His statement also touched on the “many other challenges” such as the cost of living crisis and “cuts to our local public services by previous governments”. He added: “Since I became leader, we have got cost-of-living help to over 100,000 Southwark local people, put in place the country’s most comprehensive free school meals offer, built more new council homes than at any time since the 1970s, with over 3,000 now completed or under construction, created over 3,000 apprenticeships, raised standards in our schools, with over 95 per cent now rated good or outstanding and set new standards for care with our residential care charter and open access children’s mental health service. As well as opening new libraries, sports centres, a new nursing home and planting over 20,000 trees.”