Hornsey and Wood Green Liberal Democrats unanimously adopted Lynne Featherstone as their Parliamentary candidate at a packed meeting in Hornsey last night. Speakers at the meeting, chaired by Lord Bill Rodgers, included Lib Dem MP and Local Government Spokesman Ed Davey and defence expert, Lord Tim Garden.

In proposing Lynne as the candidate, Ed Davey predicted “one of the most exciting results in the whole country” for the Lib Dems. Lord Tim Garden said that Lynne personified Lib Dem principles on fair tax, protecting our civil liberties and opposition to the war in Iraq.

Lynne Featherstone says:

“I am delighted to be the Lib Dem candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green. We know that we are in a neck and neck battle with Labour for the seat, and the Labour campaign is already faltering. It will be tough four weeks ahead, but many voters here are disillusioned with Labour and want an MP that will speak up for better public services, fairness in taxation, real civil liberties and trust over the big issues, such as Iraq.”

Lib Dem candidate Lynne Featherstone is making health a key theme of this week’s general election campaign in the hotly-contested battle for the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency. The Lib Dems have a positive plan to improve local health service, in contrast to the Labour candidate, who voted in favour of foundation hospitals, leaving local trusts such as the Whittington and the North Middlesex out in the cold.

Lib Dem plans include faster diagnoses of critical illnesses, so that people can receive treatment more quickly. The party wants to give free prescriptions to more people with long term illnesses. And central to the party’s campaign will be free long term care for the elderly – as the party has delivered in Scotland. Ms Featherstone is to unveil the party’s latest campaign poster on the issue in Hornsey today.

Ms Featherstone says that Lib Dem plans contrast with Labours record. The number of beds in local hospitals has fallen, and the controversial privatisation deal with Jarvis has caused big problems with hospital building work.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“With the Labour candidate backing plans for foundation hospitals status, we need an MP who will stand up for local health services. Labour’s policies are leaving local trusts, such as the North Middlesex and the Whittington, out in the cold.

“The Labour council has joined in the cuts, with its plan to close Red Gables family health centre, not to mention its record of voting to close two day care hospitals and one third of Haringey’s residential care homes.”

Lib Dem general election candidate Lynne Featherstone has launched a petition in the party’s popular campaign for a new bus route linking Crouch End and Highgate. Ms Featherstone says she has received very positive feedback from local residents on the issue, and the route is sorely needed to improve east-west links in Haringey’s bus services.

At present there is no direct service linking Crouch End Broadway with Highgate village. Ms Featherstone is urging local residents to return her petition, which will form a vital part of lobbying London Buses as it reviews bus services in the area.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“It is already clear that the idea of a direct link between Crouch End and Highgate would prove very popular, We need to keep up the pressure on London Buses to properly consider the issue. I hope that as many people as possible will sign our petition, as it is local pressure that will make the difference.”

Highgate Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams has expressed his outrage over a developer’s request to almost entirely demolish Elizabeth House in Highgate.

Cllr Williams wants Haringey Council to resist the application and has criticised the developer’s tactics over the scheme.

A Developer has applied for conservation area consent for the demolition of the building, saying that the existing planning permission for luxury flats requires that the building be almost entirely demolished. This is despite the fact that an earlier application to demolish the building was refused by Haringey Council.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams says that the building is valued in its current use as a hostel, which he says has more limited impact on local residents in Cromwell Avenue and Winchester Place. At present, relatively few cars are entering and leaving the property on the difficult to access site, which is in a sensitive spot in the Highgate bowl.

Cllr Williams comments:

“I am amazed that a developer now wants to demolish this building, as they had not asked for this when the present planning permission was granted. Given that demolition was earlier refused, it is very disappointing that they now feel they are entitled to push for the demolition of the existing building.

“I am sure there will be a considerable battle over this, and I will be pressing the Council to resist, as the removal of Elizabeth House was never the intention of the planning permission.”

Lib Dem Lynne Featherstone has launched the party’s campaign in the Hornsey and Wood constituency, with the unveiling of a billboard poster highlighting the party’s policies for the health service.

Ms Featherstone says the party is standing on a positive agenda for the local area and the country as a whole, with more fairness as a central theme:

“Lib Dems will put patients first in the NHS, scrapping unnecessary targets to free up resources for cleaning up our hospitals and putting an end to hidden waiting lists.

“Lib Dems will bring down the huge levels of student debt, and reduce class sizes, giving kids a better start.

“Instead of expensive, compulsory Identity Cards, Lib Dems will put 10,000 more police on the streets – we will give the police the time they need to tackle crime, spending less time filling in forms.

“We would treat elderly citizens with dignity, introducing free personal care for the elderly. We also want to end means testing and the discrimination against women in the pensions system. Pensions will be raised by over £100 a month for all pensioners over 75.

“We will scrap the totally unfair Council Tax and replace it with a local income tax, which hits pensioners so hard.

