The map’s remarkable detail shows Brockwell Park as it is enjoyed by hundreds of local residents, as well as providing information as to the park’s history. Clare will be supplying the poster shown here, as well as posters of Dulwich Park, Regent’s Park and Brixton, to local businesses which have supported the project and portions of the proceeds will be given to community charities.

Streatham MP Mr Umunna endorsed the BIS Select Committee’s 2010 report on pub companies and called for the Government to introduce a statutory code to reform the relationship between large pub companies and their tenants. Labour MP’s supported a motion in the House of Commons on the 12th January expressing disappointment with the government’s failure to protect local pubs and implement a statutory code to help them but the Government has so far refused to act.

The cross-party committee of MPs found that tenants of large pub companies are too often getting a poor deal from pub companies as a result of the Beer Tie which stops publicans buying beer other that which their pub company landlord provides. The cross-party report found restrictive practices of this type were unfair to small business owners running pubs and prevented smaller breweries from accessing much of the pub trade.

The Liberal Democratic Cabinet Minister Vince Cable previously promised the BIS Select Committee that he would honour the commitment of the previous government but has now reneged on this promise. The measures recommended by Labour have received strong support including from the Campaign for Real Ale, the Federation of Small Business as well as the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.

According to the Beer and Pub Association, nearly £21 billion a year is contributed to the UK economy by the production and sale of beer and the licensed trade industry paid £6.1bn in tax. It is estimated that 250 jobs are lost nationally each week as a result of pub closures.

Mr Umunna said the government’s policies on pubs were directly harming the pubs and jobs that form a vital part of community life in the area he represents. The MP said that the Government’s stance was having a direct negative effective on jobs in his constituency and that the government needed to act as Labour has proposed if it is to stop the widespread closure of pubs.

Commenting, Streatham MP Mr Umunna, said:

“Pubs in my constituency and all over London make a vital contribution to community life and our local economy. The action of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Government is having a direct negative effect on jobs in my constituency.”

“The government are failing to follow through on the action plan set out by the Labour Party which has been welcomed by the industry as a key part of giving pubs the best chance of fighting their way through the current economic situation. We have set out a clear plan of action that the Government must take if is to avoid the widespread closure of pubs”

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna, who leads Labour’s Shadow Business team, has spoken about the need to support local pubs given the vital contribution they make to both community life and the local economy.

Chuka, seen here visiting The Five Bells pub on Streatham High Road, leads Labour’s efforts to support the British pub industry. Visitng The Five Bells Chuka talked to staff about Labour’s proposals to help pubs. Labour’s proposals aim to help small business owners running pubs and include the introduction of a statutory code to reform the relationship between large pub companies and thier tenants.

The January release by the Office of National Statistics showed that there were now 424,000 more people unemployed in the London region, a rise of 10.4% over the year. The Streatham constituency represented by Mr Umunna was revealed to have 500 more people claiming JSA in the last month than were doing so a year earlier.

Chuka Umunna urged the Government to do more to get jobs and growth back in the economy. The MP said that the figures represent the human cost being paid for the economic plans of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government which is cutting spending and raising taxes too far and too fast, choking off growth and job creation.

Nationally unemployment reached its highest level since 1994, with 118,000 more people unemployment than in the last quarter, meaning that there are now 2.68 million people unemployed in the UK. The figures, released today by the Office for National Statistics, reported that the employment rate had fallen to 70.3%.

The figures demonstrate the impact of high unemployment on Government finances, with 142,500 more people claiming Job Seekers Allowance than this time last year.

Commenting, Streatham MP Mr Umunna, said:

“My heart goes out to the families of all those affected by unemployment. The 9.9% of Londoners who are desperately seeking work need a Government that is on their side, helping business to create the jobs and growth we all so desperately need.”

“It is a disaster that unemployment in London has risen by 10% – a disaster of the Governments own making. This desperate situation represents the human cost of the Government’s failed economic plans.”

“The Government’s plans are now clearly failing – even by their own measure. The extra 142,500 people that are now claiming Job Seekers Allowance, 500 of them in my own constituency, is damaging the Government’s finances at the same time as their economic plans are pushing more people out of work.”

“The Government should immediately implement our plan for jobs and growth which will boost job creation and therefore ensure we reduce the deficit in the long term as the benefit bill reduces.”

