Category Archives: News releases

Reaction to Ofsted report into Haringey's Children's Services

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Commenting on the Ofsted update report on safeguarding in Haringey Council’s Children’s Service,  Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, says:

“Clearly, a lot of people have been working hard, so that Haringey can achieve the basic service of protecting children.

“I tentatively welcome progress, but stuck in my mind is the fact that Ofsted gave this Children’s Service three stars weeks after Baby Peter died.

“There are clearly, still, significant shortcomings in key front-line services and I will continue to press for more openness and transparency, so we can have lasting confidence that they are getting it right.”

Councillor Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, adds:

“I can only thank the committed efforts of the staff who are desperately trying to get this service up to scratch.

“However, I remain deeply concerned that only one in three vital checks of children at risk are happening on time.  To me, this is deeply unsatisfactory and not of a high enough standard to prevent another child falling through the safety net.”

Liberal Democrat ‘green’ budget proposals success

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Haringey Council agreed last night to implement Liberal Democrats plans that will provide new green incentives and better recycling in the borough.

Liberal Democrats proposed that Haringey Council provides new battery recycling services in libraries, community buildings and schools, and new green incentives for local traders and residents to move to ‘greener’ vehicles by reducing parking fees for the least polluting cars.

The new measures will be paid for by freezing allowances for councillors.

Cllr Ed Butcher (Stroud Green), Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson, comments:

“I am glad that Labour have, once again, taken the lead from Liberal Democrats. They followed our lead on the Council Tax freeze and now on new green incentives and recycling.

“It shows that even in opposition Liberal Democrats lead on the green agenda and recognise, in these tough economic times, that councillors should not take more of taxpayers’ money.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“My colleagues on Haringey Council continue to hold Labour to account and provide new ideas that move Haringey forward. If they can do this in opposition imagine what could be done in a Liberal Democrat-run Haringey Council.”

Haringey Council wastes further taxpayers’ money after delivery error

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Local Liberal Democrats have demanded that Haringey Council comes clean on extra costs, after it emerged that the most recent edition of ‘Haringey People’ may have been incorrectly delivered to thousands of homes. Reports suggest that many residents, living in Alexandra ward,received the St. Ann’s and Seven Sisters editions, rather than the normal Muswell Hill edition. Similar delivery errors were found throughout Haringey.

This new revelation puts into further doubt Haringey Council’s use of resources for communication.  Last year, the council used £3million of local taxpayers’ money on communication with local residents.

Liberal Democrats have asked the council how many copies of ‘Haringey People’ have been delivered to incorrect areas and how much the error has cost Haringey Council.

Cllr Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) Area Assembly Chair, comments:

“Local residents contacted me, to say that they had not received the correct editions – it is just another example of Haringey Labour failing to get even simple things right.”

Cllr Ed Butcher, Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson, adds:

“This is another nail in the coffin of ‘Haringey People’.  For years, local Liberal Democrats have said that this publication is not worth the paper it is written on and that Haringey Council should think of more innovative and up-to-date ways of contacting local residents.

“Now, after this latest mess, Haringey Council has to come clean on how much this will cost local taxpayers.”

Lynne Featherstone,  Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, adds:

“Haringey residents will be appalled that their money continues to be wasted in this way.”

Local MP to host public meeting on the future of the Whittington A&E

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To give local residents the chance to hear directly from hospital bosses about the threat to the Whittington’s A&E, Lynne Featherstone MP will be hosting a public meeting on the issue on Thursday 4 March, at Greig City Academy, High Street, Hornsey, N8 7NU:

The meeting, which will run from 8 pm, will give local residents the chance to question Rachel Tyndall, Chair of the North Central London Review Panel, the organisation that has put forward the suggestion to close the Whittington A&E, and Richard Sumray, who is Chair of NHS Haringey.

Lynne Featherstone will also lead a group of Liberal Democrats who are marching from Highbury Fields in Islington, to Whittington Hospital on Saturday 27 February from 12 noon, to protest against the threat to the Archway emergency department, and encourages local residents to come along and show their support for the campaign.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“Local residents need to get a chance to put their concerns about the future of our A&E directly to the people in charge. And the hospital bosses need to hear how strongly we feel about these threats.

