So many people attend the hustings in Peckham this evening that we had to have an additional event outside for the hundreds of people who couldn't get in to the packed local venue!  

There was so much support for Labour at St James the Great primary school in Peckham today. Local Councillor Johnson Situ joined me to talk to parents and carers.

Charles Horton

Managing Director, Southern Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd

Hertford House

1 Cranwood Street

London EC1V 9QS

30^th April 2015

Dear Charles,

Overcrowding at Denmark Hill station and train capacity during rush hour

Many of my constituents are very concerned about overcrowding at Denmark Hill station.

One constituent who commutes from Denmark Hill to central London tells me that the 08.04am - from Sevenoaks in Kent to London St Pancras – is regularly overcrowded by the time it reaches Denmark Hill meaning people are not able to get on the train. She also says that the trains are usually only 4 carriages long.

My constituents pay for and rightly expect a decent service from Govia Thameslink. It’s totally unacceptable for people to be left on crowded platforms waiting for the next train simply because their scheduled service does not have enough capacity.

People should not have to worry about being late for work or have the stress of travelling in a crowded carriage. There is also the potential danger of having lots of people jostling on crowded platforms. It’s hard enough for people travelling to work but impossible for people travelling with young children or if you’re elderly or disabled.

I’d be grateful if you would send me a full report outlining the immediate steps you are taking to reduce overcrowding and improve capacity at Denmark Hill station.

I look forward to your reply at the earliest convenience.

Best wishes,

Harriet Harman

Meeting parents and carers at Ilderton primary school this afternoon with local Councillor Richard Livingstone. Thanks to Head Teacher, Dean Brewer, for showing me around the school - which is open from 7.30am to 7pm with breakfast and after school clubs!

Val Shawcross, London Assembly Member for Southwark, local Councillor Chris Gonde and Rosemary Minto joined me at the school gate this afternoon to talk to parents and carers. 

Lots of important issues raised tonight at the NUT Southwark hustings in Camberwell - supply teachers terms and conditions, free schools and academies, protecting the education budget, the NUT's Education manifesto, and the importance of voting. Thanks to all the teachers who joined us after a long busy day in the classroom, and to NUT Secretary Betty Joseph for organising it.

Lots of questions and support for Labour at the school gate this afternoon at Lyndhurst Primary school in Camberwell. Thanks to local Councillor Radha Burgess and Jane Bevis for joining me.

Lots of people to talk to this morning at the very busy Peckham Rye station. Thanks to local Councillors Johnson Situ, Nick Dolezal and Jasmine Ali, and Jo, Mark, Declan and Richard for joining me.

May 7th is a big day for people locally, for the UK and for our democracy. It’s Election Day when everyone has the right to vote.

I hope everyone will vote. People who are older are more likely to vote. But it's important for young people to vote too - and get their voice heard. People who own their own home nearly always vote. But we need to see the votes of tenants too. For our democracy to be equal we need to see the votes of everyone, younger as well as older, poorer as well as richer and black as well as white. Everyone has an equal right to vote and every vote counts the same.

Some people don't vote because they think their vote won't make any difference. But that just means that they won't have their say and everyone who does vote will.  Some people don't vote because they say all the parties are the same. But there is a huge contrast between the Tories - always helping the better off - and Labour who is on the side of working people. With the Tories we always see the NHS suffer and people on lower incomes getting worse off.  And we face the extra threat this time of UKIP who sow the seeds of division turning people against each other. We cannot solve the problems of this country by the politics of blame.

Some people don't vote because they've never voted and they don't think they know how. It's really easy and straightforward to vote. If you've got a polling card from the council you take it to where it says the polling station is - usually the local primary school or community centre. You don't need your polling card to vote. Just tell them your name and address. There are council staff there to help you if you've got any questions about the process.

I hope that you'll vote for me to be your Member of Parliament. It’s a huge honour and privilege to be your MP. And I think that our area could be so much better with a Labour government. There's a huge amount of optimism in our neighbourhoods but so many people still struggle.

If I get re-elected the people in Camberwell and Peckham will be my first priority. And one of the most important responsibilities of an MP is to help people who have problems but can't solve them and get caught up in red tape.

I hope when you're voting you will think about the people who don't have it easy and who need the backing of government to get a good home, a decent job, and health care. And I hope you will think about people in the rest of the world too. We need to tackle problems which affect us but hit hardest at poorer countries like global climate change. Have your say and vote on May 7th!

Great to talk to so many parents' and carer's at St Peter's primary school in Walworth this afternoon along with local Councillors Lorraine Lauder and Paul Fleming. Many people told me they have already voted but they took Labour posters and leaflets!