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna is backing a community campaign to extend City Hall’s Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme further into South London as Transport for London figures reveal just 15% of the scheme’s coverage is south of the River Thames.

The Campaign, run by a Brixton campaigner and community activist, Tom Pollard, aims to extend the coverage of the cycle hire scheme to Brixton. The Campaign has been building momentum online using social media website twitter using the hashtag #Bikes2Brixton and also the Labour Party’s online community action website the ‘campaign engine room’.

Data from the Transport for London website reveals that just 65 of the 414 docking stations are located south of the river Thames. This means that just 15.7% of docking stations are in South London, many of which are around the London Bridge Railway station. The Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme was a project started by the former Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone but has been implemented by the current Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson.

The campaign to extend the Cycle Hire Scheme has received the backing of Mr Pollards’s MP, Chuka Umunna, who said the Mayor must give more thought to Londoners when making Transport plans and that extending the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme further into South London would give hard pressed commuters more options in the difficult economic climate.

The wider economic situation has had a deep impact in London and hard pressed commuters are looking to make savings where possible, as well as often having to travel further afield in search of work. South London MP Chuka Umunna said that extending the cycle hire scheme would go some way to mitigate the impact of four years of fare hikes by London’s Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson.

Extending the cycle hire scheme would give residents a further transport option and would enable some to save money. The traditional north/south divide in London transport provision has begun again to grow now South London residents, who often rely more on buses than the tube, have faced particularly high increases as the Mayor has chosen to increase bus fares at a faster rate than he has increased fares on the underground.

Commenting, Mr Umunna, MP for Streatham, said:

“The Bikes2Brixton campaign is a brilliant example of community action. My constituents deserve much better from the Mayor and it is time he started paying attention to the needs of those south of the river. The Mayor must give more thought to Londoners when making his transport plans.”

“Extending the Cycle Hire Scheme further South would give some opportunity for relief from four consecutive years of rising fares under Boris Johnson. The fare rises he imposed this January mean that for every year of his Mayoralty, Boris Johnson’s fare rises have been harming London business, harming London jobs and putting further unnecessary strain on the cost of living for Londoners.”

“It is time the Mayor woke up on transport and it is time the Mayor paid attention to Londoners south of the River. I hope very much the Mayor will listen to the mass of local support to extend the cycle hire scheme further into South London and would like to congratulate the campaign on the excellent work they have done.

Commenting, Tom Pollard, local community activist and leader of the campaign, said:

“Our Bikes2Brixton campaign to extend the cycle hire scheme in South London, including Brixton, has been hugely popular throughout the community.”

“The CBI is correct to say that we must rebalance our economy which has become too concentrated in too few sectors, and in too few regions of the economy over the last 40 years under different governments.

“Government must use all the levers at its disposal to build a new economy and encourage businesses to invest for the long term so we can exploit the new high growth economies the CBI refers. But instead of providing the leadership and certainty needed to give companies the confidence to invest – the Tory led government has deterred investment by, for example, cutting investment allowances on capital expenditure over £25,000 and wrecking future success in our green industries with their disastrous changes to feed in tariffs.

“The CBI higlights the importance of infrastructure investment which is why we had been saying for months that the government should implement Labour’s five point plan for growth and jobs to kick start the recovery which includes bringing forward long-term investment projects.

“A new economy requires an active government working in partnership with British business to meet the aspirations of the British people – actions speak louder than words and by failing to provide leadership and to promote the certainty businesses need to invest, this out of touch government is failing to meet the challenges facing businesses and the UK economy.”

On 27^th June this year, Bruno Melling-Firth, Max Boomgaarden-Cook and Conrad Quashie died in a bus crash while on holiday in Kam Phaeng Phet Province, Thailand. The three young men, who were due to start University this year, had each worked hard to save up for the trip to Thailand. They died within four days of their arrival.

Their families have since endured a six-month campaign to find out the facts of their sons’ deaths, improve awareness of the dangers of Thai bus travel, and to influence reform to improve the safety of Thai buses and road networks. Polly Cook, Max Boomgaardan-Cook’s mother, is a constituent of Mr Umunna’s and the MP has been working with the families since the crash.

After a letter to William Hague received an inadequate response, Mr Umunna organized a meeting between the families and Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office minister responsible for Consular activities. The meeting, which took place on the 21^st December, was attended by Chuka Umunna and the mothers of the three boys; Amanda Bean, Polly Cook and Gillian Melling.

