It is estimated that over a thousand of the lowest paid residents in Haringey will not have to pay income tax from April 2011 after the announcement by the government today that the tax threshold will increase by £630 to £8105.
The effect of the government’s change to income tax rates is estimated to reduce annual tax bills by £200 for 76,000 local residents and lift 1,300 people in the borough from paying any income tax at all.
The announcement by the coalition government is the next step in the implementation of a key Liberal Democrat policy to ensure, by 2015, that no-one earning less than £10,000 a year pays income tax.
Welcoming the announcement, Cllr Richard Wilson, Deputy Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, comments:
“I welcome the government’s recognition that local residents should be free from central government taxes on their income less than £8015. When people want to work they should have incentives that show work pays. This will help some of the lowest paid workers in Haringey and is a great step towards tackling the inequality in this borough which has festered under Labour.”
Lynne Featherstone MP added:
“This is another step towards achieving the Liberal Democrat aim to ensure that no-one has to pay tax on the first £10,000 of their hard-earned wages. I am glad that, even after the horrendous state Labour left our public finances, Liberal Democrats in government are still able to deliver real benefits for local people struggling on low wages.”
Category Archives: News releases
Team Featherstone hold cake fundraiser for homeless charity
To fundraise for Shelter, the charity that works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness, Lynne Featherstone MP and staff on Friday hosted a Cake Time party at their office in Hornsey.
The keen bakers whipped up a range of yummy treats like brownies, cinnamon buns and banana cake to sell to councillors and activists to help raise money to support the charity’s important work in giving help and advice to people with housing problems.
Residents who want to host their own Shelter Cake Time party, can visit the Shelter website to order a fundraising pack on http://england.shelter.org.uk
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“Homelessness is a major problem here in Haringey – I see it every week in my advice surgery with local residents who have waited years for permanent housing. Shelter is a great charity, and I often refer constituents to their helpline, to get expert advice on their best housing options.
“That’s why I jumped at the chance to help give something back to the charity by joining this year’s Cake Time fundraiser. Hopefully in a small way, we have helped more people in the UK get support with their housing issues – not a bad result for an afternoon’s cake party!”
Don't forget census day says Lynne Featherstone MP
Local MP Lynne Featherstone is this week reminding all residents to fill in the 2011 census on census day, the 27th March, to make sure Haringey gets the right money to support its residents.
The Government uses census data, collected every ten years, to decide the funding needs of the population in local authorities.
It is commonly known that Haringey, like many London boroughs, has had poor census take-up, which has affected how much money the local authority has been given by central Government.
To give local people the best possible chance of getting the right money to support their needs, the Hornsey and Wood Green MP is this week reminding residents to fill in their surveys.
Surveys were sent out to all households at the beginning of March. Residents are asked to fill in their surveys, on paper or online, on census day, the 27th March.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“It’s so important that local people take time to respond to the census. The money we get for local services is calculated based on census responses – to get the right money for local people, we need everyone to do their bit.
“Previously, Haringey’s population has been undercounted in the survey, which has resulted in less money to support our needs. It’s crucial that we get it right this year – so please make sure you fill in your survey on the 27th March!”
Lynne Featherstone MP – We will tear homophobic barriers down in sport
Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, yesterday launched a new Government campaign to tackle homophobic bullying in sport.
Major sports organisations, such as the Football Association, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Rugby Football League, have signed up to a Charter for Action in which they pledge to make sport a welcome place for everyone.
Commenting yesterday, Lynne Featherstone said:
“Sport is still seen by many as an institution where there are barriers we have yet to tear down, because there are so few openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who feel comfortable on the field.
“Professional sports have the ability to change attitudes, on the field as well as in society. That is why it is important we break through this last remaining taboo and tackle it head on so that LGBT people feel welcome in all sports.
“The Liberal Democrats have long pledged to tackle prejudice everywhere and today’s launch of the Charter for Action is an important step in ensuring in sport, homophobic prejudices become a thing of the past.”
You can show your support for the campaign by signing up to the Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/lgbtsportcharter
Where’s your Watch?
To launch the ‘Where’s your Watch?’ Campaign, to encourage local streets to start Neighbourhood Watch groups, Lynne Featherstone MP and Cllr Martin Newton recently went to speak to a newly started Neighbourhood Watch in Highgate.
