Liberal Democrats have voiced their dismay at the axing of six vital ‘watchdog’ committees by the Labour Group on Haringey Council. The move, agreed without consultation by the borough’s ruling Labour group, was confirmed at last week’s meeting of the borough’s top watchdog body, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Six Scrutiny Panels, covering Social Services, Environment, Housing, Regeneration, Education and Performance, are to be swept away and replaced with just one body, which will conduct inquiries on a ‘single issue’ basis.It follows the abolition of the Policing Committee last year. Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams says this will damage the ability of the Council to monitor the work of key council functions. He says it is the wrong response to criticism from the Audit Commission for the poor performance of scrutiny in the London Borough of Haringey and the running of scrutiny by the Labour group on a party-political basis.

The move was all the more astonishing, says Councillor Williams, as nearly all the Labour members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee expressed their disagreement with the changes – and then quietly voted them through.

Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“This is a cynical move from Labour, and it does not address the real problem with scrutiny in Haringey, which is down to the attitude of the Labour group. They have been forced to make changes because of outside criticism but have taken steps to ensure that they will not be held properly to account in the Council.Hardly a single member of the Scrutiny Committee supported it, but it is going through anyway. We will continue to try to make scrutiny work better, but I am not optimistic, given this latest cynical ploy.”