Monthly Archives: Jun 2014

Lynne Featherstone MP shows her pride in London

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Lynne Featherstone MP on the pride marchLynne Featherstone MP on Saturday took part in the annual London Pride march, to celebrate London’s LGBT+ community. She was accompanied by a large Liberal Democrat team including Lord Brian Paddick, Caroline Pidgeon (the Leader of the Lib Dem group on the London Assembly) and Lib Dem Baroness, Liz Barker.

This year’s march was the first since same-sex marriages became legal in England – under legislation that Lynne Featherstone MP introduced in her previous role as Equalities Minister (2010-12).

The local MP, who was stopped a number of times by people wanting to thank her for her work on LGBT+ issues, carried a placard underlining her pride at representing Hornsey and Wood Green.

Getting into the spirit of the event, the Lib Dem MP danced along to the music during the parade and took a number of pictures with other marchers throughout the afternoon.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“I was delighted to be marching at pride yet again this year – and I certainly wasn’t going to let the weather rain on my parade!

“Pride is always such a positive and empowering event – and I was so happy to be walking with men and women who have married since the introduction of equal marriage. It is always so moving when people thank me for my involvement in bringing in the changes – it makes me feel very proud of my work and of where we are now as a country on LGBT+ issues.”

 

Lynne Featherstone MP opens sensory garden at local school

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Lynne Featherstone MP with two school children in the Sensory Garden at St Paul’s Primary SchoolLynne Featherstone opened a sensory garden last Friday at St Paul’s Primary School in Wood Green. The garden was created by the children, staff and parents for use by the reception class, but will also be open to the other pupils at the school.

The teaching staff also hope that the garden will be a St Paul’s Primary vital resource for pupils with special educational needs.

The garden contains plants chosen by the children in the reception class, a sand pit, a reading area and an open air ‘kitchen’ equipped with cooking utensils where the pupils can make mud pies.

The local MP made a short speech declaring the garden open and praising the schools efforts in front of a group of reception pupils, parents and teachers. She then spent time talking to the children about their favourite features in the garden.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The garden is such a fantastic resource for the children and will be so valuable both in offering them a place to play and explore but also in teaching them to take care of their own space.

“I congratulate everyone who has hand in creating the garden and I look forward to seeing how it grows and changes in the future.”

Lynne Featherstone MP demands answers on council housing changes

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Lynne Featherstone MP demands answers on council housing changesLocal MP Lynne Featherstone has contacted Haringey Council’s Chief Executive, to request information on the future of council housing in her constituency.

Residents in Noel Park and Bounds Green approached the Lib Dem MP, following news that the Labour-run council plans to sell off some of its council housing stock to private landlords, and demolish other homes

The affected areas in the MP’s constituency include homes on Park Grove, Durnsford Road, Tunnel Gardens and Blake Road in N11, homes on the Noel Park estate in N22, and land near Hillcrest in N6.

In her letter, the MP for Hornsey and Wood Green demanded clarification from the Chief Executive, and put forward her view that no council housing stock should be sold off, without suitable replacements being built to house vulnerable local people.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The waiting list for council housing is incredibly long and oversubscribed in Haringey. There are many vulnerable people that need decent homes to live in. We need more council housing – not less.

“But Labour-run Haringey Council haven’t built a single new council home in over 25 years, and now plan to sell off and demolish some of their existing housing stock.

“It is vital that residents are kept updated, and that no social housing stock is sold off without adequate replacement. I will continue to push the council for answers and campaign for improved or replacement council housing, rather than demolition and sell off.”

Pond Park fails to live up to its name due to Labour council’s neglect

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Lynne Featherstone MP inspecting the rubbish at the old pondPond Park in Wood Green is failing to live up to its name after the Labour-run Council’s neglect has left the pond strewn with rubbish, empty of water and falling apart. The neglected pond is full of empty beer cans and paving slabs that have fallen off the side of the pond.

