Author Archives: Lynne Featherstone

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About Lynne Featherstone

I'm a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords.

Liberal Democrats demand zebra crossing re-painting plan

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Local Liberal Democrats have demanded a change in policy after it emerged that Haringey Council fails to proactively re-paint dangerously worn zebra crossings. Currently, residents have to tell Haringey Council of problems in their area rather than Haringey Council checking the state of crossings.

Liberal Democrats say that Haringey Council should use Road Safety Week (10-14 November) to pledge to repaint zebra crossings every year.

Cllr Martin Newton, who is spearheading the campaign, comments:

“Pedestrians rely on zebra crossings to cross our busy roads safely. This is not a situation where Haringey Council should sit back and wait for something to happen. They should be taking the initiative and proactively repaint every crossing, every year.

“Road Safety Week is a perfect time for Haringey Council to realise its error and change its policy.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Putting the pedestrian first is key to encouraging people out of their cars and on to the streets. Haringey Council’s ‘sit back and wait for someone to complain’ attitude is completely unacceptable. Local residents deserve better-loved streets that we can be proud of.”

Liberal Democrats challenge Labour to deliver Council Tax freeze

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Haringey residents who have been hit hard by the financial crisis sweeping the country should be helped by Haringey Council say local Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrat Council group and Lynne Featherstone MP have demanded that Labour-run Haringey Council should freeze the Council Tax, with a 0% increase for 2009/10.

Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign for a Council Tax freeze this April to help hard-pressed residents, but are demanding that it is funded by cutting waste rather than front-line services. They are calling on Council Leader George Meehan to urgently investigate how Haringey Council can deliver financial help to residents and Cllr Robert Gorrie will lead a discussion on the financial crisis at the next Haringey Council meeting.

Haringey has the fifth highest Council Tax in London and the average bill has more than doubled within the last ten years.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Haringey Liberal Democrat leader and Finance spokesperson, comments:

“Residents are really feeling the pinch. With the credit crunch beginning to effect everyone, it’s up to Haringey Council to give local people a break by making sure Council Tax doesn’t rise any higher.

“To ensure a freeze on Council Tax does not affect frontline services planning must start now. We are willing to work with Labour on these plans.

“Families struggling to make ends meet should not fund the results of this Labour Council’s financial disasters – £37 million lost in Icelandic banks, the failed management of Alexandra Palace or indeed Haringey Council’s £2.2 million publicity budget.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Families are facing a prospect of a difficult winter. Rising mortgage bills, the fear of unemployment and high heating costs mean that the shockwaves of the financial crisis are being felt in households across Haringey.

“When the banks were in trouble, they got rescued. Millions of families who are finding themselves in trouble must be helped too.

“Haringey Council tax payers have to tighten their belts so it is only right that Haringey Council should do the same.”

Westminster Hour: 10pm, Radio 4

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Appearing on Radio 4's The Westminster Hour with Carolyn QuinnI’m back on The Westminster Hour tonight (Sunday): Radio 4, 10pm.

If you miss the show you’ll be able to listen again on their website.

If you want to get advanced notice of my media appearances like this one, you can use the media events service at Flock Together. You’ve got three choices:

  1. Using this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LiberalDemocratsMediaAppearances, or
  2. By email: register at FlockTogether and pick “Media appearances” as one of the categories of events you want to be emailed about. (If you are an existing Flock Together user you can also change your preferences – login and then click “Edit your preferences” in the left-hand menu; you need to tick “Media Appearances” under “Email options”), or
  3. On the web: take a look at the dedicated Flock Together page.

Could there be a British Obama?

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As the fairy dust settles on Obama’s amazing victory, there is a parallel question of whether we could have a black (albeit Obama is mixed race) Prime Minister in Britain.

I am sure we could – if someone of Obama’s brilliance were to become a politician. I have no doubt s/he would have a chance of being in the frame for the top job. Problem we have is there are no black and ethnic minority members of Parliament that are a touch on Obama – nor are there any white ones either! He is exceptional.

Hornsey Hospital: turning over a new leaf?

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Last event for me yesterday was the consultation on Hornsey Hospital where the Primary Care Trust (PCT) has levered in Elizabeth Manero to work with the community and the Trust to try and get us all contributing and working together – replacing the scaremongering (some valid, some not) with positive moves forward.

I first met Elizabeth when I was on the London Assembly and the Government were getting rid of Patient Link – which represented the people’s voice in the health service. She didn’t save it – but I have to say she was/is the most able and ferocious advocate of the peoples’ voice I have ever met – so was delighted when she turned up.

It was a pretty comprehensive consultation session – and all the factions were in the room. The important thing, I think, is to make sure we get all the new and best health facilities for the west of the borough and that those facilities are what local people want.

