I’d like to congratulate Councillors Barry Macleod-Cullinane and Susan Hall on their completion of the ice bucket challenge.

As the first Harrow councillor to do so, it’s great to see others following in my footsteps.

There’s less, however, to congratulate Cllr Macleod-Cullinane about when it comes to the issue of low pay (‘Labour’s decision making it worse’, Your Views, September11).

If I were a member of a party that opposed the introduction of the minimum wage and presided over an explosion of zero-hours contracts and foodbanks, I might not be so quick to attack others when they raise the issue.

As we saw this week with the launch of Harrow Borough Council’s budget consultation, we have been handed down a terrible duty by the Tory-led Government: to take a huge chunk out of our spend on parks, streets, protecting the vulnerable, and other local services.

Labour councillors will be out on the streets over the coming weeks to listen, engage, understand and debate. We won’t be able to stop the cuts, but we can make sure they are done as fairly and humanely as possible.

And we need to think hard, really hard, about how we can still make a positive difference to people’s lives even when the money isn’t there.

Part of that will be looking to others — our community groups, our local businesses, our engaged residents — to see where we can help them to make a difference to their communities.

If that means asking our local businesses to pay the living wage, for example, then I for one am for it.

Cllr Macleod-Cullinane may attack. But, in these difficult times, it’s only by working together that we can make a difference.

Adam Swersky

St Ann's Road, Harrow