File in the “you couldn’t make it up” pile – Haringey Council has broken its own planning rules and decided not to do anything about it!
Category Archives: Blog
What have I been doing?
It’s gong to be a bit of a bitty blog for the next few weeks as went back to hospital for X-ray on Friday – only to be told that bone in hand is broken. So am now plastered – so to speak – which makes typing a pain. Am hoping to find someone to take dictation… Anyway – highlights:
– the Government on Friday talked out the Bill that my colleague Evan Harris introduced on the royals being able to marry Catholics and women not being shunted out of line to the throne by boy children. Government says it agrees – but once again I suspect action won’t follow. Wimps. They should have a look at the polling on the subject – overwhelming support for these changes!
– Friday evening went to address Lib Dems in Hitchin and Harpenden. The very able and active PPC, Nigel Quinton, picked me up from station – and embarrassingly had to cut up my food for me! I think they have the potential to do what Lib Dems did in Hornsey & Wood Green if they put in the base work before the election – whenever that comes. After the General Election – if they are the obvious alternative to the Tories – they could reap the benefit.
– Saturday I went to the induction of the new Rabbi at Highgate Synagogue. Rabbi Liss and his wife Shully are just lovely and I have no doubt that the Jewish community in Highgate will blossom and be very very happy. The Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sachs, was there as was his wife – so it was a big occasion. In responding to Rabbi Sach’s blessings, Rabbi Liss was very winsome and very human. The atmosphere in the synagogue was warm, friendly and very inspiring. Our Highgate Safer Neighbourhood team were there too and it is clear that Highgate synagogue is making real strides in being involved in the local community. I stayed about 2 1/2 hours but then had to leave (before the kiddush – drinks) to rush up to Westminster.
– there, I briefly joined the march for Jobs, Justice and Climate – but mainly because I got caught up in it whilst trying to get to my coders’ meet up for the new Lib Dem Technical Advisory Board. When I did arrive found room nearly full of men (have to give some thought as to why women are not coming forward as coders) but today this was the army whose skills and talents we are harvesting. Fantastic!
– Then met with Sarah Ludford MEP and a host of local Lib Dem activists to do some campaigning in Muswell Hill, followed by a speech in High Wycombe to possible future female MPs.
I obviously made it too easy for the squirrels…
I obviously made it too easy for the squirrels who have been nicking the bird food – so am off to take a course in design, architecture and engineering!
Who gets to be our monarch?
So – Gordon Brown is finally ‘having discussions’ about the antiquated customs that surround accession to the throne – the monarch not being able to marry a Catholic (Jews, Muslims and atheists are OK) and women get shunted out of line to the throne by the boys. So – hurrah! Except he is only doing it because my Lib Dem colleague Evan Harris, in his Private Members’ Bill today on this subject, is forcing the issue.
As indeed, I have forced it myself before. That time the Government conceded the issue – but said the Commonwealth was the sticking point. Labour has already says it would bring this in in a fourth term. Yes – stop laughing. Sometime never! The Bill is unlikely to get through today for Parliamentary reasons too tedious to go into, like Labour talking out the Bill or 100 MPs not being there for the Bill to pass etc. – Fridays are constituency days so most MPs go back to their area on a Thursday night, and unless the Government is going to let the Bill pass or – as with the recent Autism Bill – everyone agrees to turn up, nothing comes to pass.
There is a long line of MPs who have tried to get these most symbolic of inequalities ended including Jeffrey Archer, myself, Jo Swinson, Evan Harris and many others – but hopefully days are now numbered. I post the exchange in Parliament during questions last year on both Catholics and women:
Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire) (LD): Here is a representation for the Minister. Next weekend, Peter Phillips is due to marry Autumn Kelly; she has had to convert to the Church of England to preserve his place in succession to the throne. I am sure that the whole House will want to wish the happy couple well on their big day, but would it not be better to send them a wedding present by using the equality Bill to abolish that institutional discrimination against Catholics?
