There was drama at Haringey’s key Overview and Scrutiny Committee last night, as the controversy over the ‘shelving’ of a scrutiny report on post-16 education in the borough reached a peak. Amidst strong objections from the Lib Dems, there was a tied vote on the report, and division within the Labour members of the committee.

After months of delay, and accusations from both Labour and Lib Dem councillors of political interference in the committee from within the council’s ruling Labour executive, the committee voted merely to ‘note’ the report, rather than recommended it to the council – but only after a dramatic tied vote, in which the committee’s Labour chair had to cast a decider.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams condemned the delays in publishing the report, and secured a commitment from the head of Haringey’s new scrutiny process that his “valid concerns” would result in a report on how the whole matter had been handled.

One Labour councillor, complained that the council had “let down thousands of young children in the borough for a number of years.” Labour Councillor Bob Harris, who presented the report, said that the committee was “not allowed to hold meetings with parents,” and that involvement from “high up” prevented things from happening. He accused the council of being “insular” over the state of post-16 education in the borough.After the controversial vote, he said the issue had been fudged, yet again.

Cllr Ross Laird, Lib Dem education spokesman, has also condemned the handling of the matter. Ross Laird comments:

“It is outrageous for Labour to claim that the report has now been superseded in some way – this has occurred because Haringey Labour succeeded for months in blocking it.I will await with interest a full report from the Scrutiny Chair on the handling of this matter. It is a real blow for the future of the scrutiny process in Haringey, and I will continue to pursue this matter.”