Category Archives: Blog

Go Debenhams!

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Hot on the heels of Debenham’s announcement that they were using size 16 mannequins – comes another ground-breaking announcement that they are going to use a disabled model in their advertising – read about it here. 

There is a growing movement – across several industries and companies – all moving towards creating a more realistic view of us human beings. For too long the skinny, bony catwalk icons have held sway – but now the fight back begins.

The amazing diversity of we humans needs to be reflected in the images we see. We are so much more interesting than stick figures – and that includes seeing that disability is also part of our diversity.

Fair Funding – consultation in next few weeks – hopefully

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Tony Brockman, of Haringey NUT, had convened a meeting of education stakeholders last night – to prepare for the consultation that will finally arrive in the next few weeks on funding our children in our Haringey Schools.

I started the ‘fair funding’ campaign several years ago, when I discovered from Parliamentary figures obtained – that our children got around £750.00 per head less than each child in Islington, Camden or Hackney. Hence the campaign title – fair funding!

Since that discovery and the full on campaign – I am pleased to say that the Labour MP and Minister, David Lammy, the Labour Council Leader, teachers, governors, parents and all – are all campaigning together to get the funding formula which delivers this disparity – changed – so that our children have a fair education.

The gap is still widening – and currently our children are getting over £1100 less per head – that is equivalent to £35 million per year and could deliver over 1000 extra teachers. That would be 15 teachers more for each of our Haringey schools.

And whilst our teachers do an excellent job – and we are improving – we are not improving as fast as other comparable areas. Obviously – a thousand more teachers would enable us to zoom ahead!

So – having secured a debate in Parliament specifically on Haringey’s unfair funding, having met with Schools Minister, Vernon Coaker (and twice with predecessor Jim Knight), having raised it at Prime Minister’s Questions and several other times in the House as well as tabling countless written questions – we are now at the point of possibility.

The Government has been conducting a review into their funding formula with the help of Price Waterhouse Cooper – and they are about to go out to consultation on the options for a changed funding formula. It is complex – really complex- so complex that Haringey have had to employ KPMG to interpret the new options – and they were there last night to explain to the stakeholders what will be next.

In brief – it looks like the recommended option in the Review will deliver a 6.6% increase to Haringey schools (if the consultation supports the recommended option). That won’t deliver parity – but it will deliver another £10million per year to our schools – and is probably for the time being – the best we are going to get out of this Government.

So – assuming this is the case and the consultation goes ahead – we all have to make sure that everyone – from stakeholders, to parents, to everyone – responds to the consultation. And we need to respond early and with personal experiences – what it will mean to our children and our school.

I also suggested that all our Haringey children might like to respond to – to make sure the Government hears directly from those most affected. I’m sure our children telling the Government what they could do with an extra £1000 would clinch the case!

I am hopeful, that after what has been a huge campaign as MP for this area, we will see a narrowing of the funding gap. Set to widen even further this year to around £1200 – it is the biggest ‘cliff edge’ between neighbouring boroughs for funding disparity.

I will come back and publicise the consultation as soon as the Government puts it out for us to respond to. It is thought that will be in the next three weeks – but track record on this would indicate that it could slip. But time is of the essence.

Victoria Climbie – have lessons been learned?

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Today is 10 years since Victoria Climbie died. As Leader of the Opposition in Haringey  I remember the beating of breasts by the then Labour leader of the Council about how lessons would be learned and how this must never happen again. And then it did. Eight years later – Baby Peter died another dreadful death – with over sixty visits to the home by Haringey Children’s Services and other agencies.

And again the phrase ‘lessons must be learned’ were uttered.

It is clear to me that when Victoria died – lessons were not learned. Only the social worker at the end of the food chain took the punishment – everyone else walked away free – and nothing much changed. That is why it did all happen again eight years later.

But this time – the law had changed as a result of Victoria’s death. For the first time in legislation, two positions were named as accountable for what happened in Children’s Services – the Director and the Executive Member. That was a direct result of Victoria’s death and Lord Laming (who conducted a public inquiry) recommendations.