“So please come along both to the march on the 27th, and to the meeting on the 4th March. Join us and make your voice heard – together we can fight this!”

Note: The meeting will be in the school’s assembly hall and access to the hall is from Hillfield Avenue.

Young writing talent on special visit to Parliament after winning MP's competition

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Lynne Featherstone and Roela MehmetiAfter winning Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone’s writing competition in the autumn, Roela Mehmeti, 11, this week went to collect her prize as she shadowed the Hornsey and Wood Green MP in Parliament.

The Alexandra Park School student won the Democracy Week competition on the theme ‘If I ruled the world’ after fierce competition from secondary school pupils across the constituency (see her entry here). For her special prize, Lynne Featherstone MP gave the 11 year old an exclusive tour of Parliament and took her for lunch in one of Parliament’s restaurants, whilst explaining what being an MP is really like.

Lynne Featherstone MP, comments:

“It was great to finally meet Roela, after reading her moving piece on the importance of the family. Her entry really pulled at the heartstrings, and it’s clear that she’s amazingly talented.

“I hope this has given her a good understanding of what being an MP is really like – and maybe it’s grown a little seed for her to one day try it for herself!”

Roela Mehmeti, 11, from Alexandra Park School, adds:

“I was really surprised and happy when my form teacher told me that I had won the competition. And I have had a really nice day in Parliament today. It’s been very special.”

Update – Alexandra Park School has also got a story about this on the front of its website at the moment.

Concern at rising class size numbers in Haringey

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Local Liberal Democrats have voiced their concern at new figures, revealing that Haringey, despite Labour promises, is one of only nine areas in the country where there are more pupils per class than 30 years ago.

The Times Educational Supplement figures show that average Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs) across England improved from 23.1 pupils per teacher in 1979 to 21.4 in 2009. However, Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Haringey had the same or worse PTRs now compared to 1979.

Liberal Democrats have said that larger class sizes are another indication of Haringey’s unfair school funding system, that sees local children receiving over £1,000 less than children from neighbouring boroughs.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, has spearheaded a campaign for fair funding for Haringey children, which has received widespread support.

Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Children and Young People spokesperson, comments:

“Every child deserves a fair start in life. Having fewer children in a class is vital, so that each child can have more attention from the teacher, but also so the teacher can pick up any problems, early on.

“I am very concerned that, whilst most other areas have improved their pupil to teacher ratio, Haringey has failed to do this.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Cutting class sizes is a fundamental change that would make Haringey’s schools better, but because of Labour’s failure to address the school funding crisis, we now have some of the country’s biggest class sizes and see the knock-on effect that this has on our children’s education.

“Liberal Democrats, through our Pupil Premium, are committed to cutting primary class sizes to 20, to give every child the opportunity they deserve.”

Lynne Featherstone and Robert Gorrie join cookery class for Salt Awareness Week

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Robert Gorrie and Lynne Featherstone cooking as part of Salt Awareness WeekTo help mark Salt Awareness Week (1-7 February), Lynne Featherstone MP and Liberal Democrat Councillor Robert Gorrie joined local residents at a special cookery class at the Kurdish Community Centre in Hornsey last Friday.

The Cook and Eat cookery class is part of a 6 week programme, run by the local health service, to spread information about healthy eating. This week there was a special focus on the risks to residents’ health from eating too much salt. Reducing the amount of salt in the diet can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Lynne Featherstone and Robert Gorrie both helped Kurdish and Somali residents cooking traditional dishes and chatted with nutritionists, dieticians and local residents about the dangers of too much salt in a diet.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, comments:

“This is such a great environment for learning about healthy eating. We cooked some yummy Somali and Kurdish food, but also learnt the serious message that too much salt in your diet can be harmful.

“A lot of people might not know that high levels of salt can be dangerous in the long run. Helping to spread information in a friendly environment like this can do wonders for people’s long term well being. It’s really just about being salt aware. And the food can still taste amazing.”

Councillor Robert Gorrie, Leader of Haringey Liberal Democrats, adds:

“These cookery classes are really great. It’s a fantastic place to share recipes and learn to cook healthy and exotic dishes on a limited budget, not to mention eating fantastic food and meeting new people. It’s really been great.”