“We also have by far the greenest policies of the major parties. We take climate change and the environment seriously. A green thread runs through our whole programme.”

Muswell Hill’s Lib Dem councillors met the area’s brand new ‘safer neighbourhoods’ police team this afternoon as they went on parade in Muswell Hill. While other areas in the borough are also getting new Police Community Support Officers, Muswell Hill and Fortis Green welcomed its new safer neighbourhood team of new officers and new Police Community Support Officers.

Local Lib Dem councillors Lynne Featherstone and Gail Engert met the new recruits in Muswell Hill Broadway.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone, who also sits on the Metropolitan Police Authority and has long campaigned for more policing, comments:

“This is a very good day for policing in Muswell Hill.There has been a long campaign in the area for more visible policing, which makes people fell safer, and both deters and detects crime. Muswell Hill has waiting long enough for its safer neighbourhood team. With the police station front counter also now opened, we are now beginning to get the policing we need and deserve in the area.”

Commenting on revelations by the BBC on the Today Programme yesterday morning that many key local Labour party members are abandoning the party with “dozens and dozens” switching to the local Liberal Democrats, Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone said:

“I think this reflects what we are finding on the doorstep, and it shows that many Labour supporters are moving over to us. There are simply too many issues where Labour has let its members and supporters down. It is not just over the Iraq war, but extends to top-up fees, Post Office closures, Tube privatisation and a range of other issues – all of which the outgoing Labour MP has voted for.”

Lib Dems have welcomed moves by the Haringey Council to introduce double yellow lines to free up the congested junction of Woodfield Way and Durnsford Road N10.

The issue was raised by Councillor Lynne Featherstone following complaints from local residents about poor visibility and access due to parked cars at the junction.

Haringey Council has told Councillor Featherstone that it is happy to introduce waiting restrictions to prevent the obstructive parking which causes safety problems.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that this problem can now be solved as the safety at the this junction must be improved.”

Lib Dem GLA member and chair of the Greater London Authority’s Transport Committee, Lynne Featherstone, is calling on London Buses to look at providing a direct bus link between the centres of Highgate and Crouch End. Ms Featherstone says that the lack of a direct bus link between the two centres is a constant issue in her mailbag and has launched a local campaign to get London Buses to consider the issue.

Ms Featherstone says that such a service would fill in a significant ‘missing link’ in the local bus network. Many local people have mentioned their wish to see a direct bus service.The W5 service from Crouch End only takes passengers half way up the hill to Highgate before it heads for Archway.Similarly, taking the 210 from Highgate leaves you the other side of the hill from Crouch End.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I have written to the Head of Surface Transport at London Buses asking for this issue to be properly considered when local bus services are reviewed. This is a vital missing link in Haringey and I hope they will now respond.”

You can download a petition sheet to sign and collect more signatures (pdf format).

Council Tax payers in Haringey face a post-election tax bombshell, Liberal Democrats warned today.

Liberal Democrats brought their Axe the Tax campaign bus to Haringey to warn voters that Council Tax bills will rise by 200% or more because house prices have risen so fast in the area.

Council Tax is currently based on property values in April 1991 but the government is updating its valuation figures to take account of changes in property prices since then.

The whole of Haringey will be hard hit because house prices have gone up 243%, according to the latest research from the Halifax House Price Index. Homes could move up two, three or even more bands.

Property prices at the end of March will be the basis for Council Tax bills for the next 10 years.

Anyone whose home has gone up more than the national average since 1991 will be moved into a higher tax band. That means bills will rise by up to 22%.

In Wales, where revaluation has already happened, some families will see their council tax bill TREBLE. That could be repeated across Haringey, because of house price inflation.

Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green Lynne Featherstone said:

“Council Tax is unfair, and revaluation is going to make it much worse for the people of Hornsey and Wood Green.

“Just because house prices have risen, local people will have to struggle to afford hundreds of pounds extra in Council Tax.”

Liberal Democrat local government spokesman Edward Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, added:

“Both the other parties try and deny it, but they simply have no solutions to the ticking time-bomb of spiralling Council Tax bills.

“The whole Council Tax system is bust, and it is time to scrap it. Liberal Democrat plans to replace it with a fair system based on ability to pay would cut the typical family’s bill by around £450 a year.”

Notes:

1. The whole of London will be hit by revaluation, but Haringey in particular because house prices have risen by 243%, above average even for London.

2. Current council tax bills are based on property value 1 April 1991. Council Tax bills from April 2007 will be based on property value 1 April 2005.

3. Areas where house prices have risen faster than the national average (175%) are likely to have homes moved into higher tax bands.

4. Labour and Conservatives are committed to revaluation.Caroline Spelman, Conservative local government spokesman: ‘Of course we understand that a property based tax has to take account of changes in the value of property.’ (Hansard, 2 March, col 992)

5. In Wales, where revaluation has happened, 33% of homes were moved into higher bands, 8% of homes moved down a band. 3 homes were moved up 8 bands, trebling their council tax bill.