Support Floods In For Stop The Strip Pub

We have received the following statements of support:

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London

"I fully support the campaign by local residents, businesses and community leaders in Stoke Newington to oppose the application by Satchmo’s public house for a strip pub licence. Residents are right to raise concerns about the potential negative impact of a strip club on the people who live and work in the area. I will work with those who oppose a strip pub at this site in order to maintain the quality of life for all the families and residents, particularly women, who live in Stoke Newington and for everyone who works in and visits the area."

Diane Abbott MP

“I am horrified at the prospect of a strip club at 97 Stoke Newington Road. This part of Stoke Newington is essentially residential with many young families. Strip clubs and “sex encounter establishments” belong in established sex industry areas like Soho. We do not need sleazy sex clubs in Stoke Newington. I will be pressing the council to oppose this planning application.”

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney

"I very much support the residents' campaign to keep places like this away from where they live. The law allows for the establishment of these kind of venues, but Stoke Newington Road is not an acceptable place for them. I hope this will not be like the situation with betting shops, where the law and national regulations are more on the side of the business proprietor than local people."

Joint statement from the three ward councillors Jamie Carswell, Rita Krishna and Muttalip Unluer

"As local ward councillors, we totally support the community campaign to stop this sex license. With many schools, places of worship, and family homes nearby it is clearly a completely unsuitable location for such a use. There is a formal process that has to be gone through to receive this license, and we urge all local residents to support the campaign making the reasoned case of objection at the licensing committee."

John Taylor, Minister at Stoke Newington Baptist Church

"Speaking as one of the leaders of the Christian community in Stoke Newington with a church only a few blocks from Satchmo’s I would want to stand with other faith communities and community groups in opposing this application. Quite apart from the offence that will be given to people’s religious sensibilities, “Sex Encounter” establishments inevitably help perpetuate the illegal trafficking of vulnerable girls and young women into what is arguably the 21st century’s equivalent of the slave trade."