• ‘Zero’ star rating to Haringey’s Social Services by the Department of Health
• One of only ten councils in the entire country with a zero rating

Lynne Featherstone comments:”It is time that those responsible for the mess in Haringey Social Services now and at the time of the Climbie tragedy – both politicians and officers – resign.

“Haringey is more interested in blaming others and making excuses, rather than putting its own dreadful house in order. Even this latest review judges the prospects for improvements in Haringey ‘poor’.

“Perhaps today’s move will finally result in the beginnings of recovery – but only if sweeping changes are made.

“Some key questions remain unanswered.The Joint Social Service Review, which was carried out by the Audit Commission and HM Social Services Inspectorate, gave Haringey a decent report just a year before Haringey’s childcare services were exposed as being in absolute crisis.

“Hard questions need to be asked about this review – why did it give a largely clean bill of health when we know the service was in crisis at the time? Either the review was flawed or it was conned by a cover-up. Either way, heads must roll.

“At the time that the Joint Review was published, the political leadership and council were jubilant at the clean bill of health. Given the mess that was clearly lying beneath the surface, we can only conclude that the lead politicians and officers wilfully mislead the Review team – or were totally and utterly incompetent. They must now be brought to account.”

The much-strengthened Lib Dem opposition has forced Labour into a climb-down over the allocation of Committee posts in the new council. The move came at last night’s full council meeting, when Labour admitted it now had to consider offering chairmanships of vital ‘scrutiny’ committees to the Lib Dems.

Following the election, Labour grabbed all six scrutiny chairmanships for themselves without consulting the opposition party, despite the fact that ‘best practice’ is to distribute these posts proportionally between parties, as happens at Westminster and in neighbouring councils, such as Lib Dem run Islington, where Labour have been awarded chairs.

On top of this, Labour has voted through a massive increase in the payments to these chairs, from £4,500 to £9,500.

Speaking in the council chamber, Councillor Neil Williams (Highgate ward) said Labour had shown a, “cavalier disregard for how a well run scrutiny system should operate,” and urged the council to think again. The Labour Whip then admitted that the ruling party was now thinking of reversing its position.

Neil Williams comments: “I welcome these signs of a climb-down from Labour. I hope Labour will learn a lesson from this and consult properly in future.”

• Labour more than double payments for Committee Chairs
• Payments altered at the last minute, ‘through the back door’

The Liberal Democrats have labelled Labour’s last-minute hikes in allowances for chairs of council committees as ‘wholly inappropriate’ and opposed the moves at last night’s first full council meeting.

However, the bigger payments were voted through, despite opposition from the much-strengthened Lib Dem group.

The move followed a sudden decision by the Labour group to more than double the allowances for committee chairs from the levels agreed on a cross-party basis earlier in the month.The Labour leadership had already agreed to a figure of £4,500 with Lynne Featherstone and the Lib Dems just a few days before but increased this to £9,500.

The massively increased cash bonus is thought to affect 12 Labour councillors, and will cost local taxpayers an extra £60,000 a year, which is four-times the council’s total budget for fighting graffiti.

Earlier, the Liberal Democrats had successfully argued for a large cutback in the big increases being proposed across the board for payments to councillors and for an end to the extra payments for mobile phones and travel expenses of Labour councillors.

Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Ross laird, comments: “These proposed payments are excessive. We have seen in the last few days, a massive increase in the amounts to be paid which flies in the face of earlier attempts to reach cross party agreement on this issue.This is an unfortunate start for Haringey’s new constitution.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Alexandra, Muswell Hill and Fortis Green have offered to step in and help the borough’s police commander in the search for volunteers to staff the front desk at Muswell Hill police station following news from the police on their search for volunteers.

The counter service has been controversially closed to the public despite local protests and a campaign by the Liberal Democrats.

The offer comes in response to news from Chief Supt Stephen James that he has so far found 12 volunteers to man the desk, but say he needs approaching 40 to provide a viable counter service on a part time basis.

Lib Dem councillors Lynne Featherstone (Muswell Hill) and Steve Gilbert (Forts Green) say they can find more, and have offered to help the local police commander. Ms Featherstone has written to Chief Supt James requesting further details of the requirements of volunteers, and has offered to accompany him on a fact-finding trip to a station manned by volunteers elsewhere.

