Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for London Lynne Featherstone MP and the Party’s Deputy Leader Vincent Cable MP today launched the London Liberal Democrat local election campaign at the Party’s headquarters in Westminster.

Lynne Featherstone was joined by the Leaders of the Islington, Southwark and Sutton councils, which are already in Liberal Democrat control, together with the leaders of other Lib Dem groups from councils across London where the party hope to make gains on May 4th.

The party also published a document “Empowering local communities” which highlights the best practice being done by Liberal Democrat run councils in the capital at the same time.

Lynne Featherstone said:

“Following our excellent General Election results in London a year ago it is clear that the Liberal Democrats are the only party set to make real gains at the council elections.

“Whether it be retaining control in Islington and Sutton, taking seats off Labour in Haringey and Brent or taking seats from the Tories in Richmond and Harrow, it is only the Liberal Democrats who promise in working with communities to find solutions to local problems.

“We have a proud record of local government in London that consults, involves and empowers local people to be active citizens. On May 5th I look forward to there being more Lib Dem councils and more councillors able to take our agenda forward in London.”

Note: the manifesto is available on the Liberal Democrat website.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, is calling for questions to be answered over the role of Haringey Council’s “Heavy Enforcement Team”. Two campaign groups have reported that their peaceful protests on Wood Green High Road have been broken up and intimidated by the team in past weeks.

The Council’s own website explains that the team was set up “to deal with the most difficult, high profile and significant environmental crimes and criminals affecting the borough”.

Local protesters against the Iraq War and the local group Haringey against ID Cards explain that they were handing out leaflets outside Wood Green Library when the team arrived and forced them to leave.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“The Council must respond to these allegations – if free speech is being restricted then this is clearly completely unacceptable.

“It is hard to see how a few people handing out leaflets could constitute ‘the most difficult, high profile and significant criminals’. These people were protesting peacefully, and it is very worrying that groups that are protesting against Labour policies are reporting that they are being targeted by Council heavies. These reports are really very worrying.”

Haringey’s Liberal Democrats and Woodside ward Liberal Democrat candidate Nigel Scott are calling for a rethink over the proposed Haringey Heartlands ‘Spine Road’.

This road will be the first step in redeveloping the large gas works/railway lands site, to the west of Shopping City. It will funnel heavy lorry traffic coming and going from the north along Station Road and Park Avenue.Five million pounds has been allocated by the Government to build the road.

Local residents groups have pressed Labour-run Haringey Council to go for an alternative route that will access the site from Wood Green High Road – encouraging lorries to use proper designated through roads like the High Road and Bounds Green Road.This suggestion has been dismissed out of hand.

“Station Road and Park Avenue were never intended to take heavy lorry traffic, and are not designated for it”, said Nigel. “Residents living alongside these roads already have to put up with a huge volume of through traffic.They should not be expected to take any more.”

Haringey Lib Dems are pledged to re-consult local residents on the route before a final decision is made if they take control of the council on May 4th – as long as it is not too late.”I hope Labour won’t try and ‘sign off’ the route before the election and thwart the will of the people”, said Nigel Scott.

Sign our petition

We, the undersigned, call on Haringey Council to reconsult residents over the route of the proposed Heartlands ‘Spine Road’ as not enoughresidents knew about the first consultation.

The Lib Dem campaign for control of Haringey council received a boost this weekend with a visit from Trade and Industry spokesperson Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton. Ed Davey addressed party candidates and campaigners in Hornsey, before moving on to an afternoon of canvassing in Highgate with local Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams.

Mr Davey told party members that Haringey was a key battleground between the Lib Dems and Labour in the local elections, and urged the party to work hard for control of the Council on 4th May, putting an end to 35 years of Labour rule.

Lib Dem Leader and Highgate candidate Neil Williams comments:

“We were delighted to have Ed with us on the doorsteps in Haringey this weekend. Following on from Ming Campbell’s visit last week, it shows how important the local elections are in the borough. Our policies of better recycling, better long term planning for schools, and really listening to local people about decisions taken by the councils is proving popular with local residents.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have made the shock discovery that Haringey Council does not keep a central record of complaints over the quality of work carried out by the Council’s building contractors.

The discovery came following an enquiry by Councillor Wayne Hoban into the procedure by which the Council tracks the performance of contractors on major projects.

Projects are awarded only to those contractors who have been ‘pre-approved’ by Haringey Council. This means that following initial checks on companies, there is no scrutiny over the long-term performance of contractors. The response to Councillor Hoban’s enquiry explained that his question had prompted Haringey Council to consider the possibility of introducing a central record of complaints.

Councillor Hoban comments:

“I am absolutely shocked and stunned to have made this discovery. I had made the enquiry in order to obtain specific information about a particular contractor’s performance – it had never occurred to me that Haringey Council would have no records at all! I cannot believe that the Council has operated in this cavalier way for so long.”

Councillor Neil Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition, adds:

“On the back of the Tech Refresh disaster, it has become all too clear how little regard for quality the Labour-led Haringey Council really has. Residents will be furious to learn this news – it is just one more example of how Labour have wasted taxpayers’ money through sheer laziness.”

