Commenting on the sentencing of Baby Peter’s mother, her partner and Jason Owen, Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, said:

“The guilty have at last been punished, but we still cannot rest until we fully understand how this poor little boy suffered so terribly, and for so long, under the noses of Haringey’s Children’s Services.”

Commenting on the publication of the second Serious Case Review into the death of Baby Peter, Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“The first Serious Case Review either showed clear incompetence or was a cover-up. This one could not be more different from the first. It says exactly what we should have learnt at the start of this awful tragedy – Haringey Council, health professionals and the police all failed to protect Baby Peter from three individuals who set out to harm him.

“Seven months after light was shed on these failures the focus on children’s safety must never drift again.”

Cllr Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children and Young People, adds:

“Services need to continue to be kept under close scrutiny to ensure the huge improvements required are being made. We will continue to push for a dedicated council committee to scrutinise Children’s Services to fulfil this gap.”

The fight for equal funding for Haringey’s children was boosted this week, after it emerged that a local trade union is set to support local Liberal Democrats in their Fair Funding campaign.

Haringey Liberal Democrats launched the campaign in August 2007, taking their fight as far as Downing Street and Prime Minister’s Question Time. Haringey’s children receive £1,183 less than children classed as receiving education in ‘inner London’ areas.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“I welcome our local union’s support on this important issue. Haringey’s children are seriously disadvantaged by this perverse funding system.

“The more people and organisations that point this out to the Government, the better hope we have that one day they might listen.”

Cllr Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Education, Schools and Families, spokesperson, adds:

“We welcome news that unions are ready to back our campaign. A united front on this issue can only be good for Haringey’s children. We will continue to lead and push as far as we can to get a fair deal for Haringey.”

It has emerged that Haringey’s Labour councillors have awarded themselves an extra £44,751 in allowances for the next municipal year despite the Leader of the Council saying that they would not take any increase. The 7% rise in the total allowances awarded to Labour councillors has come under severe criticism from opposition councillors who have repeatedly campaigned to lower the allowance scheme burden on local taxpayers.

In April, despite Liberal Democrats opposition, Labour councillors voted unanimously to award themselves an annual increase in allowances only to be embarrassed into a humiliating u-turn last week. This new revelation of a stealth increase will anger local residents and goes against Cllr Kober’s comments that the Council should tighten its belt and “any savings can go straight into providing essential services for the people of Haringey.”

At Monday’s Council AGM Labour voted unanimously for all positions with Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) meaning that the total spend on allowances increased from £676,533 last year to £721,284 in the coming year. Now only 3 Labour councillors out of 32 will not receive any form of additional payment.

Liberal Democrats are committed to reducing the number of SRA positions.

Councillor Ed Butcher, Liberal Democrat Finance Spokesperson comments:

“When local residents are struggling to make ends met they will be shocked to learn that Labour councillors are busy lining their own pockets and maximising how much money they receive from taxpayers.

“It is no wonder the Labour administration ignored pleas for a council tax freeze – they obviously needed the extra cash to pay their own allowances.

“The Labour leader has been quoted as saying councillors should tighten their belts too in this financial crisis. Well, this looks like they sadly added a few extra notches on Monday.”

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

“When the town hall should be trying to reduce costs, Labour councillors are going in completely the opposite direction.

“They should be thinking up solutions to help local people in a recession, not wheezes and fiddles so they can claim extra money for themselves.”

Local Liberal Democrats are warning of confusion for council tenants in Haringey, as tonight’s Full Council meeting changed the rent they pay for the second time in three months.

After much pressure, the Labour finally announced in March this year that they will cut this year’s 6% hike in rents by half. This change means some people have been paying too much for their rent so far this year, but rather than refunding the money immediately, the refund will be spread out in monthly payments. If someone moves during the year, they will miss out on getting all of their refund.

In other bad news, although the rent increase this year has been trimmed back, the planned rent figures for next year remain unchanged. As a result, residents will be facing an inflation-busting rise of 7.2% for next year.

Cllr Matt Davies, Liberal Democrat Housing spokesperson, comments:

“The reduced increase in rents will offer some relief to tenants, so it is welcome. But, even after this late and messy change, residents are still faced with an above-inflation increase – coupled with soaring service charges.

“Haringey Labour will try to take the credit for this. But people have to remember that their Labour Council and Labour government have, between them, conspired to create a confusing mess of this year’s housing rents, which are still increasing. And they are irresponsibly storing up problems for next year, with housing rents set to soar up to 7%.

“Not only will all tenants have yet another revised rent statement but Haringey Council will have to recalculate all benefit claimants’ entitlement if they live in a council property.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Labour will dress this up to be a victory for tenants. It is not. Local council tenants have continued to experience annual hikes in rent and service charges as well as rocketing Council Tax levels without seeing a change to stories of the sub-standard accommodation that I hear in my surgery every week.”

Labour has today come under attack by opposition councillors for electioneering at the taxpayer’s expense after Haringey Council distributed its latest edition of the controversial ‘Haringey People’ publication just 21 days before the European election on 4th June where two Haringey Labour councillors are standing as candidates.

The publication which Labour councillors have complete editorial control is delivered to every household in Haringey at a cost of £400,000. This edition features prominent articles promoting Cllr Lorna Reith, deputy Labour leader.

Haringey Council’s own publicity guidance published before the election shows that during the election period the Council must not publish any material which appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party. The publication of Haringey People during this period seems to break these rules.

Liberal Democrats are committed to cutting the number of publications from 12 to 4 a year, and would uphold the neutrality during election period.

Councillor Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, says:

“It is completely wrong to use public money, particularly of a council in financial crisis, to campaign in the middle of an election where Labour councillors are standing.

“Local residents who face real hardship with job losses and recession will be outraged to learn they are subbing Labour in its election campaign.

“Haringey Labour should be forced to pay back the costs.”

Lynne Featherstone MP, Hornsey & Wood Green MP, added:

“If Haringey Labour cannot motivate any supporters, it doesn’t mean it should turn to the public purse to make up the shortfall.

“Haringey Labour has long treated Haringey Council as its own personal piggy bank. It is time for this to stop.”

The team that will take Haringey Liberal Democrats up to the local elections in 2010 was selected last night with Cllr Robert Gorrie elected unopposed as Leader of the Opposition.

Councillor Robert Gorrie, Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“I am confident this is right team to challenge Labour’s incompetence and stick up for local residents. We will continue to fight to find out why Haringey’s taxpayers have to pay one of the highest Council Tax rates in London, why Haringey Council has only help create a hand full of jobs in this recession and what is being done to restore confidence in children’s services.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“I’m delighted at election of such a talented shadow cabinet. We have an experienced and energetic team to take the next step towards the local elections in 2010.”

Commenting on the Labour AGM appointments, Cllr Gorrie added:

“This is yet another shuffle of the same faces that have let down residents for too long. The Labour group seem to be more obsessed with awarding nearly every councillor extra responsibility allowances than tackling the problems Haringey faces.

“What is most surprising is that, after leaving the borough’s finances in such a mess, the Labour group have seen fit to appoint Cllr Adje to scrutinise, amongst other things, the borough’s finances.”