About
I have been a Wandsworth Labour councillor since 1971 and for Latchmere ward since 1982. For 27 of those years, I was the Leader of the Labour Group of councillors and indeed for a very brief period, 3 months, I was Leader of the Council.
I have been what was then called the Chairman of the Planning Committee, now the Cabinet member for Planning, before strategic planning and planning applications were split. But for many years my priority has been overall policy decisions made by the Council.
I dislike the relatively new (2000) executive structure, which I consider an attempt to strengthen central control of local authorities by the Leader and his closest allies against the interests of backbench councillors.
I have supported Spurs ever since I lived within 400 yards of the Lane at the age of 6-8, though I admit my support is largely limited to the newspapers and TV!
I do the normal stuff of film, theatre, occasional opera and concert but actually I am never happier than lying on a Scottish cliff-top watching puffins, guillemots, razorbills and gannets.
I am Vice-Chair of Governors of Battersea Park School and a few other things besides, such as Treasurer of the Battersea Labour Party and of the Labour environmental lobby group SERA.
I used to think of myself as a pretty much middle of the road Labour member but now find, in the classic way, that whilst I have not fundamentally changed my perspectives and values the party has gone so far right that I am very much on the left! Old friends are allowed to laugh!
My Posts
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April 2024, Newsletter (# 178) April 2, 2024
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March 2024, Newsletter (# 177) March 8, 2024
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February 2024, Newsletter (# 176) February 11, 2024
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea January 2024, Newsletter (# 175) January 5, 2024
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December 2023, Newsletter (# 174) December 9, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea November 2023, Newsletter (# 173) November 7, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October 2023, Newsletter (# 172 October 5, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea September 2023, Newsletter (# 171) September 19, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August 2023, Newsletter (# 170) August 2, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea July 2023, Newsletter (# 169) July 11, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea June 2023, Newsletter (# 168) June 3, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May 2023, Newsletter (# 167) May 1, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April 2023, Newsletter (# 166) April 4, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March 2023, Newsletter (# 165) March 5, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February 2023, Newsletter (# 164) February 7, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea January 2023, Newsletter (# 163) January 6, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December 2022, Newsletter (# 162) January 3, 2023
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea November 2022, Newsletter (# 161) November 4, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October 2022, Newsletter (# 160) October 5, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea September 2022, Newsletter (# 159) August 27, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August 2022, Newsletter (# 158) August 9, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea July 2022, Newsletter (# 157) July 26, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea June 2022, Newsletter (# 156) June 9, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May 2022, Newsletter (# 155) May 29, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April 2022, Newsletter (# 154) April 12, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March 2022, Newsletter (# 153) March 9, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February 2022, Newsletter (# 152) February 7, 2022
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea January 2022, Newsletter (# 151) February 7, 2022
- In Praise of Brian Barnes (20/8/1944-28/11/2021) – An Appreciation December 30, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December 2021, Newsletter (# 150) December 6, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea November 2021, Newsletter (# 149) November 23, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October 2021, Newsletter (# 148) November 23, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea September 2021, Newsletter (# 147) November 22, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August 2021, Newsletter (# 146) August 5, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea July 2021, Newsletter (# 145) July 17, 2021
- For or against an elected Mayor, 2008 July 7, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea June 2021, Newsletter (# 144) June 12, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May 2021, Newsletter (# 143) May 8, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April 2021, Newsletter (# 142) April 4, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March 2021, Newsletter (# 141) March 6, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February 2021, Newsletter (# 140) February 2, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea January 2021, Newsletter (# 139) January 3, 2021
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December, 2020, Newsletter (# 138) January 3, 2021
- Festive Midwinter Greetings December 23, 2020
- The 1918 “Spanish flu” and my grandparents: Lessons from a pandemic November 17, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea November, 2020, Newsletter (# 137) November 7, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October, 2020, Newsletter (# 136) October 4, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea September, 2020, Newsletter (# 135) September 3, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August, 2020, Newsletter (# 134) August 2, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea July, 2020, Newsletter (# 133) July 5, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea June, 2020, Newsletter (# 132) June 3, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May, 2020, Newsletter (# 131) May 1, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April, 2020, Newsletter (# 130) April 4, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March, 2020, Newsletter (# 129) March 18, 2020
- Battersea Labour Party’s 2019 Annual Report March 3, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February, 2020, Newsletter (# 128) February 12, 2020
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea January, 2020, Newsletter (# 127) January 7, 2020