New figures show the true extent of Haringey Labour’s incompetence

Figures recently obtained by the Haringey Liberal Democrats show that the cost of upgrading one Haringey Council PC as part of the now infamous Tech Refresh project was a staggering £5,200. The figures came as part of a response to Liberal Democrat Councillors’ ongoing efforts to elicit some accountability from Haringey Council.

One of the most costly mistakes made by Haringey Council in years, the Tech Refresh project was supposed to cost roughly £9 million, but these costs spiralled out of control due to a lack of competent project management until the final costs were a staggering £24.6 million.

During the project, some 4,759 computers were ‘Tech Refreshed’ – an equivalent cost of just under £5,200 per computer.

Councillor Neil Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition, said:

“£5,200 is an incredible cost for upgrading a single computer – hardly a bargain. This project beggars belief – the lack of competent project management from Haringey’s Labour councillors is shocking. Local people are rightly furious about the way Labour have wasted their Council Taxes whilst in power. No member of the Council has admitted any responsibility at all for the mistakes, and we find this simply unacceptable.”

Featherstone calls on police to investigate bribe allegations

Lynne Featherstone has called on the police to urgently investigate allegations that a Haringey Council officer accepted £3,000 in exchange for allocating Council Housing in a record 3 weeks.

The allegation was made on Friday, 7th April on the LBC Nick Ferrari’s phone-in programme by a member of the public.

Ms. Featherstone says, “Any allegation of public property being abused for personal gain must be taken extremely seriously.”

The MP has contact Chief Superintendent Simon O’Brien with detail of the allegation and asked for a full investigation as well as the Chief Executive of Haringey Council.

Ms Featherstone adds, “I hear heart-breaking stories week in week in my surgeries about of families desperate to be re-housed and having to wait years.It is for these people that we need to get to the bottom of this.”

Lib Dem councillors for Alexandra ward have condemned the decision by Haringey Council to defer much-needed upgrade work on the Alexandra Triangle. Funding for the project had been secured following a Lib Dem bid for Assembly Budget funding in consultation with local residents, who are now angry that their project has once again been sidelined.

The Triangle, sited at the junction of Palace Gates Road and Crescent Road in Alexandra ward, is a small open space which has been badly neglected by the council over the years. Ward councillors have been working hard with residents and traders to press the Council to fund much needed restoration work. The decision to defer the project to the following financial year runs the risk of the funding for the project being lost altogether.

Lib Dem councillor Wayne Hoban comments:

“I am extremely concerned about the decision to delay this project. Assembly budget rules state that the money must be spent by the end of the financial year or run the risk of being lost. Indeed, the Labour lead member for Community Engagement decided last year to reallocate, without consultation, all Assembly Budget monies that had not been spent in the run-up to the end of the financial year to her own projects. There is every reason to suspect that the same decision will be taken this year, resulting in the loss of funding for this valuable community led project. This is a slap in the face for community residents and traders who have worked so hard with their ward councillors to achieve support and funding for this important project.”

Liberal Democrat councillors urge Muswell Hill Odeon to overturn decision to abolish Senior Screen showings

Liberal Democrat councillors in Muswell Hill ward have written to the regional head of Odeon Cinemas to request that the cinema continue to show Senior Screen showings at the cinema. The Odeon cinema in Muswell Hill had, until recently, held a showing for pensioners every Tuesday night, but this has recently been cancelled.

Councillor Jonathan Bloch, Liberal Democrat for Muswell Hill Ward, wrote to the regional manager of Odeon cinemas to urge him to reconsider the decision. He explained that while “I understand that the showing was not profitable… I do not believe that much was done to remarket it in the neighbourhood to attract a larger audience.”

He continued: “The cinema is an integral part of the Muswell Hill Community and has enjoyed a large amount of goodwill – this has been undermined by this short-sighted decision.”

Councillor Bloch adds: “It is a real shame that this is the state that we have got to in society – where monetary concerns trump all others. This was a well-attended and popular morning at the cinema, and it is desperately sad that it has been cancelled. I very much hope that the Liberal Democrats and I are able to apply pressure and appeal to the cinema’s management to have the decision overturned.”

Haringey Labour have totally failed to take control of Haringey Council’s finances, according to the Liberal Democrat Opposition. Figures released by Haringey Council show that the total uncollected Council Tax arrears owed to the London Borough of Haringey has risen by £7.9 million in the last three years to just under £25 million.

In comparison, neighbouring borough Islington has seen their total arrears drop from £23.9 million in 2003/04 to £20 million in 2004/05 under a Liberal Democrat council.

Councillor Neil Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition, comments:

“While the high total amount owed is obviously very worrying, what is even more concerning is the speed at which the deficit is rising – between 2002/03 and 2003/04 the figure rose 26%, and between 2003/04 and 2004/05, it rose a further 16%. The Council has indicated that it may be some months before figures for 2005/06 are available.

“This kind of fiscal freefall is totally irresponsible, and is indicative of how Haringey Labour have spectacularly failed to manage the Council’s financial affairs. What with these figures and the shocking overspend of £10.6 million on the Council’s Tech Refresh project, the people of Haringey must be extremely worried about the ability of Haringey Labour to manage their borough.”

Notes:

2002/03: Council Tax Arrears: £16.972 million
2003/04: Council Tax Arrears: £21.368 million
2004/05: Council Tax Arrears: £24.859 million