Local Liberal Democrat councillor Laura Edge handed over the reins of the Crouch End Area Assembly to fellow Liberal Democrat colleague Cllr Lyn Weber last Wednesday night (21st May 2008). Cllr Weber will now chair the meetings of the Area Assembly, which covers Stroud Green, Crouch End and Hornsey, and has used her first meeting to tackle many topics and renew calls for local residents to suggest items to discuss.

Cllr Lyn Weber, new Crouch End Area Assembly Chair, comments:

“Laura has done a great job in ensuring that the Area Assembly is about residents talking and Haringey Council listening. I want to thank Laura for all her hard work and I am looking forward to a year building on her success.”

Cllr Laura Edge (Stroud Green) adds:

“I have had a wonderful time meeting local residents and taking their ideas to Haringey Council. The Area Assembly is a key part in making sure that Haringey Council is responsive to the needs of the local area. Lyn will be great.”

As part of ‘Walk to School Week’ local Liberal Democrat councillors joined pupils of St. Mary’s Junior School in support of their campaign for a safe walk to school.

In September last year Haringey Council confirmed that the dangerous and busy crossing of the High Street outside the school needed a crossing patrol officer to ensure the safety of children. Since then, despite several incidents involving children crossing the street there has been no progress in appointing a crossing patrol officer.

Liberal Democrats are encouraging local residents to apply for this important role and have also urged Haringey Council to do more to fill vacant positions.

Information revealed by the Liberal Democrats shows that this is not an isolated case. Of the 35 school crossing patrol sites in Haringey less than half are staffed.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Hornsey councillor and Liberal Democrat leader, comments:

“Eight months have passed since Haringey Council confirmed the crossing needed a crossing patrol officer. In that time there have been continued to be incidents involving children crossing the street. The safety of children on the road is an obvious worry for parents. For Haringey Council to simply hang a banner in front of the school asking for applicants is just not good enough.

“I would ask local residents to consider applying for this vital community role and request that the Council do more to identify and support applicants.”

Cllr Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Children, Schools and Families Spokesperson added:

“A lack of crossing patrol officers is a borough-wide problem. With less than half of the identified crossings staffed, the Council is clearly not doing enough and potentially putting our children’s safety at risk.”

Lynne Featherstone MP and Mr Croc joined forces at Rokesly Junior School in Hornsey to encourage local children to walk to school.

The local Liberal Democrat MP gave the scheme her full backing because of the huge benefits walking to school has in keeping children healthy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reinforcing the road safety message.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“The kids here at Rokesly have been walking to school all week, and they have told me how much fun it’s been. It’s great to come and talk to the kids about road safety, with a little help from my friend Mr Croc.

“Learning road safety is one thing, but putting into practise is another. Encouraging groups to walk to school is a safe way of making exercise a part of everyday routine. A lifetime of healthy living starts literally with the first step.”

Labour-run Haringey Council has run into another security scandal after it emerged that highly confidential files were left abandoned in an insecure location for over a year.

The news comes only shortly after it was revealed earlier this year that thousands of housing benefit files has been abandoned and despite promises that after that incident a thorough search had been made of all council property for any other files which needed securing.

Last year, Cllr Lyn Weber requested that the files dumped in a community room in the Colwick Estate were immediately cleared and personal records secured. However, the files were only finally removed a few days ago.

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) comments:

“I am flabbergasted that no action took place until residents and Liberal Democrats highlighted the issue. Haringey Council seems not to have learnt from their past mistakes.I asked Haringey Council to investigate more than once but still the confidential records were left in the community room.”

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat Leader, adds:

“Local residents and councillors had been given assurances by Labour Haringey that they took seriously breaches in individuals’ confidentiality. Yet for more than twelve months they did nothing about these files. It has taken a direct approach by Liberal Democrats to the Chief Executive for something to be done and for the files to be taken into proper Council control. How can residents believe what Labour tell them?”

Haringey Liberal Democrats are this weekend celebrating a decade of election successes in the borough. On 7th May 1998, Liberal Democrat campaigners June Andersen, Lynne Featherstone and Julia Glenn took three council seats to become the official opposition on the council, altering the course of Haringey politics.

On their way, Haringey Liberal Democrats have worked with local residents to secure some major successes, including the introduction of the 603 bus route, action on school places and the re-opening Muswell Hill Police station front counter.