Barbara Follett: I think that I will confine myself to congratulating the happy couple, and wishing them well in their marriage, which, as hon. Members know, requires a lot of adjustments on both sides at the beginning, middle and end.
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey and Wood Green) (LD): The Minister may be aware that I referred the case of Lady Louise being bumped out of line to the throne to the European Court of Human Rights, and it has responded positively, supporting the principle of getting rid of male primogeniture. The Solicitor-General made positive comments about that change being in the Act, and I congratulate the Government on that and welcome it. Does the Minister agree that it is very disappointing when those on the Tory Benches slide backwards and say that because it is difficult in the Commonwealth— [ Interruption. ]
Mr. Speaker: Order. It is not for the Minister to concern herself with Conservative party policy. The hon. Lady has been called because she is a Liberal spokesman, so she should put her question to the Minister.
Lynne Featherstone: You are right, Mr. Speaker, as always. Will the Minister assure me that the difficulties of working this through the Commonwealth should not stand in the way of its being done? It is right that it should be done, and we have heard from all parties that it should be done, so will the Minister confirm that view?
Barbara Follett: This kind of change in our country, which has a long tradition, is always difficult. Before any change is brought in, we will try to build a cross-party consensus, and a cross-Commonwealth consensus. Primogeniture is a problem, and it is offensive, but we have to approach the matter cautiously.
Farewell, Mark
So – my old partner in crime is leaving the Lib Dems! Mark Pack – my campaign manager who masterminded the Lib Dem strategy in Haringey and Hornsey & Wood Green and who has been at Lib Dem HQ forever – is going to become an Associate Director at Mandate PR. I think they are well lucky to get him!
He is such a brilliant man! Can’t imagine what the Lib Dems will do without him. But I think it will be good for him to have new frontiers and challenges. I have no doubt he will continue to aggravate me by text, email, phone – regardless! Wishing him all the luck and happiness in the world.
Bloody squirrels
Was away with the birds again today – when Tim Webb from the RSPB came to put up some bird feeders with me in my garden.
None have yet come to inhabit the bird box I put up a little while back – but I think it probably takes a while. And a bloody squirrel has just nicked one of the fat balls I hung from my tree.
My wire bird feeder is more squirrel-proof – so must get some more food to put in that. If this goes on – I will soon be bird-watching!
P.S. Further to my earlier blog, over on the Spectator Martin Bright writes on the New Deal of the Mind gathering himself.
A New Deal of the mind
Will Martin Bright’s vision of inspiring, encouraging, skilling and putting to useful purpose the generation of young people who will emerge from education to unemployment be realised?
I was immediately inspired myself by Martin’s big idea when I originally read his piece in the New Statesman. Called ‘The New Deal of the Mind’ this brave and visionary project would scoop up this potentially lost generation and create a version of Franklyn Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 30’s. It would see an army of young people employed in projects to record, write, film, photograph, design and record aspects of our lives, the recession, living histories, archives and so on – creating a legacy for future generations from this era whilst battling the scourge of unemployment in current times.
Since I first read about the New Deal of the Mind, I have been pushing the idea whenever I have had the opportunity. And today – the stellar gathering at 11 Downing Street (hosted by Mrs Darling) demonstrated that this is an idea which has grabbed hold of everyone’s imagination.
I can’t even begin to describe the guest list – other than the head of any arts, music, film etc organisation you can think ofwas there – from Sir John Tusa, Alan Yentob and Sir David Putnam to Michael Wolff, Sir Christopher Grayling and Mark Thompson (and loads more). As for Secretaries of State – we had two – James Purnell and Andy Burnham who both verbally gave their support and said they were both thinking along these lines anyway.
The event was kicked off by Martin describing the idea – and then we heard from Alan Brinkley, Professor of History at Columbia University who is an expert on Roosevelt’s New Deal and gave us the history and analysis of it.
