Lib Dems receive vote of tree confidence from unexpected source (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Lib Dems receive vote of tree confidence from unexpected source

July 29, 2008 1:43 PM

Councillor Ruth Polling

Erratic local Labour MP Emily Thornberry took time out of her schedule of berating Islington Liberal Democrats to write and table an amendment to a parliamentary motion, in which she singles out and praises Islington Liberal Democrats for their commitment to protecting the borough's trees.

Recognising the council's commitment to protecting trees and increasing the number of trees in the borough, MP Emily's motion calls on the Islington Lib Dems to pass on their good practice and love of trees to Swansea Council, which is currently deciding whether to cut down a controversial monkey puzzle.

Mrs. Thornberry's amendment "calls on Liberal Democrat-led Islington Council, which passed a motion on 26th June 2008, claiming that `we all love the Borough's trees', to appeal to their colleagues in Swansea to see sense and to save the monkey puzzle.'"

Councillor Ruth Polling, Islington's tree chief, said:

"I didn't expect our Labour MP to be praising us for the hard work we've done making the protection of Islington's trees more robust. So for her to raise this in Parliament is an unexpected vote of confidence in the Lib Dems from local Labour politicians.

"Of course we're always happy to share our good practice with other councils. I'll be sending across the things we've done to increase the number of trees in Islington and protect mature trees from the axe."

In June Islington's Liberal Democrat councillors promised robust action to protect Islington's trees from the axe. A motion was passed by the Lib Dem group committing the council to a presumption against cutting down trees. Where trees need to be cut down, the council has committed to planting more larger, mature trees to replace them, and to improving information given to residents.