To make us happy we need to know exactly which GPs will move in and how the transport will work. Elizabeth has already worked the miracle of getting the PCT to agree that they will survey the patients of any GPs who declare an interest.

So – onward and upward!

Winning fairer funding for Haringey's schools

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Headed yesterday to the Youth Summit – except when I arrived they said it was the ‘Schools Forum’ not the ‘Youth Summit’. Assuming (wrongly) that my diary had simply got the wrong title – I found I had missed the pleniary session and so selected one of six workshops to sidle into and listen.

Sometimes you do have to think that fate steps in and plays her hand. I chose a session on school funding where a civil servant from the ministry was facilitating. Stephen Kingdom is, in fact, the Deputy Director in charge of School Funding and chairs the DSG (Direct School Grant) Review Group. This workshop was looking at possible changes to the DSG from 2011.

Of all the workshops in all the world – I had to walk into his. Play it again Stephen! What am I talking about? I am talking about my ‘fair funding’ for Haringey School campaign: our local schools are taken as inner London in respect of costs such as teachers’ wages – but then taken as ‘outer London’ in respect of Government funding. As outer schools get less funding than inner, it means we in Haringey get the worst of both worlds – higher costs, lower income. The funding gap works out at £1,000 per child per year – and it’s getting worse, as that’s up from £736 in the previous funding round.

It is completely and utterly unfair. So when I discovered this a while back I got a question at Prime Minister’s Questions where I was able to ask Gordon Brown directly about what he was going to do about this dreadful situation and he agreed it was an ‘anomaly’ and would be looked at.

Subsequently I had a meeting with Jim Knight – the school’s minister – who said that there was going to be a review. And – guess what – this workshop that I had ended up in was part of the consultation around the review!

I put my hand up nearly at the end to ask about this funding issue. Stephen said that it was my meeting/letter to Jim Knight that had raised the issue at a timely moment and therefore this particular issue was now included in the review. I pressed him again – but he said that he couldn’t say whether the differential issue would be resolved in the review or not.

Luckily I have another idea that will help him, Jim and the Government. This is so important to Haringey children – that I am now going to write to Jim to ask that a Haringey representative be appointed to the Review Board. That way at least we will know that the issue will be properly kept at the forefront of any changes to the DSG!

Then as I was leaving – I asked again about the Youth Summit and the reception lady said “oh yes, it’s in room G8”. So I found that after all!

Helping people back into work

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Lynne Featherstone with Lynne Tricia Ward and Gillian Gurner at the Employment Resource CentreOn Friday went to the Employment Resource Centre – which is a small charitable group in East Finchley that helps unemployed Jewish people to get themselves together to find a job.

A wonderful, but small, band of dedicated and committed people use their professional skills voluntarily to do this work. They support and help those who find themselves for one reason or another out of the work – giving them training and mentoring.

Funnily enough, when I rang on the door and it opened, the woman who opened it said, ‘Don’t you remember me from school?’ – and turned out to be the then Caroline Gainsley who I hadn’t seen for several decades – and that was a really delightful surprise.

Anyway – it was a wonderful charity and doing incredibly good work. It is not an employment agency – but somewhere that Jewish people who for cultural or religious reasons feel more comfortable with a group that understands their needs and will support those particular requirements can go.

I am always moved really – by the dedication of those who give their time, skill energy and warmth to those who need help.

Local coach crash victims get right to apply to local school

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Andrew Smith, Caroline Macaulay, Delilah Macaulay-Smith and Lynne FeatherstoneHurrah! Bureaucracy at Haringey Council triumphed over – for one local family.

The Macaulays had to move into temporary accommodation in Finchley after a coach crash demolished large parts of their home. They wanted to apply to send their child to a local school but no, said Haringey, you’re not living locally.

After months of correspondence, Haringey Council finally saw sense – and agreed that yes, if you have been forced out of your home to live somewhere else whilst it is rebuilt, then you can still apply for a local school. So – hurrah!

Full story in the news release on my website.

Christmas card competition at Highgate Primary School

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Lynne Featherstone at Highgate Primary SchoolHad fun yesterday visiting a painting class at my old school – Highgate Primary – to see how the children were getting on with their entries for my Christmas card competition.

This year the theme is ‘I’m dreaming of a green Christmas’, with pupils giving their interpretation of recycling at Christmas.

All primary schools in Hornsey and Wood Green have been invited to send in their entries and the winning design will feature on my Christmas card for this year.

If this visit was anything to do by – there will be tough competition! It was great to see some fantastic ideas. I’m really looking forward to sitting down and going through the entries. Then all I’ll have to do is pick a winner, get the cards printed and sign and sign and sign away!