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Duwayne Brooks Picked To Be Deputy Mayor By Brian Paddick

Posted: 5/04/2012 12:16 Updated: 5/04/2012 12:16

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The best friend of Stephen Lawrence who was with the black teenager when he was murdered in 1993 will be appointed deputy mayor of London if the Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick wins the race.

Paddick, a former senior police officer at Scotland Yard, wrote on Twitter that he was "very happy today to be announcing Duwayne Brooks as my Deputy Mayor for Youth & Communities".

Brooks is currently a Lib Dem councillor in the London Borough of Lewisham and the role in City Hall would see him focused on creating opportunities for young people in the capital.

Paddick said the post was needed to help prevent a repeat of last summers riots.

“We saw last summer what happens when young people feel disaffected, when they feel that they don’t belong. We have seen what happens when people no longer believe the police are on their side. We cannot allow this to continue," he said.


Duwayne Brooks
I have accepted the offer to be Brian's Deputy Mayor for Youth and Communities. But I need your help to create a safer london for our youth

“This role would see Duwayne ensuring that young people have safe places to meet and engage with the community and allow him to develop opportunities that turn youngsters away from the gang culture that has developed in London.

He added: “It’s a positive role that I know Duwayne is passionate about, and that we would work very closely together on.”

Brooks said he hoped to be able to restore the trust between the police and all communities as well as inspire our young people to take a stake in society".

“I am honoured to have been given this important role. We have seen over the years an increase in both gun and knife crime across London. So much so it rarely gets the headlines," he said.

“I think it is fair to say these are difficult times in London. People feel disconnected from politicians and the police. We also have too many young people who also feel alienated."

Paddick is currently trailing front runners Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson in a distant third place according to recent polls.

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The best friend of Stephen Lawrence who was with the black teenager when he was murdered in 1993 will be appointed deputy mayor of London if the Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick wins the race. Paddi...
The best friend of Stephen Lawrence who was with the black teenager when he was murdered in 1993 will be appointed deputy mayor of London if the Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick wins the race. Paddi...
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Awura Adjoa
6 Fans
07:20 PM on 04/05/2012
Most young people, arent even in any gangs. They are just young people hanging around(at worst)-and they get labelled. The London riots wasn't a youth thing-it was an everyone and anything.

But yes, in recent years some youths-still the smallest percentage are using knifes and guns to 'represent' themselves. The government doesn't know what to do!

If you want youngsters to trust the police-withdraw stop and search. I know two of my friends who have been stopped and searched. One was a housing manager for one of the largest housing associations in the U.K(i was with him when it happened), and the other was a manager for the home office(he has been stopped and searched more times than I care to remember-and everytime he tells me i get distinclty P****d off. Were they young and black ?(definately so), gansters and thugs? (certainly not)-They are more prominent members of society than the biggots that stopped and searched them. Withdraw police power to stop and search because the police have proved that they are hapless and do not know how to use that power. As I recall only 9% of stop and search scenario's up in arrests-the other 91% must feel the way I do.

I'm not phased by Brook's appointment. It maybe a 'vote thing' as stated before.
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Scott Tracy
8 Fans
12:48 PM on 04/05/2012
What a cynical stunt. At least it signals that he knows he has zero chance of getting elected.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Daviejohn
All the world's a stage,
79 Fans
 
12:31 PM on 04/05/2012
Heaven forfend that this is using a recent trial and it's subsequent publicity to attract the minority vote.
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katertaif
My wife thinks I have one fault. Everything I do!
527 Fans
03:19 PM on 04/05/2012
As the previous poster said, it's a stunt. A cynical ploy to attract the 'ethnic' vote. Livingston is trying to pitch for the muslim vote. This is politics in Britain today. To paraphrase Groucho Marx. I do have policies, and if you don't like them, well I have others, vote for me.
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