Regent's Park &
Kensington North
| |
|
Karen Buck MP Regent's Park & Kensington North |
|
July 2005 It seems far longer than a fortnight ago that London won the Olympics, seemingly against the odds, and because not only was an excellent bid put together but we successfully promoted London’s image as a successful, global city. The trauma of the events which have followed, which may indeed have unfolded further between the time of my writing and your reading, do not change this essential truth. London is home to such a diversity of communities that we are almost certainly unique in history, and this diversity is a key driver of our economic and cultural success. Our generally excellent community relations are a living testament to what has been achieved against a background of rapid change, and they are a prize we must continue to cherish. Certainly here, in North Westminster and North Kensington, though we have felt the impact of the bombings- which reached our doorstep in the Edgware Road- and the subsequent investigations, it has been heartening to hear the messages of unity from right across the spectrum of faith and other communities and political parties. Messages of condemnation of the attacks have poured in to my office, together with praise for the responses of local police, and of course, admiration for the courage and professionalism of emergency and transport workers as they have faced up to the challenges of these terrible events. We have known for some time that a terror attack was likely. Until July 7th, the police and the security services have successfully protected the country from attack, but not even the best intelligence can provide complete protection. Now all efforts are being concentrated on avoiding further attacks and everything than can be done is being done to return London to normality. And alongside the policing and intelligence response, and the ongoing criminal investigations, we will continue to work within and across our local communities, to ensure community safety, to divert our young people from extremism and to strengthen those links which allow us to emphasise our common experiences as citizens. The Olympic bid victory was celebrated widely as symbol of hope and imagination. Children in my local schools- including many children whose families arrived here from wars and repression across Africa and the Middle East, amongst many other places- are already practising together as they aspire to Olympic glory for themselves and Britain. The bombings were an assault on that hope and all those communities, as we know from the list of those who died. Whilst we face many challenges in the future, as we come to terms with the attacks and the next steps in responding to them, our hope for a better future is undiminished. Tony Blair said in Parliament (8th July): "People know full well that the overwhelming majority of Muslims stand four square with every other community in Britain. We were proud of your contribution to Britain before the 7th of July. We remain proud of it today. Fanaticism is not a state of religion but a state of mind. We will work with you to make the moderate and true voice of Islam heard as it should be" |
|
| Disclaimer | Copyright | Designed and run by Bassam Mahfouz on behalf of Karen Buck MP. Paid for by RPKN CLP. |
