Lammy clashes with Labour colleague over housing crisis
MAYORAL hopeful David Lammy has become embroiled in a row with a fellow Labour MP who accused him of a “lack of credibility” over housing.
Neil Coyle, the new MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, lashed out at his colleague over comments criticising developments in his borough.
At a mayoral hustings Mr Lammy accused the Labour-run borough of “rolling over” to developers and allowing skyscrapers in inappropriate places.
He said: “I’m not against tall buildings. They are appropriate in the right places. But there are parts of London — I would take Southwark — where you can suddenly be juxtaposed between something historic and great — and suddenly the area is cut off by a tall building.
“There are Labour local authorities committed to building these ... because they are stripped of money. They are rolling over on viability to developers.”
The Tottenham MP said such schemes were “for developers and penthouse suites, not for local people”. But former Southwark councillor Mr Coyle, who beat Lib-Dem veteran Simon Hughes to win his seat, retorted: “His comments demonstrated a lack of credibility.
“He is seeking headlines not solutions to the housing crisis. Southwark is building more affordable homes and more council homes than anywhere else. Perhaps David should ask himself why his own authority [Haringey] does not have such a good track record.”
Supporters of Mr Lammy said his remarks about affordable housing were aimed at councils in general, not Southwark.
The Tottenham MP said: “I’ve published 35 proposals for getting London building and making homes genuinely affordable.”