- Review of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg December 10, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December, 2019, Newsletter (# 126) December 9, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea November, 2019, Newsletter (# 125) December 9, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October, 2019, Newsletter (#124) October 7, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea September, 2019, Newsletter (# 123) September 10, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August, 2019, Newsletter (# 122) September 10, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea July, 2019, Newsletter (#121) September 10, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea June, 2019, Newsletter (# 120) June 13, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May, 2019, Newsletter (# 119) May 2, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April, 2019, Newsletter (# 118) April 5, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March, 2019, Newsletter (# 117) March 28, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February, 2019, Newsletter (# 116) March 28, 2019
- Bottled – a play by Hayley Wareham February 19, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s January, 2019, Battersea Newsletter (#115) January 21, 2019
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December, 2018, Newsletter (# 114) January 17, 2019
- Review of Peter Groom’s Dietrich November 28, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea Newsletter, November, 2018 (#113) November 1, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea Newsletter, October, 2018, #112 October 1, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea September, 2018, Newsletter (# 111) September 21, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August, 2018, Newsletter (# 110) August 4, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea July, 2018, Newsletter (# 109) July 12, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea June, 2018, Newsletter (# 108) June 6, 2018
- Privacy Policy May 24, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May, 2018, Newsletter (# 107) May 3, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April, 2018, Newsletter (# 106) April 12, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea March, 2018, Newsletter (# 105) March 4, 2018
- WHAT’S HAPPENING TO COUNCIL TAX? DON’T SWITCH OFF – IT’S IMPORTANT! March 4, 2018
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri March 3, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea February, 2018, Newsletter (# 104) February 14, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea January, 2018, Newsletter (# 103) January 8, 2018
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December, 2017, Newsletter (# 102) December 8, 2017
- Labour of Love November 24, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea November, 2017, Newsletter (# 101) November 16, 2017
- Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie October 28, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October, 2017, Newsletter (# 100) October 22, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s North Battersea September, 2017, Newsletter (# 99) September 14, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea August, 2017, Newsletter (# 98) August 5, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s North Battersea July, 2017, Newsletter (# 97) July 10, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea May, 2017,Newsletter (#96) May 3, 2017
- Twelfth Night – a play by William Shakespeare April 10, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April, 2017, Newsletter (# 95) April 3, 2017
- My Country: a work in progress March 21, 2017
- A Labour Party “Remain” Strategy for Wandsworth, 2018 March 8, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere March, 2017, Newsletter (# 94) March 1, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere February, 2017, Newsletter (# 93) February 3, 2017
- OBITUARY – MAURICE JOHNSON January 31, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s January, 2017, Newslettter (# 92) January 4, 2017
- Councillor Tony Belton’s North Battersea December, 2016, Newsletter (#91) December 6, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s North Battersea* November, 2016, Newsletter (#90) November 3, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere October, 2016, Newsletter (# 89) October 7, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s North Battersea, September, 2016, Newsletter (# 88) August 21, 2016
- Why throw money at the Town Halls to resolve the financial crisis? August 7, 2016
- Austerity in the Town Halls; Recession out there for working people August 4, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere August, 2016, Newsletter (# 87) August 2, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere July, 2016, Newsletter (# 86) July 6, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere June, 2016, Newsletter (# 85) June 4, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere May, 2016, Newsletter (# 84) May 18, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere April, 2016, Newsletter (# 83) April 14, 2016
- Two prescient Blogs from 2014 March 21, 2016
- Come on Jeremy raise the stakes: get tough, get leading March 21, 2016
- Tory Personal Generosity vs Public Meanness March 14, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere March, 2016, Newsletter (# 82) March 9, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere February, 2016, Newsletter (# 81) February 4, 2016
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere January, 2016, Newsletter (# 80) January 6, 2016
- Just who are the real cynics? December 16, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere December Newsletter (# 79) December 3, 2015
- Puccini’s La Bohème November 8, 2015
- Suffragette November 7, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere November Newsletter (# 78) November 3, 2015
- Drone Warfare: Ban it now before it is too late October 18, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere October Newsletter (# 77) October 14, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere September Newsletter (# 76) August 31, 2015
- Public accountability vs commercial confidentiality August 27, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere August Newsletter (# 75) August 27, 2015
- Getting Thatcher’s children to love the state – or at least trust it! July 23, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere July Newsletter (# 74) July 8, 2015
- Warfare or Co-operation June 14, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere June Newsletter (# 73) June 4, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere May Newsletter (# 72) May 22, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere April Newsletter (# 71) April 16, 2015
- Yarico March 26, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere March Newsletter (# 70) March 11, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere February Newsletter (# 69) February 17, 2015
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere January Newsletter (# 68) January 10, 2015
- High Rise developments in London – and Battersea January 9, 2015
- Hope by Jack Thorne at the Royal Court December 30, 2014
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere December Newsletter (# 67) December 30, 2014
- Leviathan – a Review November 21, 2014
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere November Newsletter (# 66) November 21, 2014
- Schools, community and local authorities October 27, 2014
- School Governors & governance.2 October 11, 2014
- School Governance & Governors October 7, 2014
- Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere October Newsletter (# 65) October 4, 2014