Steve Gilbert, Lib Dem councillor for Fortis Green comments: “Lynne Featherstone and myself are determined to work with the local police to get the front counter opened.The police deserve credit for already identifying some local volunteers. We are keen to help the police find the other volunteers needed.”

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling for assurances that Odeon cinemas will not seek to sell the lease on the Muswell Hill Odeon car park following the recent change in ownership.Lib Dem leader Lynne Featherstone, who represents the area on the council, says losing the car park would worsen the already difficult parking situation in the area.

The Lib Dems have welcomed recent efforts improve the state of the car park which has until recently been one of Muswell Hill’s worst rubbish and dumping black spots. Pot holes are being filled in, curb stones repaired, and dumped rubbish is soon to be removed.

The party argues that the car park has been underused, and is desperately needed to help solve short term parking problems in the area. Any alternative redevelopment of the site would be hugely damaging, according to the Lib Dem Leader.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am concerned, and I am calling for the future of the car park to be safeguarded, and have written to Odeon Ltd requesting to be kept informed of any proposals. We do not want a massive redevelopment of the site, but a tidy up which brings the car park into proper use, as part of general and much needed improvements at the cinema. I will be watching this situation closely.”

Local Lib Dems have welcomed another step forward in the battle for a new bus route linking Muswell Hill, Highgate, Hampstead and Swiss Cottage.

The three boroughs involved in the route (Haringey, Camden and Barnet) are this week starting detailed planning on three possible routes for the new bus link. This follows the award of £50,000 for the detailed design and implementation of the scheme announced in March.

The three possible routes will be whittled down to one proposal, which will then go out for public consultation.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“This is another welcome step forward towards this much needed bus route.Choosing the right route is vital. The preferred route should serve as high a number of would-be passengers as possible, keep journey times as short as possible and link previously unlinked parts of the bus network.”

Haringey Liberal Democrats have welcomed the public u-turn of the local Labour Party on calls for a new school to be built as part of the Haringey Heartlands regeneration scheme.

Calls for a new school were a key part of the Liberal Democrat campaign in the council elections, but were attacked by Labour at the time as unrealistic and unnecessary. Since then, however, Labour has performed a U-turn with the MP, Barbara Roche, calling for a new school.

Councillor Ross Laird, Lib Dem Education spokesman, has welcomed the local MP’s new found interest in the local schools problem and her conversion to the need for an additional school in the west of the Borough.

Councillor Laird commented: ” Let’s hope Labour has now finally seen sense and adopted the Lib Dem policy of a new school as part of the Heartlands scheme. We all want to see a solution to these problems and we’re willing to work together to identify solutions.”

Councillor David Winskill (Crouch End) agreed:”Local Lib Dem ward councillors have been swamped with calls for the admissions problem to be sorted out. We will be pressing the case for greater openness and transparency in education and the need to sort out the school admissions crisis – not just for this year, but for forthcoming years.

“In the meantime it is crucial that Capita reveals the scale of the current problem and say how many Crouch End children have not had their primary school place settled for this autumn.

“They should also be preparing contingency plans to cater for the children with an uncertain future. Parents need to be reassured that these issues are being addressed.”

The Liberal Democrat council group has nominated spokespersons and committee members as follows:

Lynne Featherstone
* Group Leader * Spokesperson on Crime, Policing, and Community Safety * Joint Standing Attendee for Cabinet Executive (1 of 2 – Lead) * Community Safety Scrutiny (1 of 2 – Lead)

Ross Laird
* Group Deputy Leader * Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning * Lifelong Learning Scrutiny (1 of 2 – Leads) * Education Joint Consultative Committee (1 of 2 – Leads) * Standards Committee (1 of 2) * Council Constitution (1 of 2) * Joint Standing Attendee for Cabinet Executive (1 of 2)

Wayne Hoban
* Chair of the Liberal Democrat Group * Alexandra Palace Consultative Committee (1 of 2) * Social Services and Health Scrutiny Panel (1 of 2 – Leads) * Haringey Council Joint Consultative Committee (1 of 2) * Joint Race Equality Consultative Committee (1 of 4)