Local MP steps in to fill information gap on Freedom Pass renewal

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Freedom Pass - Lynne Featherstone with Mrs CairnsHaving found out that some older local residents are unaware that they need to renew their Freedom Pass by the end of March, Lynne Featherstone MP is now stepping in and sending out to local residents the necessary information.

The poor information campaign by Haringey Council, who are the local Freedom Pass providers, was brought to the Liberal Democrat MP’s attention by local resident Betty Cairns. Mrs Cairns had spent three hours trying to find out how to renew the pass after spotting a small ad in the local paper about the need for renewal.

The Hornsey and Wood Green MP has now written to local residents to let them know how to renew their passes.

Residents who want to find out more about how to renew the pass can go to: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/older_persons_freedom_pass.

Residents who want to get an application form can either pick one up from their local post office, download it from http://www.haringey.gov.uk/older_persons_freedom_pass.pdf, or call Lynne Featherstone’s office for a copy on 020 8340 5459.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, comments:

“It’s appalling that there’s been such a poor effort to let residents know that they need to renew their passes. For those who might not read the local paper regularly, or use the internet, there is very little information out there about the need for renewal, not least since they closed down so many sub-post offices.

“This risks leaving some of our least mobile residents stranded on 1st April – and that is not acceptable.

“Haringey Council should have written to all current Freedom Pass holders to let them know what steps they need to take to avoid being left without a pass. But as that hasn’t been done, I felt the need to step in.”

Bounds Green Tube Station to be protected after Liberal Democrat campaign

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Success as Bounds Green Tube gets listed after Lib Dem campaignBounds Green Tube Station has been designated a Grade II listed building by the Government, as the result of a two-year campaign by Liberal Democrats and local residents.

In July 2008, Cllr John Oakes wrote to English Heritage, requesting that Bounds Green Tube Station be put forward for listing by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport , in order to protect the much-loved local landmark.

Cllr  Oakes, Liberal Democrat councillor for Bounds Green, comments:

“I have long admired our tube station, and the way its Art Deco style makes it an ornament and a focus for the area’s residents.

“After a tour with local MP Lynne Featherstone, to examine its excellent restoration by Transport for London, I was surprised to find that it had not been listed in the same way as Turnpike Lane and Arnos Grove, two other stations dating from 1932/3 and influenced by the legendary architect Charles Holden.

“So I asked the Bounds Green and District Residents’ Association and the Hornsey Historical Society if they would support my application, which they kindly did.

“I am delighted to say that the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport has now recognised  Bounds Green Tube as an historical gem and a very worthy addition to Haringey’s protected buildings by giving it a Grade ll listing.  This effectively limits any changes or extensions, so that its clean lines can be  enjoyed by many future generations.

“The Minister echoed my application, by drawing attention to the station’s ‘special architectural interest…which responds appropriately to its suburban setting, while boldly announcing its presence.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“Well done to all those residents who helped this wonderful campaign, to ensure a key piece of Bounds Green history is preserved.”

Lib Dems demand action on road sign error

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Local Liberal Democrats have this week asked how much Haringey Council has spent correcting road signs after it emerged that a sign in Woodside ward was incorrect, with the road name spelt wrongly.

The error was spotted in a week when many local councils have been criticised for using hundreds of pounds of taxpayers’ money correcting misspelled signs. The sign in Pellatt Grove, Woodside Ward, has been reported to Haringey Council and a request has been made for the cost of all changes in signs for the last five years.

In June 2007 Liberal Democrats in Harringay ward revealed that Haringey Council failed to spell Harringay Passage correctly. Haringey Council even spelled ‘councillor’ incorrectly on car parking spaces outside the Civic Centre in Wood Green in 2008.

Ian Simpson, Liberal Democrat Focus Editor in Woodside Ward, comments:

“It may seem like a small thing but the misspelling of the Pellatt Grove sign is a reflection of the poor service local residents currently receive from Haringey Council.”

Angela Kawa, Liberal Democrat Focus Editor in Woodside Ward, adds: “What is more surprising is that a Labour councillor hold his advice surgery only yards away from the sign yet has failed to notice it.”