Stall organiser, Marc Bush, said: “The book stall is great fun, and a brilliant opportunity to meet local people. With donations from MPs, MEPs, Lords, and local members, we never know what we are going to get! We always welcome donations of books, and who knows who the next celebrity will be!”

Cameron’s cuts are punishing children and families. A recent independent study carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that families and children are suffering under Government tax and benefit changes.

Coalition cuts mean:

• A couple with two children will be £1,250 a year worse off by 2015
• Non-working lone parents lose more than 12% of their income on average – equivalent to £2,000 a year
• Poverty rates for children from certain ethnic minorities will increase by more than 5% by 2015-16

The research also forecasts that 500,000 families with children under five will fall into absolute poverty by 2015-16, with most coming from households where the youngest child is under five.

The study paints a devastating picture for families across the country, as the full extent of the cuts are due to set in.

How you can help local families and children

Do you know of children’s services being cut locally? Do you share the local Party’s concerns about families and children in Westminster suffering the brunt of the Coalition’s cuts? If so, please contact Charles Smith at pimlicoandstjamesblp.chair@gmail.com

Your contribution will help us fight against Cameron’s disregard for families and children.

The Branch’s members were delighted to hear from such an inspiring speaker, who has seen a range of events, changes and people throughout a forty year parliamentary career. Known for his principles, strong values and commitment to representing working class people, members were thoroughly engaged by his public speaking.

Branch member, Chris Knott, said “Dennis gave a brilliant talk about his own upbringing in Derbyshire and how it affected his life from school, to working in the mines, to entering Parliament, right up to current issues like the recent protests and attempts to privatise the NHS. He was as witty and brutally honest as ever and I think everyone was encouraged by him explaining the importance of active local branches and the bottom-up party and society they help to create.”

Our thoughts turn to the excitement of the Olympics being held in our City for the first time since 1948 and to the celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

In May we have the London Mayoral and GLA Assembly elections, our CLP will be fighting hard for the Ken Livingstone campaign to put London first and to send a mid term message to the Conservatives. We will also be working with our fantastic GLA candidate Todd Foreman in West Central and John Biggs who has been such an effective voice for City and East at City Hall.

I wish you and your loved ones a very happy and successful 2012 – Happy New Year!”

In our local party we’ve worked hard to fight cuts to essential local services such as the campaign against the closure of the St James’ Library.

Despite this I’ve been touched by the spirit of optimism within the party and the continuining determination to stand up for ordinary working people.

This community spirit is especially strong at Christmas time as we think of the relevence of the Christmas message for our own lives.

“On behalf of The Cities of London & Westminster Labour Party I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas.”

Labour say that 11 out of the 12 Conservative Councillors representing the four West End wards affected by the parking ban have failed to say anything in public about where they stand, with only West End Ward Councillor Glenys Roberts having the courage to speak out against.

The ‘West End 11′ are;

• West End Ward – Jonathan Glanz and Frixos Tombolis.
• Marylebone High Street Ward – Edward Baxter, Harvey Marshall and Ian Rowley.
• St James’ Ward – Louise Hyams, Tim Mitchell and Cameron Thomson.
• Bryanston and Dorset Square Ward – Richard Beddoe, Audrey Lewis and Sheila D’Souza.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “What a spineless lot Westminster’s Conservative Councillors are! If they won’t speak up for local residents and business then they should stand down and make way for people who will.”

“Last week we heard that Councillor Lindsey Hall, who represents Abbey Road ward and is chair of the Conservative backbench Councillors committee, opposes the Council’s plan to introduce evening and Sunday parking charges but she will not vote against them. How many more Conservative Councillors are afraid to say what they really think?

Launching the site Chair Jim Reid said “our new website offers us a chance to speak directly with voters and to give information on our campaigns and the local party.

The site includes updates about our activities and personal stories about why local members joined the party; through these stories we can see the positive values that inform our work in the Constituency.”

The Cities of London & Westminster Constituency covers a large part of Central London and includes areas such as Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Pimlico, Victoria, St James’s, Westminster, the embankment, the West End, Bayswater and the City of London.

The highlight of the conference was Ed Miliband’s leader’s speech where he highlighted the Tory’s hypocrisy in making ordinary families work harder by making them poorer and the rich work harder by making them richer.

Ed Balls’ speech as Shadow Chancellor attacked the government’s austerity plans for stunting growth and resulting in an increase in deficit calling them irresponsible.

The Cities of London & Westminster Labour party delegate for this year’s conference was Mili Patel attending her first conference as delegate.

Mili said “it was a great privilege and pleasure to represent our party in Liverpool and to take part in the debates and fringe meetings on behalf of our local party. Annual conference is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow activists from across the country and an important and necessary opportunity for local parties to take part in the policy debates which make a real difference.”

Before the conference began Mili attended the annual Women’s Conference in Liverpool when Deputy leader Harriet Harman said “it’s our responsibility and our opportunity to speak up for women and to shape demands so that Labour policy and Labour campaigns improve their lives.”

The 2012 conference will be held in Manchester from 30 September – 4 October 2012.

The event is an opportunity for women to come together and discuss the issues important to them, and the role that women in the Labour Party will play in our fight to win the next General Election.

Delegates listened to thought provoking speeches on stage from the finest in our Party – this year Yvette Cooper, Harriet Harman, Angela Eagle and Kate Green – but also meet each other and listen to inspiring speeches from other members from the floor.

Women’s Conference only began one year ago in Manchester, and hopefully will now feature as a regular event at every Labour Party Conference. The main thrust of discussion was how the Government’s policies are disproportionately hitting women hardest – at work, at home, and in public services. It is mainly women who are contending with rising childcare costs, whilst at the same time suffering cuts in child benefit and tax credits.

Slashing public service jobs not only affects women who use the services, but also hits the workforce, the majority of whom are women. It is therefore imperative that the Labour Party not only stands up for women now in the face of Government cuts, but also that we make sure that women are central to future election campaigns.

When Ed Miliband addressed the conference in the afternoon, he gave his commitment to a 50% female cabinet and echoed the women’s conference message that only with the support of women can Labour return to power in 2015.

Free evening and Sunday parking on single yellow lines in the West End for over 1,700 cars has been axed as part of plans by Tory controlled Westminster City Council to charge drivers up to £4.80p an hour to park between 6.30pm and midnight on Mondays to Saturdays and from 1.00pm – 6.00pm on Sundays. The Council says that the new charges and single yellow line parking ban are designed to “increase the turnover of cars parking in the area and make it easier for those driving in to the heart of London to find a parking space”.

Following requests from Labour Councillors, the Council has revealed that, from 1st December, space for 1,719 cars on 8,600 metres of single yellow lines in:

Controlled Parking Zones E, F3, F6 and G can no longer be used for parking between 6.30pm and midnight on Mondays to Saturdays and from 1.00pm – 6.00pm on Sundays;

Controlled Parking Zone E
3, 818 metres of yellow lines;

Equivalent to 763 spaces (5m per car).

Controlled Parking Zone G
1,726 metres of yellow lines;

Equivalent to 345 spaces (5m per car).

Controlled Parking Zone F3
2,986 metres of yellow lines;

Equivalent to 597 spaces (5m per car).

Controlled Parking Zone F6
71 metres of yellow lines;

Equivalent to 14 spaces (5m per car).