Liberal Democrats Call for Resignations Following Independent Watchdog highlighting “Serious Failings” in Southwark Council

Liberal Democrats Call for Resignations Following Independent Watchdog highlighting “Serious Failings” in Southwark Council

• Southwark’s Labour administration has never taken a stock condition survey since taking control 14 years ago
• 2000 outstanding fire safety remedial actions
• Political leadership of council “no longer tenable”

The Government’s Regulator of Social Housing has today released an explosive report into Southwark’s Housing conditions, saying that it has found “serious failings”.

Most seriously, it found serious failings in the Council’s meeting of various health and safety requirements, including that more than 50% of stock did not have up to date electrical safety inspections, and there are 2000 overdue fire safety remedial actions.

The report also confirmed that the Labour administration had not undertaken a stock condition survey since they took over in 2010, with the last survey being undertaken whilst the Liberal Democrats ran the Council 14 years ago.

The watchdog slammed accountability and transparency in the council, saying that due to limited information sharing, tenants’ ability to perform effective scrutiny had been undermined. It also heavily criticised the council housing allocations policy in a borough with nearly 18,000 on the housing waiting list.

In December 2023 Southwark Liberal Democrats wrote to the regulator to encourage them to make Southwark their first investigation into a local authority. Southwark now joins 15 other councils who have received the same judgement under the new regime 

Southwark’s “C3” rating is the second lowest it can be, indicating that there are “serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and significant improvement is needed.”

In 2020, the current Council Leader Cllr Kieron Williams had said that the council has put "in place one of the most robust approaches to fire safety of any council in the country", The Liberal Democrats say this has clearly been proven not to be the case.

Southwark Liberal Democrats say it is indefensible that over 50% of homes lack basic safety measures like smoke alarms and that thousands of fire safety actions remain overdue, putting residents’ lives at risk. 

They have also emphasized that Southwark’s failings did not happen overnight – and claim they are the result of years of mismanagement and neglect under the leadership of the current Labour Council Leader and senior cabinet members, who held key housing roles during this time including current Council Leader Keiron Williams, Cllr Stephanie Cryan and Cllr Leo Pollak.

Liberal Democrats claim they had the power, responsibility, and resources to prevent these failings, yet failed to so and have said political accountability must be taken as their positions are now clearly untenable.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition Cllr Victor Chamberlain said: 

“The independent watchdog has confirmed what Liberal Democrats have been highlighting for years - that Southwark Labour truly are London’s worst landlord. 

The Council’s leadership have lost control and the confidence of Southwark tenants and residents. Housing Officers have been apologising unreservedly and resigning in droves but it's the Labour Leadership's position that is no longer tenable. We need to see political accountability now.

We will continue to fight to make sure everyone is Southwark has a safe, secure, affordable home"