That is why when Baby Peter died it was so important that the two people in those two positions – now accountable in law – lost their jobs. If no one, now the law had changed, lost their jobs – then again – nothing would have changed.

But this time – changes have been brought in. Scrutinised closely every month and under new Director and Senior Management – the latest Ofsted report this week – found that Haringey is finally improving. It has a long way to go – but nevertheless – let’s hope that this is a real sign of progress and that, thanks to Victoria Climbie and the changes to the law that have now had effect – we really have learned the lessons this time.

Whittington A&E: LibDems would give Power to the People

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The Ham & High just organised a photo-op outside the Whittington in advance of the march on Saturday (Highbury & Islington corner at noon) so that they can give it advance publicity. Well – done Ham & High!

The key in all of this – is where the power and the decisions lie – and sadly – it isn’t with the people. If it was – we wouldn’t be in this postion to start with. We are at the mercy of high paid, managers and bureaucrats moving around services on paper – without any understanding of our wishes or our needs – nor any mandate from us.

As for the Labour Government – they say it’s a local matter. There is nowhere for us to hold the decision makers to account that has real teeth. Whatever they decide – they won’t lose their jobs and they don’t have to face an electorate.

If Liberal Democrats were in charge (and after the election we may be) we would put power back in the hands of the people. No longer would we be in this untenable and unacceptable and position – where we petition and beg for what we want to unaccountable quangos.

Everyone I talk to says the same thing: this is madness – but how do we stop it? We fight, we march, we meet and we protest – but in the end – if we the people had the power, if our health boards were elected and accountable as they will be under a LibDem administration – the Whittington would be perfectly safe in our hands!

Power to the people!

Gordon Brown's temper

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On my last post ‘Gordon, Temper Temper’ a comment came in which I publish below. Having vaguely defended Gordon Brown to the extent of asking in that last post whether the passion of caring makes you a good boss or a bully – this comment continues the dichotomy – as to where truth lies. I remind readers this is a comment posted on a previous blog post.

Jon says:

About 15 years ago, Mr Brown when he was Shadow Chancellor, used to be one on my regular clients, I worked as a telesales operator at a tour operators and he used to regularly fly to Nice (S.France) for whatever reason.

On one occasion he reduced me to tears when I was unable to find a flight for him. He turned up at Heathrow (last minute) and demanded me to get him onto a flight immediately to Nice. When I was unable to do so, due to it being a Friday and flights being completely full, he launched into the most unbelievable tirade of abuse I had ever experienced. This was not controlled anger and I saw first hand the terror he can cause, let me assure anyone he can be very scary – what I experienced was rage fuelled by not getting his own way yet it was not bullying in my opinion as it was an isolated incident – his rage is not malicious, it is passionate rage as I also found him to be warm and courteous prior to this incident and typically Scottish.

So 15 years on and he is my Prime Minister and remember this episode like it was yesterday, apart from nearly losing my job for putting the phone down on him and my language back to him – I was called in to the MDs office but cleared of misconduct due to the nature of his call and the abuse I received.

I always wondered if this was an isolated incident and perhaps I caught him on a bad day – should I have apologised for my language, should he have to me, for the way he spoke?

All things aside I would far rather have a strong personality running the country than a shrinking violet and assume he uses the fear factor as a tool in what must be a fairly stressful job – I am sure that a lot of this story is pre election banter and if it were not this then it would be a n other story.

I also now have the ultimate dinner party story of having told the PM to FO!

Haringey – New Ofsted report

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The second inspection of Haringey’s Children’s Service has now reported. Last time they found that Haringey was not improving fast enough. This time – the report finds that they have done better. Given the staff are working very hard to improve things and there is a new Director – I would hope that this is the case.

The only question mark is really over how much confidence we can have in Ofsted. This is the inspectorate that gave Haringey 3 stars during the period that Baby Peter was falling through the Haringey net – and when it went public – gave them 1 star.

Hopefully – Ofsted too have improved their inspections and would not be fooled again by doing a desk inspection where Haringey provide (as they say happened last time) false information.