During the meeting the MP and families finally had a chance to the Minister to promise to make representations to the Thai Government on their behalf and raise their specific fears over the safety of bus companies in Thailand. The Minister also promised that foreign office officials would meet with Proffessor Pichai, a road safety expert who has been helping the campaign.

Mr Umunna said he would be working to ensure the Foreign Office properly examines the case for updateing travel advice for people going to Thailand. The MP wishes the Government to consider changing their advice on Thailand to specifically warn against bus travel. The families today urged any British citizen travelling to Thailand to use rail or air travel, and not to use the dangerous and barely regulated bus companies that operate in the country.

Commenting, Mr Umunna, MP for Streatham, said:

“I’d like to pay tribute to the families involved. I am full of admiration for the way that they have pursued this cause since the boys’ tragic deaths in June.”

“There is nothing that can bring back the gaping loss left by the boys’ deaths but if action can be taken to prevent such tragedy occurring in future it will at least be a lasting legacy to such promising young lives.”

“I will be working over the next few months to ensure the Foreign Office properly examines the case for updating travel advice for people going to Thailand and to see that awareness of the problem is raised in my constituency and elsewhere.”

“I would urge any of my constituents who are considering travelling abroad to take stay as safe as possible and would like to highlight the dangers on behalf of the families because many of my constituents will not know the dangers of bus travel in Thailand and it may be vital they find out.” 

Commenting, Polly Cook, Mother of Max Boomgaardan Cook, said:

“If I could see my boys again I would tell them not to travel on the buses and to fly or take the train even though it’s slower. I want other families to know that.”

“I’m very pleased that the Foreign Office has said they will contact Professor Pichai in order to liaise about the appalling state of Thailand’s roads.”

In every corner of the constituency, from Streatham to Clapham, Balham, Brixton and Tulse Hill, I have always believed that our communities are some of the strongest to be found anywhere, and that our future together is one of the brightest.

I know this year may well have been a difficult year for many of you. The economic situation the country faces is a difficult one, and as your MP it is my duty to see that the Government does all it can to resolve this situation.

I know too that many of you have faced particular challenges and rest assured my team and I will continue to do all we can to help as many of my constituents as possible through my work in the constituency.

I look forward to continuing working for the constituency in the New Year. I hope that today at least we can put the difficulties to one side and enjoy those things that are truly important in life; our families, friends, neighbours and communities.

I wish you the happiest of Christmases with your loved ones. I know this will be a special time for many of you, both Christians and non-Christians alike. So I’d like to thank you, at this special time of year, for everything that you do to make our area such a special place to live.

I wish you and all of those closest to you, a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Chuka

Commenting on the impact complacent Government policy has had on local residents, Mr Umunna said:

“The deteriorating unemployment situation needs to be dealt with urgently. In my constituency alone there are now nearly 500 more people without a job than this time last year.
 
The Government needs to do far more to get demand back into the economy to boost growth and create jobs in South London. Government politicians in the 1980s used to justify inaction by saying unemployment was a price worth paying – that attitude was unacceptable then and it is unacceptable in 2011.
 
Labour has a five point plan for the economy to boost jobs and growth including a temporary cut in VAT and a bankers bonus tax to create thousands of youth jobs. My constituents cannot wait any longer for the Government to act particularly given the likely negative impact of the Eurozone crisis – we need immediate action now.”

Chuka visited Streatham Vale businesses including, amongst others, Superchoice newsagents, Covenant Hair & Beauty, Watts Pharmacy, The Village Card Shop, and Gow Gow, a new pet grooming business.

As MP for the area, Mr Umunna considers it vital to keep in touch with how local business owners are doing and what issues they are facing so that he can be of assistance. Among the issues discussed was what action needs to be taken to tackle anti-social behaviour and provide security to business, as well as how important it is to get banks lending.

Mr Umunna makes regular visits to local High Streets and earlier this month visited shops in Greyhound Lane. As Shadow Business Secretary, Mr Umunna is responsible for holding the Government to account for their Business policies, as well as for making sure that the Government do more to secure economic and business growth. High Street Walkabouts in his constituency are a good way for Mr Umunna to make sure local concerns are communicated in Parliament.