Then it was opened for discussion to the floor – and the great and the good all agreed it was a brilliant idea. There seemed to be some debate as to whether this army could be achieved in existing structures with existing funds (benefits, money already earmarked for apprenticeships etc) or new money. There was agreement that whatever shape this took, who ran it or who funded it – that this needed to be done fast, as locally as possible and without endless hoops to jump through. It has to be simple.
Admiration for the idea was fulsome – but it took Trevor Phillips (Equality and Human Rights Commission) to put money on the table with the challenge for others to do same and for a partner to come forward to set up a project. It will be interesting to see if the others come forward – or if everyone just waits for someone else to do it!
The other person who particularly impressed me was the woman from the Heritage Lottery who said she was interested in partnering on the archiving idea. I hope all the others are fired up by the meet-up and put what were a range of splendid desires into reality.
Congratulations to Martin who is driving this ferociously and relentlessly forward. It takes someone with passion to push this forward – and this is a critical period where everyone has said yes – great idea. Now his challenge is to make it happen.
Evelyn Boyd Granville: my nomination for Ada Lovelace Day
For my Ada Lovelace pledge – to highlight a woman in technology whom I admire – I’m going for Evelyn Boyd Granville. To get your doctorate at Yale becoming one of the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D in mathematics; to do so at such an Ivy League college; to work on both the Mercury Project and the Apollo Project is pushing out the envelope and then some – for anyone.
To do all this as both a woman and a black women – amazing. As she put it when asked to summarise her achievements: “First of all, showing that women can do mathematics … [and], being an African American woman, letting people know that we have brains too.”
Way to go!
Are you tired of just shouting at the telly?
I’m on a mission – to engage more local people to get active in the local political scene – yes – even to become a councillor. Yes you! You may never have thought about it – or you may have thought about it and not known much about what it entailed. So – I want to invite you to come and find out what it is like and what is involved.
It’s really important because on 6th May 2010 the people of Haringey will elect 57 people to represent them. Would you like to be one of them?
With the hard work of our supporters and activists we can win a majority of councillors at the next election, ending over 40 years of Labour rule. This is an amazing opportunity to re-shape the council to make it really listen to the people of our Borough. And you could play a part in that winning team…
Haringey Liberal Democrats are holding an introductory session to help people find out more about becoming a councillor and how they go about it. The key things we will be looking for are people with:
- Passion for our local community
- A real desire to help other people and make sure they are heard
- Real commitment to Liberal Democrat values of openness, equality and localism
If these are things you feel strongly about and you would like to find out how to become more than an armchair activist, please reserve a free place at the upcoming event at 7pm on April 7th. Get in touch to reserve your place.
Our friendly council team come from all walks of life and at these events you will have the opportunity to hear some of their stories. There will also be the chance to answer some of the questions you may have.
This could be your chance to be able to do more than just shout at the telly when you disagree with the way things are run. Being a councillor means you can do something to really influence decisions that affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. We are particularly keen to make sure our team reflects the rich diversity of our Borough. I look forward to seeing you there.
Another failure by Labour Haringey
Homes for Haringey (Haringey Council’s arms length management organisation for council houses) have just admitted to my Lib Dem colleague, Cllr Monica Whyte, that residents of Stokely Court (sheltered accommodation for the elderly and disabled) will have to wait yet another year before their homes will be redecorated – four years after the Council promised that they would be renovated and ten years since they were last redecorated.
Monica Whyte has written urgently to the Chief Executive of Homes for Haringey to explain why Stokely Court has been neglected and how many other sheltered accommodation homes have been missed due to the “slippage” of the Internal Decoration Programme for Elderly and Disabled Tenants.
Monica is on the rampage – quite rightly!
If anyone knows of any more instances where Haringey Council has failed to meet its promised obligations on redecoration, repair or renewal – please let me know.
Lynne Featherstone 