But I am very glad if, at last, things are getting better – both for any children at risk in Haringey – but also for those staff who have had to come through one of the most demoralising and difficult work situations that can be faced.

Child 'Y'

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I was asked by London Tonight which was more shocking – the fact that there was another child, who experienced similar failures by Haringey Children’s Services as Baby Peter – albeit this time thank goodness not ending in a death – or the fact this had only just come to light – four years after the event.

The first I heard of it was when Andrew Gilligan (Telegraph) ‘phoned me to ask my view. My only view – was why was I only now hearing about this case – and from a journalist rather than being briefed by the Labour Leader of the Council or CEO?

Child ‘Y’ happened at approximately the same period as Baby Peter – yet when the furore over Peter broke – there was no mention to me of another case.

It is not hugely surprising that there was another child being let down by Children’s Services at that time. Given the litany of casualness that came to light  surrounding the care of Baby Peter – if those same fault lines were undermining the department – in fact it was inevitable.

So – the shocking thing to me is that, despite all the work going on by a staff who are working their socks off to turn Haringey Child protection around, the leadership still displays an unchanged culture in terms of secrecy and cover up. Why was there no statement, no explanation – only the Executive Summary of the Serious Case Review on Child ‘Y’ sneaked onto an obscure website?

How many times have I heard the leadership in Haringey say ‘lessons must be learned’? Sadly – the leadership has not learned one key lesson – that hiding things just makes it worse.

Labour u turn on digital aerials – we hope!

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It looks like the formidable campaign by my LibDem colleague Cllr Matt Davies, the Leaseholders’ forum, various local campaigners (and me) will succeed. You can read the full story here. Haringey Council wanted to charge astronomical charges to their council blocks for digital switchover – £1000 to each home – way over the odds. After a long battle it looks like this will now be reduced to £400. That’s not as low as it could go – but it’s a hell of a lot better than before. Fingers crossed for the meeting next week where this will/should go through.

Brown's temper, temper

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Two things struck me about the allegations about Gordon Brown’s temper, bullying and violence. Firstly – if Rawnsley has written something untrue – why doesn’t Brown sue? Probably too simplistic.

Secondly and perhaps more interestingly is what constitutes bullying? If a ‘boss’ shouts at an employee because they’ve done something wrong – something serious that puts the firm or organisation in jeopardy – is that bullying or is that just the sign of someone who is passionate about their work, firm or reputation?

My mother, who ran a small chain of shops in London’s West End was from the old school. The customer was always right – for a start. She was definitely paternalistic (I know – it needs to be maternalistic really) and when employees erred grievously they would be called into her office. She would lecture them and tell them exactly what she thought of their actions and what would happen if such an occurrence recurred.

She was much loved and respected by her employees, most of whom stayed with the firm all their working lives. Was she a bully – or a good boss?

A Future Fairer to All?

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Labour launched its campaign slogan today – a Future Fairer to all.

For those who watched Question Time this week and saw the raw anger of local people in the Middlesbrough audience against the loss of 1600 jobs on Teesside as the Corus steel plant is mothballed, might be forgiven for comparing the slogan with reality. Thousands of other jobs may follow as a consequence.

The anger and hurt in the audience was palpable – and the question was – how is fair of Labour to plunge zillions into the banks to save them – whilst this key industry on Teesside is let go to the wall?

It shows the reality versus the spin. For if there is any way out of the recession it is jobs and it is not only unfair – but it is an insanity to not try and preserve local jobs in an area that is suffering when the costs of dealing with the aftermath – unemployment, depression, retraining, redevelopment etc will cost far more in the long term and in terms of peoples’ lives.

One woman in the audience made the hugely powerful point – that even if those who are young enough to be retrained and find a future – for those over 50 its basically curtains.

Labour may hope that people won’t notice reality – won’t look at the statistics that shows that the gap between rich and poor is still widening, that social mobility is worse now and that if you are born poor now you are more likely to end up poor than you were thirty years ago.

I think people are not so easily fooled and will tell Labour exactly what to do with their new shiny slogan and where to put it.