Over the years, the Lib Dems have gone from strength to strength. Control of the borough is now on a knife-edge, as the party has 26 councillors, and is challenging Labour for office.

Former councillor Julia Glenn, one of the first Muswell Hill councillors, says:

“We really were frontier pioneers and a shock to the Labour strangle-hold on the borough.Haringey was one of the worst performing councils in the country, and the opposition Tories were on the way out. Labour simply weren’t used to any form of democratic scrutiny or anyone challenging the poor performance of the council they ran.

“When I look at our local MP Lynne Featherstone, our 26 councillors and what they have achieved, I am so proud to have been part of the team that lit the fuse, and ended Haringey’s one party state.It has really put the Labour council under pressure. Forty years is far too long to run a council and if they don’t shape up, they’ll be out. That’s how it should be.”

Lynne Featherstone, first elected a councillor in 1998 and now Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“I learned a huge amount as a Haringey councillor.Standing up in the Haringey council chamber to 54 aggressive and heckling Labour councillors made speaking in the House of Commons seem like a breeze. But the reasons we stood then are just as relevant now.We still face a Labour council incapable of listening to the residents of Haringey.The cherry of the top of the cake will be taking the Council in 2010.”

Local Liberal Democrats have reacted with incredulity at Labour councillor Sheila Peacock’s suggestion to raise money for the mayor’s charity by selling the honour of the Freedom of the Borough for £100.

At last night’s Council Annual General Meeting when nominating Labour’s mayoral candidate, Cllr Peacock said in return “for £100 and tea with the Mayor” residents could be given the honour.

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Liberal Democrat Leader, comments:

“The mere suggestion that one of the highest honours Haringey Council can award our residents could be open to this sort of car boot sale is shocking.

“Not only does this tarnish the honour for those who have already been awarded the freedom of the borough but brings with it an unfortunate suggestion of sleaze.”

Cllr Richard Wilson, Lib Dem Deputy Leader, adds:

“Labour are not strangers to ‘cash for honours’ scandals but they should not bring these to Haringey – we completely reject any idea of selling off these honours.

“The mayor’s charity work is very important but this is not the way to go about raising money.”

Local Liberal Democrats have called for more action to tackle burglary, motor vehicle crime and the worrying increases in racial and homophobic crime. Latest figures released from the Metropolitan Police have shown reductions in total crime reported in Haringey but indicates a concerning increase in more common crimes and static levels of homicide.

Cllr Ron Aitken, Liberal Democrat Crime and Policing Spokesperson, comments:

“Despite reductions in total crime there are still unacceptable increases in more common offences of burglary and motor vehicle crime and in homophobic and racial offences. Local residents want their homes and possessions to be safe and should not be targeted due to their race or sexuality. We need more action and turn our attention to reducing these types of crime.

“The Police have worked extremely hard to achieve these results and we must congratulate their unrelenting efforts. But we must not lose sight of the human misery that lies behind these statistics and there is still considerable room for improvement.

“The Government needs to give the Police the freedom and recognition they deserve by putting an end to time-consuming paperwork and give them the pay-rise recommended by the independent review body.”

Local Liberal Democrats have responded with incredulity at the results of the Labour Annual General Meeting. The calamitous Cllr Dhiren Basu has been reappointed Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning.

Under Cllr Basu’s period in post, Haringey Council spent millions of pounds on the disastrous Haringey Council computer upgrade (Tech Refresh) in 2005 and more recently he was in charge of the unilateral withdrawal of leisure passes for older people without consulting anyone – he only back-tracked on the decision following an outcry from residents, Liberal Democrats and even some of his fellow Labour Councillors.

Cllr David Winskill, Lib Dem Spokesperson on Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning, comments:

“It really is incredible and one wonders what one has to do to get sacked by Haringey Labour. Thirteen million pounds overspent on Tech refresh, ignoring our elders on the leisure passes and slashing the Parks Police budget, it seems wholly irresponsible for Labour to put him in charge – no wonder Haringey are having to sell advertising in parks to make the books balance.”

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Cllr Richard Wilson adds:

“This speaks volumes about Haringey Labour – incompetence is rewarded and no-one takes responsibility for failure.

“The reappointment of Cllr Basu is yet another slap in the face for residents who care about their parks, libraries and leisure centres.”