Haringey Lib Dems have severely criticised comments by Justin Hinchcliffe, Chair of Tottenham Tories, for comments denying that climate change is caused by human activity.

In his blog, Mr Hinchcliffe states, “The point is that it is not caused by the CO2 emitted by human development – it is not caused by MAN.”

Councillor Bob Hare, Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson, comments:

“As a society we should never be afraid of healthy debate, but when such a strong consensus exists from the respected scientific community, who know a whole lot more about this than Justin, you have to wonder what planet he’s living on.

“It just shows that David Cameron’s attempt to re-brand the Tories is just a PR exercise. No matter how many trees they have in their logo, their pronouncements on the environment are just plain old green wash to make voters think they are more environmental friendly than they really are. These comments reveal the Tories in their true colours when it comes to climate change.”

Councillor Ed Butcher, Deputy Environment Spokesperson for Haringey Lib Dems, adds:

“Comments like these make me shiver and remind me of the drivel we used to hear from oil companies who spent million on PR trying to convince the world that climate change didn’t exist. Thankfully, they have woken up to their responsibility to the environment – maybe local Tories should too.”

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, has uncovered a sharp increase in alcohol-related deaths in Haringey. They have risen by a third in just one year according to the latest official figures available.

This shocking statistic puts Haringey firmly in the worst five London Boroughs for the largest increases, and well above the average increase of 2%.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“These are extremely disturbing figures and beg the question whether Haringey Council and our local health trust are doing enough. I will be urgently contacting the Council and local trust leaders for their take on the issue and for their plan of action.

“These stark facts mean that we must redouble our efforts against more health cuts and possible cuts in grants to voluntary organisations from the council.These are front line services that can make a difference and act to prevent these tragic and unnecessary deaths.”

Note: the number of deaths in Haringey increased from 25 to 33 between 2004 and 2005, an increase of 32%. For full London figures see the Parliamentary Question asked by Lynne Featherstone.

Haringey Liberal Democrats have welcomed a recent poll showing a majority of the public support a change in the local tax system. The recent NOP poll commissioned by the BBC has shown that 60% of those questioned favoured the fairer system of a Local Income Tax.

Haringey’s Labour administration recently increased the Council Tax burden to an enormous £1431.74 for a typical household. Liberal Democrats have highlighted the rapid increase of Council Tax under the Labour administration in Haringey over the past ten years. A total of £575.74 has been added to the tax burden for the residents of Haringey – a staggering 67.26% increase from 1998/99.

The Liberal Democrats believe that the present system of Council Tax is unfair – with those on low and middle incomes bearing the brunt. Plans for a Local Income Tax would base local tax payments on the residents’ ability to pay based on earnings.

Neil Williams (Leader of the Opposition) comments:

“This poll shows that there is public support for the local taxation system to change. It is not fair that Haringey residents have been overloaded by years of Council Tax increases by Labour, yet there is no end in sight.”

Matt Davies (Finance Spokesperson) adds:

“Haringey residents on average pay more than the Prime Minister does for his luxury house in Central London. Nobody can say that this is a fair system of taxation. It is time.”

In connection with International Women’s Day the Liberal Democrats are urging the British Government to investigate, promote, and encourage the use of solar cooking technologies in the developing world, especially in refugee camps in conflict-affected states.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for International Development and Hornsey & Wood Green MP comments:

“There is a danger for women and children who often leave the refugee camp in war afflicted countries in search of firewood for cooking. Many of them are attacked, raped and killed by militia bands. I am therefore delighted to lead this campaign promoting such a simple cheap devise that saves lives.

“You can get a solar cooker for as little as £1. That’s very little to pay to save our sisters from rape and murder. I hope the government will take on this simple cooking devise. It has to be the answer in the short-term.

“Solar cookers saves lives.”

Note:

The letter regarding the benefits of solar cookers being sent to Tony Blair reads:

We the undersigned urge the Government to investigate, promote, and encourage the use of solar cooking technologies in the developing world, especially in refugee camps in conflict-affected states.

Solar cookers are a win-win technology in sun-rich, fuel-scarce areas. Costing around $2 each, they reduce smoke and lung diseases as well as pasteurize unsafe drinking water. Perhaps most importantly, solar cookers have particular benefits for women living in refugee camps where leaving the safety of the compound to collect twigs for firewood often exposes them to rape and murder.

Haringey Liberal Democrats have expressed concern over the growing rise in the number of children in Haringey without secondary school places. Figures published last week show that 8% of children in Haringey fail to receive a place in their top six choices – and the numbers have grown from 185 in 2005 to 219 in 2007.

Cllr Gail Engert (Lib Dem spokesperson on Education) comments:

“I am deeply concerned at the new figures, which show yet another increase in the children without school places. The Lib Dems have said that the new secondary school in Haringey was needed in 2008 rather than the projected 2010. The lack of secondary school places is something that, as a consequence of Labour’s indecision, will not diminish in the near future.”

