Liberal Democrats challenged the Haringey Labour Cabinet at the Full Council Meeting on Monday 18th July 2007 over their recent decision to spend £2.2m on a replacement IT system.

The new expenditure replaces a system for operating the Council’s Customer Services that has been operating for only eighteen months and which itself cost £1.4m to install.

The £2.2m expenditure will provide no additional customer service and the new system has less customer service functionality than the system being replaced.

The expenditure was not budgeted and has been agreed at the same time as £2m cuts are being made to the budget for street lighting improvements which have been requested on safety grounds.

Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson Cllr Robert Gorrie comments:

“What a tragic waste by Labour of the £1.4m spent on an IT system being thrown away after only eighteen months. The new £2.2m of expenditure brings residents no service benefit and shows the lack of clarity in Labour’s priorities which should be about improving the life of the residents of the borough rather than just the internal workings of Haringey Council’s administration.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“Haringey Council has clearly learnt no lessons after £11m Tech Refresh fiasco. It is staggering that they are now asking the Haringey taxpayer to foot the bill for what is in effect a software downgrade with no discernable benefit to local residents.”