John Austin MP with Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP

John Austin MP, Howard Dawber and Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP

Members of Erith & Thamesmead Labour Party were joined by colleagues from Bexleyheath & Crayford and Old Bexley & Sidcup constituencies at a fund-raising dinner on Monday night 29 October to hear the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, who joined local MP, John Austin, as guest speaker.

John Austin reassured the audience that Crossrail would come to Abbey Wood and would be on time. He said: “There has been much speculation in the press that the project might be done in phases and that the southern spur through Woolwich to Abbey Wood might be constructed at a later date. I have the assurance of the Transport Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, that the project will be built as a single programme. The first trains will be running in 2017 and the full services will be phased in over a one year period. This is great news for this part of London and will be a real boost to regeneration.”

Rt Hon Andy Burnham, who had been involved in the discussions on the financial package for Crossrail, also confirmed that it would happen. He spoke about the success of Labour’s economic policy which had transformed many areas of unemployment into areas of hope and expansion. He drew attention to the fall in unemployment and the year on year increases in spending on schools and hospitals and in developing and expanding the NHS.

In his speech, John Austin said that the party was in good heart locally and ready for an election at any time and he introduced Howard Dawber as “the man who will win back Bexleyheath and Crayford for Labour”. Howard Dawber was selected by the Bexleyheath & Crayford Constituency Labour Party earlier this year as their prospective Parliamentary Candidate.