Liberal Democrats have backed local residents and traders in Stroud Green by supporting plans for money which had been earmarked for the painting of shop fronts to be diverted to the provision of CCTV in Quernmore Road.

The Lib Dems reviewed consultation responses from residents and gauged public support at the Stroud Green Residents Association on 28th February 2007.

Liberal Democrat councillors will now be lobbying Haringey Council to match funding for the installation of CCTV in the shopping parade in Stroud Green. CCTV has long been called for by local residents, commuters and traders. A Liberal Democrat survey last year showed very strong support for the idea; this was reinforced by an enthusiastic response from local residents and traders at a residents’ association meeting this week.

Cllr Laura Edge (Stroud Green) comments:

“I am pleased that a consensus seems to be developing on how to spend this money in a way which will hopefully bring real benefits to Quernmore Road. I will work with the Council to make the installation of CCTV possible.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats and Lynne Featherstone MP have expressed their concern after it emerged at a meeting with police on Tuesday 20th February 2007 that plans have been proposed to close the front counter at Wood Green Police Station between the hours of 10pm and 8am.

The Liberal Democrats have called on Haringey Council to provide funds to ensure that the counter has twenty-four hour cover and for the public to be consulted before any decision is made.

The Lib Dems have provided continuing support to provision of a new Police Station in Haringey as they consider the old buildings ‘not fit for purpose’; however, they believe that there should be no withdrawal of service until the new facilities are built.

Ron Aitken (Lib Dem Crime spokesperson) comments:

“We only need to look at the incident on Wednesday night in Wood Green [a 16 year old female was stabbed by 15 year old male at 10.30pm on Wood Green High Road near Hollywood Green] to highlight the need for a twenty-four hour counter service at Wood Green police station.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green added:

“Having successfully campaigned to maintain our police presence in all parts of Haringey I am concerned that the closure would send the wrong message to the public.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Crouch End have welcomed the decision by Haringey Council’s Planning Department to refuse permission for a retail unit to change to a betting shop in Crouch End Broadway.

Lib Dem councillors Ron Aitken and David Winskill wrote to object to the change of use and highlighted their concerns over the dwindling numbers of shops in Crouch End.

Cllr Ron Aitken comments:

“We are pleased that our objections were listened to. Crouch End has already lost several retail outlets over the past couple of years and we hope that this marks an end to others changing.”

Cllr David Winskill added:

“Crouch End is up against some pretty stiff competition form large shopping centres and out of town operators. It makes environmental sense to keep shoppers in the area but to do this we need a comprehensive retail offering. This will help.”

As residents’ outrage over parking chaos in the Miltons area of Highgate grows, a Highgate councillor has expressed his anger at the response from Haringey Council.

Liberal Democrat Leader Neil Williams says Haringey Council’s response is “pitiful and inadequate”, and action must be taken to speed up parking solutions for the area.

Cllr Williams was commenting after he received a dismissive response from controversial parking boss, Cllr Brian Haley, to his requests that the Council get on with consultation in the Miltons area over parking controls. In a reply to Cllr Williams last week, Cllr Haley has refused to look at ways of speeding up the process so that the parking hell currently being experienced by residents in the Miltons can be addressed.

Cllr Williams has now demanded an urgent meeting with the Leader of the Council, and says that Haringey cannot just stick its head in the sand over the issue.

Cllr Neil Williams comments:

“Brian Haley’s response is arrogant and unacceptable. There is parking misery in the area, and no attempt by the council to take swift action – simply a culture of blaming others, when it is their own procedures that are at fault.

“Haringey Labour has delayed and delayed the whole consultation, and it now looks as if this whole process will take an entire year. This is simply not good enough, as the residents’ parking misery can only increase.”

Pressure from Haringey Liberal Democrats has secured a promise from top Labour councillors that more consultation will be carried out on the proposed review of parking charges in Haringey.

The Liberal Democrats have criticised Labour’s inadequate consultation plans and the Council’s Executive has now agreed that the statutory consultation period should be extended to six weeks and that all Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) areas, old, new and proposed, will be leafleted to make residents aware.

Lib Dems have poured scorn on Labour claims that there has been a significant level of consultation already, as the issue of differential permit charges has been in the public domain since the development of the draft Local Implementation Plan [LiP] in 2005. However, this turns out to be just one paragraph within a two-volume document of around 400 pages.

Lib Dems are saying that this makes a mockery of consulting residents.A recent Labour press release also shows that Labour still are not involving people fully – providing only a postal address for residents to respond to and no real details of the extended consultation process.

Cllr Neil Williams, Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“Lib Dems have continued to pressurise Labour on this issue and have succeeded in ensuring residents are more widely consulted. This is a small improvement. However, we remain concerned that sufficient time is allowed to properly analyse residents’ views – Labour’s current consultation strategy allows just one day to consider the responses.”

Cllr Martin Newton, Transport spokesperson, adds:

“A longer period of consultation is welcome, but this must be a meaningful process with residents’ views given real weight. Any changes and improvements that evolve out of this consultation must be given sufficient time to be properly formulated.”