LABOUR IN-FIGHTING OVER EDUCATION POLICY

Posted on 4th Apr 2006 by Lynne Featherstone

Haringey Labour has been plunged into disarray after several of their council candidates started openly campaigning against the official local schools policies being promoted by other Labour candidates.

Labour’s Muswell Hill candidates have attacked the official schools policy calling it “controversial”, “wrong” and saying “we don’t want [it]” in an election leaflet only days into the election campaign for control of Haringey Council on May 4th.

They have also warned how Labour’s schools policy will only help “a select few”.

Labour’s splits come after the party has been heavily criticised by local parents for the shortage of school places plaguing much of the borough. The latest bad news is that over 189 children have not been offered a place at any of the secondary schools their parents applied for, and the number is expected to increase further in the next few weeks.

Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat candidate for Muswell Hill and Education spokesperson said:

“This is a Labour group in chaos. It appears that the left hand and right hand are not connecting.

“The Liberal Democrats in Haringey offer a clear positive choice, we are pledging to end the annual school’s places crisis with a full consultation with local parents and a ten year plan. Labour just offer chaos and confusion.”

SIR MENZIES CAMPBELL LAUNCHES LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN IN HARINGEY

Posted on 3rd Apr 2006 by Lynne Featherstone

Liberal Democrats are battling with Labour for control of Haringey Council and will launch their manifesto tomorrow, with a visit to the borough from newly elected Party Leader Menzies Campbell MP.

The visit by Ming Campbell reflects the importance of Haringey as a key national background between the Lib Dems and Labour in this year’s local elections.

Ming will meet party activists and local Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone at their Hornsey headquarters after launching a campaign for more CCTV at Harringay station.

The election battle is hotting up, with Labour’s own election leaflets predicting a close fight between the Lib Dems and Labour, with the real prospect of an end to more than thirty years of Labour rule.

For the first time the Lib Dems are fielding a full slate of fifty-seven candidates across all of the borough’s 19 wards.

Launched tomorrow, the Lib Dem’s comprehensive manifesto for the borough contains key pledges to end the annual school places crisis, lower Council Tax towards the London average, hand power back to residents and to fight to keep local police stations open.

Neil Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Haringey Council, comments:

“Our election campaign is getting off to a flying start this week, and we will be delighted to have Ming Campbell here with us. For the first time, local voters have a real chance or removing an arrogant and complacent local party from control of our borough.

“With a united team this will give us the chance to implement policies that will really benefit the local environment, planning ahead for the future of our schools, and involving local people in our democracy. We are very much looking forward to the campaign ahead.”

Royal Free hospital

Posted on 2nd Apr 2006 by Lynne Featherstone

Reflecting on the swingeing cuts at the Royal Free and having done a bit of homework with various medical experts, I have come to the conclusion that many of the problems stem from the fact that management make decisions about which jobs to cut, and doctors are relatively expensive compared to, say, nurses.

However due to the way medicine works, it requires several nurses on the ward for every doctor. At the end of the day it is clinical staff – not managers – who see, assess, treat, take responsibility for, and discharge patients. The biggest growth area in the NHS is middle management. It would be virtually impossible to find a clinician who has any idea of the purpose/reason for this management ‘growth industry.’ Conversely managers often start interfering with clinical decisions based on a lack of medical understanding – for example pressure to discharge patients prematurely, thereby increasing their chances of rapid readmission.

Admittedly most doctors are patient-centred and not management-trained, so those hard-working managers who keep our cupboards stocked and pay the bills are crucial. The rest, who sit in pointless 9-5 meetings and hypothesise about meeting targets, while there are not enough clinicians to possibly do so within the limits of physics, should be redistributed.

Canvassing, canvassing, canvassing

Posted on 2nd Apr 2006 by Lynne Featherstone

Morning canvassing in Woodside and afternoon in Bounds Green. But before the afternoon session I go to a new housing development to meet a group of Kurdish women living there with Ali – one of our Bounds Green candidates who speaks Kurdish and Turkish.

They are just a lovely group of women who are encountering all the same problems as everyone else in Haringey – mostly housing issues with overcrowding, not being able to live near family, the Council not doing the repairs etc etc.

Standing down as a councillor

Posted on 1st Apr 2006 by Lynne Featherstone

April fools – but no time for fun. Out canvassing in Muswell Hill with Sheila Rainger. I am stepping down as a local councillor in Muswell Hill ward on May 4 and Sheila is the woman who I hope very much will replace me. We are out with my other colleagues Cllr Engert (Muswell Hill) and Cllr Newton (Fortis Green). (Jonathan Bloch, the third Muswell Hill councillor, is also restanding).

This is my old stomping ground as they say – and it is so lovely to knock on the doors that started my political career. In Sheila local residents will be getting a really good local councillor who is experienced – and also married to the Campaigns Director of the LibDems. She knows all about campaigning to help local people and if she is elected – they will have lots to discuss over the breakfast table!