The park, also known as White Hart Lane Recreation Ground, is one of only a few large green spaces in Wood Green. The park sits in a residential area of the town with many families with children living nearby. Two schools back onto the park, Earlham Infant & Junior School and St Thomas More Secondary School.

Following complaints from local residents about the pond being full of rubbish rather than water, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone has intervened calling for urgent action.

Lynne Featherstone MP has contacted the council asking for the pond to be repair and cleaned up to make the park safer for local people and particularly for children.

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, comments:

“Wood Green only has a few large parks and it is clear from the state of the pond in Pond Park that Labour is neglecting them.

“The pond is in a disgraceful condition, quite literally falling apart and full of rubbish. I am very concerned that a child could easily have an accident because of the appalling condition the pond is in.”

Sarah Elliott, Haringey Lib Dem Leader and Councillor for Crouch End, comments:

“In my own ward the Labour-run Council have managed to maintain the paddling pool in Priory Park, so why can’t they do the same for the pond in Wood Green?

“It is ironic that whilst the council is spending millions on making changes to Wood Green High Road they can’t get themselves together enough to look after this park and make this pond safe so local children can enjoy the park properly.”

London bounces back!

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The most recent statistics are out, and they show yet another dramatic fall in unemployment. From February – April this year, 46,000 extra people were employed in the capital alone.

103,000 people have found work here in total since April last year.

London really is bouncing back!

Nationally, the numbers are just as good. Across the UK the increase in employment averages out at 1.6% (2.8% in England). That means, since the same time last year, 445,000 men and 315,000 women have found a job in the UK, the great majority of them full time.

The numbers are clear: there are now more people with a job than there ever have been.

In terms of percentages, as a nation we are now only 0.2% away from the record for lowest ever level of unemployment – set back in 1974.

When Gordon Brown and Labour left office in May 2010, unemployment was at its highest since 1994 (which is the last time the Tories were in Government on their own). Labour also managed to preside over the lowest levels of economic activity since records began in the same year.

With wages also going up too, the recovery is significantly more stable that it would be had we let either of the other parties go it alone. There still a lot of hard work to do, but we are getting there.

The last two crashes were caused by Conservative and Labour-only Governments and I am proud, as a Lib Dem, to be helping to get the country back on its feet.

Haringey Council in (another) mess of their own making

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Hornsey-Depot-265x360The controversial plans for Hornsey Depot have been challenged and halted – leaving Haringey Council with a £15m hole in their budget.

It’s another example of the Labour-run council failing to listen to residents and opposition councillors – with disastrous results.

Along with many residents and the Haringey Lib Dems, I raised concerns that the Hornsey Depot application was deeply flawed.

That’s why so many residents objected, and that’s why the Lib Dem opposition councillors voted against the application.

But instead of listening to concerns, local Labour councillors ignored our pleas and ploughed on regardless.

This has now prompted a Judicial Review of the plans, which could delay the development for a long time to come.

It’s also created a financial mess. Haringey Labour prematurely factored £15m from the sale of the Hornsey Depot into their budget, to ‘underpin’ the council’s capital for projects like new school buildings. So now they have a £15 million gap in their budget.

Banking on money that isn’t assured is the height of risky planning – and sadly, it will be local residents who suffer the consequences now the money isn’t available!

And Haringey Labour only have themselves to blame. If only they had listened from the start and taken a short time to agree an application that is both suitable and acceptable to residents – this could all have been avoided.

Once again, Haringey Labour have proved that they simply cannot be trusted to act in the best interests of the residents of Haringey.

Discussing charity projects with local supermarket

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Lynne Featherstone MP with Sainsburys staffLynne Featherstone MP last week visited the Sainsbury’s store in Muswell Hill to discuss and encourage their local community projects.

The Liberal Democrat MP talked to employees at the store who help to promote Age UK’s Advice for Carers guide during Carer’s Week 2014. The booklet offers a wide range of information to those who may be caring for a friend or loved one, ranging from practical tips, to telephone numbers to call for further help.

