 1999.

Lib Dem John Roberts also served with distinction as a Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority to increase resources and reduce crime.

In recognition of this outstanding achievement Lambeth Council bestowed on him the Lord Scarman Award at a recent ceremony. The award is given for increasing equality and inclusion in the Borough. A special note was made of John's contribution to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and to formulating Lambeth's hate crime strategy.

Lib Dem candidate John Roberts has been actively involved in the Friends of Vauxhall Spring Gardens, has been Chair of the Vauxhall City Farm Trustees, and helped save Durning library from Labour's closure plans.

Lambeth Lib Dem Leader, Cllr Ashley Lumsden, said, "John Roberts is a pillar of the community and has been working for the people of Princes Ward and Lambeth for many years. He will make an outstanding and hard-working Lib Dem Councillor. The choice on June 4th is more Labour despair or fresh Liberal Democrat hope and action."

This story is published and promoted by C Parry on behalf of J Roberts (Liberal Democrats) both at 36 Gilbert Road, London SE11