Liberal Democrat leader councillor Neil Williams has poured scorn on claimsby Labour that councillors were consulted properly over the controversialpayment of one million pounds to fund consultancy fees in a flawed bid toturn the Alexandra Palace into a casino.

Cllr Williams was reacting toclaims by Labour councillor Andy Krokou, who in response to a question atlast night’s Full Council meeting, said that the matter had come to Haringey Council and had been “approved unanimously”.

Cllr Williams says that claims that councillors were adequately consultedare a far cry from reality.In truth, councillors were presented with alarge pile of paper as they arrived at the last council meeting on 4thOctober, which included as a “late item” the report of the last meeting ofLabour’s Alexandra Palace Board (in fact, held thirteen days previously,giving plenty of time to have circulated the single sheet report).

This bundle included the statement that the Board would be requestingfunding for the appointment of advisors, although the massive amountrequired was not specified.

Far from “unanimous agreement”, there was novote because the reports of the Alexandra Palace Board do not need to beapproved. The astonishing request for one million pounds was only revealedthe following day, when it was presented, yet again as an urgent item, atthe meeting of Labour’s ruling executive.

Liberal Democrat councillors immediately tried to bring the matter beforethe Council’s scrutiny committee (a process that can be completed within amatter of days) but they were told by the Council’s legal services thatsince it had been presented as an urgent item, the Labour Council’sconstitution did not permit any challenge. Even more worryingly, it turnedout that the contract would be awarded without any need for a tenderprocess, and would include further contracts also to be awarded withouttender.

Councillor Neil Williams comments:

“Labour’s claims that councillors had a say over this massive andunacceptable bill are a fantasy.They know perfectly well that councillorshad neither the details of these payments, nor any notice of them to allowthem to be questioned in a full and proper manner.

“When such large sums of Council taxpayers money are involved, this wholeprocess is completely unacceptable. Labour have chosen to present these sumsfor approval by their Executive in a way which almost completely avoids anytransparent and democratic examination by the opposition or the public.

“With Labour’s absurd plans for super-casinos coming off the rails bothlocally and nationally, this is looking more and more like an enormous wasteof money.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson, Cllr Lynne Featherstone, adds:

“Labour have wasted many millions at the Alexandra Palace over the years,and it looks as if they haven’t learnt a single lesson.It is even moreworrying that there is absolutely no accountability in Haringey overproposals to spend such large and unplanned sums of public money.”