Lib Dems have welcomed a spectacular u-turn from Haringey Labour over a controversial plan to spend £400,000 of Council Tax money on publicity for its Better Haringey PR campaign – much of it in the run up to this year’s local elections. The move follows questions and concerns raised by the Lib Dems over the issue in recent months.

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams comments:

“I am delighted that Labour has been force to back down on this silly proposal. Such a huge budget for self congratulatory PR from Labour would have been a gross waste of Council Taxpayers’ money. Proper information for residents on recycling and other environment services is needed, but not this huge sum of money claiming how well the council is doing. It is a victory for common sense.”

Haringey Labour are now trying to pretend that this proposal never existed, proving that they are either in complete disarray over their running of the Council or are trying to mislead Haringey residents.

Cllr Matt Davies, who sits on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee which first saw this budget proposal, comments:

“For Labour to say that they never had any plans to double this budget is at best misleading. This proposal was considered in the budget scrutiny process and I had my opposition to this huge sum of money officially minuted.

“The Labour councillors on the committee all agreed that the proposal to double the budget should be passed. For the Labour Executive Member to say now that there were never any plans to increase this budget is a disgraceful attempt to cover-up the u-turn we have forced.”