Faulty Towers

Despite my best efforts as Labour Group Whip, the majority of my colleagues joined with the Tories and LibDems on the Planning Subcommittee last Thursday night in supporting proposals to press ahead with the totally unnecessary "Little Manhattan" development project. This monstrous project will blight the Dalston area and bring misery to thousands of hard-working peasants who will be driven from their homes and businesses by soaring property prices. Moreover, the development will result in ethnic cleansing of Dalston on a scale not seen since Bosnia, with wealthy overseas visitors to the Olympic Games driving black and ethnic minority and poor white working class residents out of the borough. You can see for yourself from the architect's impression below the dreadful economic and environmental impact that these proposals will bring to local businesses and Labour voters.

The fact that I am totally opposed to this project shows just how ludicrous are the allegations about Hackney Labour and private development sleaze. All right-minded Hackney residents can see what dreadful cultural desecration will be brought about by this scheme, including destruction of the beautiful Dalston Theatre which, like the Hackney Empire before it, could so easily be renovated to its former glorious state. The project will also destroy the nightclub where Afro-Caribbean music first found a footing in the East End. This particular piece of cultural vandalism will symbolise the destruction of black and other indigenous working class Labour roots in Dalston by this heinous development project.

The plans for these disgusting landmarks are truly horrendous – the Ken Livingston Ego Tower and the Kiley-Helms Memorial Edifice will tower 19 storeys over Dalston and shout out to the world: "This is what letting traitors back into the Labour Party can do to you!"

I would just like to add that I have always strongly held this position and any rumours to the effect that I changed my views after Linda made me aware that Transport for London is the sponsor of this project are totally groundless smears put about by estate agents, property developers, architects, transport consultants and lawyers on the Planning Subcommittee.

It is true, however, that I have been excessively focused recently on the critical issue of elections to the Labour Party NEC and am in need of a weekend getaway break. It’s been a bit muggy in Hackney recently, what with Labour rebellions and the recent heatwave, so Linda and I are thinking of popping down to the apartment in Cómpeta to stroll about and take in the fresh mountain air of Andalucía.