The local MP also spoke to the Store Manager about the local store’s work with a variety of charities. Sainsbury’s work with a number of charities nationwide; and the Muswell Hill branch also work to support local charities, such as Action for Kids, for whom they hold regular bag-packing and charity collection days.

As well as this, all food which has passed its shelf life (but not its sell by date) is passed to the Soup Kitchen in Muswell Hill, and the store has a no food waste to landfill policy.

After the visit, Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It was encouraging to discuss the current projects that Sainsbury’s are involved in. It is community based work, which is so important for the area and local people. They are setting a great example and it is great to the see the work they are doing to highlight the Advice for Carers guide.

“I look forward to visiting some of the projects they are working on and attending their fundraising events.”

Still liberal – still radical – still the good guys

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It was good to hear Nick begin to set out our real narrative – not the one written for us by other parties.

He said in a speech on Monday: “We may be the smaller party, but we have all the biggest ideas,” crediting the team who have brought so many good things into the coal – including:

  • Ground-breaking pensions reform – Steve Webb.
  • Dragging maternity and paternity leave into the 21st Century – Jo Swinson and Jenny Willott.
  • Getting our schools motivated to stop the poorest children from falling behind – David Laws.
  • Putting infrastructure front and centre of the Coalition’s economic strategy – Danny Alexander.
  • Equal Marriage – Lynne Featherstone.
  • The world’s first ever bank devoted to green investment – Vince Cable.
  • The biggest ever investment in renewable energy – Ed Davey.
  • An £800 tax cut for millions of ordinary people – every Liberal Democrat who ever campaigned for it.

And there is much more obviously. For example – one thing I will be forever proud of in my national work is my campaign on FGM. Of course it is now talked about on a daily basis (and on this I also have to thank the media particularly the Evening Standard) but hardly known about a year and a half ago when I came to the Department of International Development and said ‘we are going to campaign on FGM’. Working with all those campaigners who had campaigned tirelessly for years with no take up – now I would work with them to make sure that ending the cutting off of girls’ genitals was at the top of the political agenda. And now it is.

Even the Prime Minister has now recognised how important this is and chosen this as the subject of our Development World moment in July on FGM and Child Early and Forced Marriage which he will be hosting.

The economy was the reason we went into Coalition – and that is looking really good as are the employment figures. And make no mistake – without LibDems – that would not have happened. But the list above just shows how effective we have been at delivering our fair, green and liberal agenda – even in a Coalition.

Lib Dems celebrate police front counter breaking news

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Lynne Featherstone MP and Councillor Gail Engert keep their fingers crossed for the new police front counter at Muswell Hill Odeon to be openedThe local Liberal Democrat campaign for a new police front counter in Muswell Hill is on the brink of success. At a Police panel meeting yesterday evening, police representatives revealed that plans to put a front counter in the Odeon complex in Muswell Hill are now in their final stages.

Lynne Featherstone MP and the Haringey Liberal Democrats have campaigned for a replacement front counter since Conservative Mayor of London closed Muswell Hill Police Counter last year. The closure was forced through despite vehement criticism of the plans, from both local Liberal Democrats and residents.

That’s why, together with residents, local MP Lynne Featherstone and Lib Dem councillors presented petitions, met with top local cops and pushed so hard for the replacement.

Like the previous front counter, the new one will be manned by volunteers.

Muswell Hill Councillor and Haringey Lib Dem Deputy Leader Gail Engert commented:

“I am so pleased that we will soon have a replacement police front counter in the Muswell Hill area. It was a travesty to lose the previous one last year, which was relied upon and used by so many local residents.

“I’d like to thank Odeon and the local police for their hard work in facilitating a new counter – and look forward to seeing it open!”

Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone commented:

“We all hope never to have to report a crime – but it’s reassuring to know that a local police contact point is there, if you needed it. That’s what we’ve been fighting to get back.

“This fantastic news about the replacement counter in Muswell Hill comes after some relentless and ongoing campaigning. Yet again, it is the Lib Dems in Haringey working on the ground with residents to protect and stand up for our local services – with great results.”