Residents on Southwood Lawn Road and Highgate Avenue started their ‘Watch’ after a recent spate of burglaries. With the help of Highgate Safer Neighbourhoods Team, the neighbours decided to do their bit to help keep homes on their street safe.
To encourage other streets to follow suit, Local Liberal Democrats are now writing to streets in Hornsey and Wood Green that do not already have a ‘Watch’.
Liberal Democrats on Haringey Council are also fighting to get the post of Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, recently axed by Haringey Police, reinstated by the Council.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“Neighbourhood Watch groups are great. They can help cut crime, reduce the fear of crime, and they can be a fantastic way for neighbours to get to know each other better.
“And that certainly seems to be the case with the Southwood Lawn and Highgate Avenue Watch. There was an impressive turnout for the meeting and a fantastic sense of community.
“I hope our ‘Where’s your Watch’ campaign will result in other local streets reaping the same benefits.”
Liberal Democrat Crime Spokesperson Cllr Martin Newton adds:
“Being a victim of crime is awful, and the recent burglaries on Southwood Lawn Road have really shocked the residents. But they are certainly doing what they can to stop this happening again.
“With better contact with the local police, I really got a sense of the neighbours feeling empowered and more in control. When people look out for each other we get better, warmer, friendlier communities – not a bad return for starting a Neighbourhood Watch!
“Liberal Democrats on the Council recognise the importance of Neighbourhood Watch groups and recently proposed to fund the axed Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in Haringey. It was a shame however that Labour decided that this is not a priority and voted against our proposal.”
Inaccessible W7 Bus Stop set to finally move after long-running Liberal Democrat Campaign
The W7 bus stop on the steep Muswell Hill looks set to soon be moved to outside Boots on Muswell Hill Broadway, after a three year campaign by local Liberal Democrats.
The encouraging news was sent to Lynne Featherstone MP earlier this week following enquiries to the Council and TfL.
Following a campaign of letter writing, numerous site visits and petitioning led by Cllr Martin Newton and the Hornsey and Wood Green MP, TfL and the Council have now agreed to move the bus stop to outside Boots on Muswell Hill Broadway. The move will rely on a successful safety audit and will be on a trial basis.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“I’m really thrilled! Thanks to the support of hundreds of local residents, and years of campaigning, the Council and TfL have finally agreed to work together to make the bus stop accessible.
“This is great step forward for elderly and less mobile residents in the Muswell Hill area, who will hopefully soon be able to get safely on the W7 bus to Hornsey Central.”
Cllr Martin Newton adds:
“A bus stop down a steep hill, for the only bus to Hornsey Central, was always a poor solution. But due to strong backing by local residents, and a relentless Lib Dem campaign, we are now really close to getting the move local people need.
“It feels like common sense has finally prevailed. Fingers crossed for a quick move up to the Broadway. But rest assured, until that bus stop is permanently accessible for local people, we will not stop fighting!”
Local Liberal Democrat budget proposals save front-line services from Haringey Labour’s cuts
Plans to reverse Labour’s closure of older people’s day centres, drop-in centres and luncheon clubs are part of the Liberal Democrat’s alternative budget proposals.
In the five amendments to Labour’s budget, to be proposed on Thursday (24th Feb 2011), Liberal Democrats have set out their choices for spending priorities which would protect older people’s services, invest in the youth service, support action on crime, and help to develop the voluntary sector and job creation.
Liberal Democrats have said that Labour are making the wrong decisions targeting front-line services for cuts and, have proposed instead, new savings in IT, management, and communications.
The position faced by Haringey is made worse by Labour’s home-made financial crisis. A £10 million overspend during the course of the current year, £20 million of cost increases forecast for next year, the failure to deal with waste sooner, the ongoing impact from the £37 million frozen in Icelandic Banks all add up to put Haringey in a worse situation to deal with the funding reductions.
Cllr Robert Gorrie, Haringey Liberal Democrat Leader and Resources Spokesperson, comments:
“Haringey Labour’s home-made financial crisis compounds the mess made by their Labour colleagues nationally when they were in government
“We believe that there is an alternative to Labour’s decision to close older people’s day centres, cut youth services by 75%, and cut funding for action on crime and job creation.
