“Reopen Camberwell station,” says Lib Dem candidate for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Reopening Camberwell station could be the solution to poor transport links in the area, according to the Lib Dem candidate for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green.

Chris French said reopening the station, which has been closed to passengers for more than 100 years, “would kind of open up another type of transport for the area, along with an extension of the Bakerloo line”.

Although Vauxhall is well connected, some constituents live in areas with a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 2 out of 6 or less.

Public transport in Southwark falls largely under the remit of Transport for London, but MPs can put pressure on central government and the mayor to help their constituents. Here’s what Vauxhall and Camberwell Green residents said they would do for public transport:

Chris French – Liberal Democrat: “I support reopening Camberwell station and extending the Bakerloo line”

“Take the plight of residents in Vauxhall and Camberwell Green who will soon lose their surgery on Lambeth Walk and have to travel nearly 2 miles to Akerman’s surgery near Myatts’ Field. There is no direct or easy route, especially for those with mobility needs.

“There was a campaign to reopen Camberwell station, which would provide the first rail link into Camberwell since 1916. This would go some way to opening up another type of transport for the area, along with an extension of the Bakerloo line to both areas. which I support.”

Florence Eshalomi – Work: “Extend TfL’s network, particularly routes between residential properties and local amenities”

“Public transport is a vital part of a thriving city and is particularly essential for the independence of young people, the elderly and those with mobility problems. It is also essential for cleaning up London’s polluted air.

“I will always fight for stronger transport links in our area and work in partnership with our Labor mayor to extend the network, particularly the routes between residential properties and the local amenities that communities depend on.”

Catherine Dawkins – Green: “More buses and cycle lanes”

“Access to reliable and affordable transport is essential for our borough and we campaigned against Labour’s proposed cuts to bus routes which are vital to Camberwell and surrounding areas.

“I will push for more buses, better transport links and safer cycle paths to make getting around Camberwell easier and greener so we can rely less on cars.”

Aarti Joshi – Tory: “I support the extension of the Bakerloo line”

“I support the extension of the Bakerloo line as originally envisaged and this could be funded by emulating the success of the London Docklands Development Corporation and establishing an enterprise zone in the area around Old Kent Road. A world-leading city needs a world-leading transport system.”

Mike King – Reform

Southwark News was unable to reach Mike King to get answers to our questions about the 2024 general election.

Chair analysis

Newly established Vauxhall and Camberwell Green is considered a Labor stronghold. Vauxhall, which makes up the largest part, has consistently voted Labor since 1929. In 2019, Labour’s Florence Eshalomi took 56.1% of the vote. Her nearest rival was Liberal Democrat Sarah Lewis, who took 21.3%. Newly added areas such as Newington and Camberwell Green are also strong areas for work.

Vauxhall is ethnically, culturally and economically diverse. Although the area has traditional working-class roots, major redevelopment in recent years has seen wealthier residents move into the area. There is also a very strong LGBTQ+ community. According to the most recent census, 10% of residents identify as LGBTQ+. This is the third most in the UK, surpassed only by Brighton Pavillion and Brighton Kemptown.

History of the constituency

Vauxhall and Camberwell Green is a new constituency, created following the recommendations of the Boundary Commission. It is mainly made from the old Vauxhall constituency, but Camberwell Green has been added, formerly part of Peckham and Camberwell. Newington also joined, having previously been part of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Areas such as Clapham Common and Clapham High Street have since been removed and added to the new constituency of Clapham and Brixton Hill. The redraw of the boundary lines has been controversial, with some pointing out that Camberwell Green has few cultural or historical links with Vauxhall.

Vauxhall has consistently voted Labor MPs since 1929, with the exception of 1931. In the 1989 by-election, Kate Hoey was elected to the seat, which she held until 2019 before resigning from the party. Hoey proved to be a prominent, if controversial, figure within the Labor Party. Her socially conservative views sometimes made her stand out among more progressive colleagues. She also campaigned to leave the EU, despite strong support for Remain among her voters. She spent much of her life in favor of a United Ireland, although she became more pro-Unionist as her career progressed.

In 2019, Hoey announced that he would not stand in the next general election. Florence Eshalomi was elected in December 2019 in a painful election for the party at national level, in which Jeremy Corbyn’s Labor secured just 202 seats. Eshalomi, a former Lambeth councilor and London Assembly member, is a lifelong Brixton resident who attended local state schools. In her inaugural speech in the House of Commons, she said: “I never imagined that for nearly five years a day, as I literally walked up and down the maternity ward, looking across the river, trying to coax my daughter to leave. , I would now be sitting in this Parliament fighting for funding for our hardworking doctors and nurses.”

2019 election results

What are the candidates’ key commitments?

Florence Eshalomi – LabouR

1. Offer free breakfast clubs at every primary school in Vauxhall and Camberwell Green to reduce childcare costs for young families.
2. Introduce a new network of youth centers to tackle anti-social behavior and reduce violent youth crime.
3. Support the building of truly affordable homes and strengthen the rights of renters in our area, including a complete ban on no-fault evictions.

Chris French – Liberal Democrat

1. A fair deal for local tenants and landlords.
2. Take Thames Water over raw sewage dumped into the Thames. Clean up our local environment.
3. Support our local LGBTQ+ community.

Catherine Dawkins – Green

1. Improving public transport: I am committed to improving bus services, expanding transport networks and investing in cycle infrastructure to make commuting in Vauxhall and Camberwell Green easier, greener and more sustainable.
2. Promoting inclusive and affordable housing: I am committed to ensuring that all new residential developments in the constituency include a minimum of 50% affordable housing, involving local communities in the planning process to create inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods.
3. Social and environmental justice: I promise that all policies – from housing to education – will be fair and just for the environment and people. A clean and green future is the only way to truly give back to local communities and protect the world we live in.

Aarti Joshi – conservative

1. Improve the quality and availability of housing.
2. Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
3. Better education and opportunities.