This is our brand new and exciting section to the WERA Website.
Every Two weeks we will publish an EXCLUSIVE Interview with those who work with WERA and manage services to the estate and Lambeth. We will ask the questions that you may well of always wanted to ask whether they be at the Housing, in politics or the police as well as many more...
If you would like to make a suggestion for a Question or suggest a person for an
interview then Contact us.
How long have you been doing this job and briefly what it involves?
I’ve been a councillor
for 11½ years and Leader of the Council for 3½ -
I want to make change
happen and make a positive difference for our area. The council used to be a by-
What job did you do before coming to Lambeth?
I was a publishing manager for a major
global information company, publishing books, magazines
and online information about
business, management, finance and education.
What do you most like about living/working in London?
The best things about London
are its diversity and the huge range of things there are to do here – restaurants,
theatres, music, parks. We’re a global city and that means we can sample the best
the world has to offer right here on our doorsteps.
How do you think Lambeth has changed and you think your role has had an impact on
this?
I think Lambeth’s council is delivering better services in most areas, and
people have become more confident about Lambeth as a place. You don’t have to take
my word about the services improving – we’ve had inspection after inspection that
have put Lambeth among the top performing councils for the first time in our history.
As Leader of the Council, I have a key role in making sure our team keep focused
on the things that will really make a difference, and also in making sure we listen
to residents and service users about the changes they want to see.
If you had the power to change the law, what new law would you bring in?
Actually
I think we have too many laws, not too few! But if I had to make a change in the
law I would like to see more power given to local communities to take decisions about
the things that affect them like crime, housing, education, transport, job training
or the environment, and less direction from central Government which can sometimes
be remote from what’s happening on the ground.
What is your vision for the future of Lambeth?
My goal is for Lambeth Council to
be one of the best performing councils in London, offering high quality services
that are good value for money, and flexible enough to meet the needs of our different
communities. That really is within our reach now! And for our area, I’d like to
see more opportunity for everyone regardless of their background to make the most
of their life with a good education, a good job, decent housing, and a clean environment
to live in.
What role do you think residents have in shaping Lambeth?
Residents have the most
key role of all. They elect the people who will take decisions on their behalf.
When they elected the Tories and Lib Dems in 2002 they got a 40% council tax hike
and cuts in services. In 2006 they voted Labour and we’ve frozen council tax for
two years and are investing in new services paid for by cutting out the waste the
Lib Dems and Tories left behind. Apart from voting, I want to see more residents
involved in taking decisions about their local area through local forums, community
panels and service user groups.
What is your most memorable moment in your role?
Actually, despite all the big decisions
that involve millions of pounds, it’s the smaller, personal things that you really
remember. I was once able to help a care leaver who’d been left to live in a cold,
damp flat find a better place to live. That helped him find the stability he needed
to get a job with good prospects and good training and start to make more of his
life. He came back to see me about a year after I’d met him to show me some pictures
of how his life had changed. That really touched me – it showed you can make a difference
for people, and they do care.
Who would you most like to meet?
Because my job’s quite high profile I’ve been lucky
enough to meet some very interesting people, including Tony Blair, Bill Clinton,
Kevin Spacey and the Queen! I’d really love to meet Nelson Mandela – I was in the
crowd years ago when he visited Brixton but I think it would be a real privilege
to shake the great man’s hand.
What do you most like to see in a community?
People who know each other and look
out for each other, and who get on and make a difference for their area. We have
plenty of communities in Lambeth like that or striving to achieve that.
What is your favorite area in Lambeth?
I love walking along the South Bank – that’s
not just one of my favourite places in Lambeth, it’s one of my favourite places in
the world!
If you had to sell Lambeth to the world, what three words would you use to describe
it?
Diverse, vibrant, ambitious.
If you could change one thing about this country what would it be?
The weather!
I’d rather have more sunshine in the summer, more snow the winter and fewer grey
drizzly days.
Do you travel, if so where was your last holiday destination?
I had my first two-
What aspect of your job would you most like to Change?
My job’s so busy it’s impossible
to do everything people ask me to – I’d have to be at three separate events all the
time. I’d love to be able to say yes to more invitations from local groups and spend
more time answering letters and emails personally.
How do you most like to relax after a hard day at the office?
My working day is usually
very long – often over 12 hours, and I usually work weekends too. So when I get
free time I like to catch up with friends over food or a beer, and I love the theatre.
Who is the most influential person you have ever met and why?
It must be Bill Clinton,
who I met at a Labour Party conference in Manchester a few years ago. As US President
he was the most powerful man in the world for 8 years, and he had more personal charisma
than anyone else I’ve ever met.
What would you most like to achieve in the next 10 years?
I’d love the chance to
continue leading Lambeth on its journey of improvement until we’re recognised as
one of the best councils in London delivering good services right across the board,
and I’d like to feel settled and happy in my personal life too. It’s hard to balance
a very busy job with a good personal life because there’s not enough time for both.
Can residents contact you and how?
There are plenty of ways residents can contact
me. My email is sreed@lambeth.gov.uk, my website is www.stevereed.org.uk, my phone
number at the town hall is 020 7926 1167, I do a public advice surgery as part of
a rota with other Labour councillors at the town hall every Saturday morning from
10am, and I’m out and about across the borough visiting different groups and areas
every week!
Other Interviews:
Sabina Joseph... Click here to view
Steve Reed... Click here to view
Nick Ephgrave... Click here to view
Val Shawcross... Click here to view
Patrick Horgan... Click here to view
Lib Peck... Click here to view
Derrick Anderson... Click here to view
Cathy Deplessis... Click here to view
Chris Adamson... Click here to view