“More savings can be made on the £16.5 million spent on IT, the £20 million spent on senior management, the £1.5 million spent on communications, and the £3 million spent on policy and performance. Yet Labour have instead made the choice to shut day centres and cut youth services by 75%.”
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“If Labour had been better at managing the budget in times of prosperity, they would have been much better placed to deal with today’s cuts.
“Despite the difficult financial circumstances, I believe my colleagues have come up with a strong alternative budget that protects the frontline for the most vulnerable.
“I hope Haringey Labour will listen hard this Thursday, and make better choices that are better for Haringey’s residents.”
To sign the petition against cuts to older peoples’ services please click here: http://bit.ly/SaveOlderPeoplesServices
To read the Haringey Liberal Democrats’ alternative budget proposals please click here: http://bit.ly/libdembudget
One step closer to fair funding for Haringey's children
The coalition government has announced it will be reviewing Haringey’s unfair school funding in the spring, after years of campaigning by local Liberal Democrats. Lynne Featherstone MP received the encouraging news in a recent response from the education minister Michael Gove, after writing to him about Haringey’s unfair funding.
In the letter, the Minister recognises Haringey’s special school funding case, where local pupils get up to £1,300 less than students in neighbouring boroughs, like Hackney and Camden. He has also confirmed that Haringey’s unique circumstances will be considered as part of a review to make the national school funding formula fairer and more transparent, due to be launched in the spring.
Since 2006, Lynne Featherstone MP has spearheaded the campaign to address the funding shortfall resulting from local teachers getting ‘inner London’ wages, but schools getting ‘outer London’ funding.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“This is a real step forward for Haringey’s children, and for fair funding for our schools. I’ll be campaigning all out to make sure local people respond to the consultation later on in the spring.
“Labour kept depriving our children of fair school funding. But thanks to the Liberal Democrats in Government, Haringey’s special case has at last been recognised.”
Local Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Councillor Rachel Allison adds:
“The coalition understands the importance of extra funding for the poorest children, with local schools getting an extra £4.5 million in pupil premium.
“Changing Labour’s unfair funding formula is the next step in getting fair education for Haringey’s children.”
Lynne Featherstone MP calls for top post office boss to bust queues in Hornsey and Wood Green
With residents continuing to suffer from long queues at post offices in Hornsey and Wood Green, three years after Labour closed half the area’s post offices, Lynne Featherstone MP recently met with the top post office boss to get action on queues.
The Liberal Democrat MP last Monday met with Richard Barker, manager of the post office network, to discuss steps to cut queues at post offices in Wood Green, Muswell Hill and Crouch End. Mr Barker confirmed that the waiting times at the Crown Post Offices continue to exceed the 4 minute target, with Wood Green the worst offender, with average waiting times of almost 10 minutes. To cut the queues Mr Barker has now promised to put in a special ‘queue buster programme’, with new queue management systems and extra staff.
Liberal Democrats in Government have promised not to close any more post offices, and are working with The Post Office team on new innovations to make the network sustainable across the UK.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“Since Labour closed half our post office here in Hornsey and Wood Green, queues have gone from bad to worse.
“Local people using the Wood Green office are particularly badly hit, but I am glad that the Post Office bosses are keeping a close eye, and are doing their best to bust the queues!
“Rest assured, I’ll be watching this one very closely. If residents have concerns about long Post Office queues, or any other related issues, don’t hesitate to get in touch – I’m always happy to help.”
Lynne Featherstone MP – Government will look at next steps for same-sex marriage
Commenting on the announcement to allow civil partnership ceremonies to take place in religious buildings and on the consultation to look at the next steps for civil partnerships and civil marriage, Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone said:
“Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for equal rights for same-sex couples and last autumn our Conference formally endorsed the Liberal Democrat policy to campaign for equal marriage.
“There is much demand from same-sex couples to allow civil partnerships to take place in a religious setting and to end the difference between marriage and civil partnerships. We have been listening to this.
“I am delighted that same-sex partners will now be able to hold their civil partnerships in religious buildings and that the Coalition will look at what the next steps for civil partnerships will be.”
Lynne Featherstone 