Ron Aitken
* Spokesperson on Social Services * Social Services and Health Scrutiny (1 of 2 – Leads on Social Services) * Joint Race Equality Consultative Committee (1 of 4) * Chair, Hornsey Area Housing Committee

Dave Beacham
* Spokesperson for Housing * Housing Scrutiny (1 of 2 – Leads) * Housing Management Board (1 of 2 – Leads) * Audit Panel * Pensions Panel

Johnathan Bloch
* Spokesperson on Resources * General Purposes Committee (1 of 2 – Leads) * Planning Committee (1 of 2)

Matt Davies
* Scrutiny Overview Committee (1 of 3 – Leads) * General Purposes Committee (1 of 2)

Barbara Fabian
* Licensing Sub Committee * Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Panel (1 of 2) * Education Joint Consultative Committee (1 of 2) * Joint Race Equality Consultative Committee (1 of 4)

Peter Floyd
* Housing Scrutiny (1 of 2) * Haringey Council Employee Joint Consultative Committee (1 of 2 – Leads) * Voluntary Sector Consultative Committee (1 of 2) * Housing Management Board (1 of 2) * Pensioners Forum

Stephen Gilbert
* Group Chief Whip * Council Constitution (1 of 2 – Leads) * Regeneration and Partnership (1 of 2)

Bob Hare
* Spokesperson on Alexandra Palace * Spokesperson on Environment (Recycling, Environment, Parks and Green Issues) * Planning Sub Committee (1 of 2 – Leads) * Environment Scrutiny (1 of 2)

Susan Oatway
* Spokesperson on Environment (Traffic, Rubbish, Street Cleaning) * Spokesperson on Community Engagement and Communications * Chair of Neighbourhood Assembly – Muswell Hill * Environment Scrutiny (1 of 2)

Melanie Simpson
* Alexandra Palace Consultative Committee (1 of 2) * Scrutiny Overview Committee (1 of 3) * Crime and Community Safety Scrutiny (1 of 2) * Voluntary Sector Consultative Committee (1 of 2 – Lead)

Neil Williams
* Group Press and Media Officer * Spokesperson on Equality and Performance * Scrutiny Overview Committee (1 of 3) * Joint Race Equality Consultative Committee (1 of 4 – Leads)

David Winskill
* Spokesperson on Regeneration and Partnership * Spokesperson on Environment (Planning) * Regeneration and Partnership Scrutiny (1 of 2 – Leads) * Standards Committee (1 of 2)

As the dust settles on the local elections, the Liberal Democrats are enjoying another key feature of the results – having beaten Labour across the Hornsey and Wood Green Parliamentary seat.

The news will come as a crushing blow to the local Labour party, and will make the seat a key battleground between the two parties at the next general election.

While the two parties were involved in a dead heat in terms of councillors, at 15 apiece, the much higher polling in the west of the borough left the Liberal Democrats as the largest party in the popular vote, on 35% to Labour’s 32%. The Tories trailed a distant third, with 16% of the votes and no councillors.

Newly-elected Lib Dem councillor for Highgate, Neil Williams, comments:

“We are very pleased to have outpolled Labour right across the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency. It certainly bodes very well for the next general election, where we will be looking to take the seat from Labour.”

Haringey’s beleaguered ruling Labour group is today facing criticism from the opposition Liberal Democrats for refusing to grant any chairs of council scrutiny committees to the opposition party.

The move from Labour comes despite the huge increase in the number of Liberal Democrat councillors and early informal indications from the ruling party that they would offer the chair of at least one important ‘scrutiny panel’ to the Lib Dems. The Lib Dems say the move makes a mockery of claims by the Labour council leader that he would listen to the results of the local elections in the west of the borough.

The new system of scrutiny committees, based on the Westminster model of select committees, should allow opposition members to take charge of some of the committees which act a ‘watchdog’ over the council executive – as happens in Parliament.

Instead, Haringey Labour has simply carved up the posts for themselves.

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem leader of the opposition comments:

“It is very disappointing, though not surprising, to see Labour return immediately to its old ways. Quite clearly they have learned nothing from the election results, and there will be no change at all in their attitude. It is just more of the same.”