New figures unearthed by local Liberal Democrats have exposed Labour’s failure to tackle the housing crisis hitting families in Haringey in the last decade.

Since 1997, when Labour came to power nationally, the number of households living in temporary accommodation has soared from 2,322 to 5,447 – the second highest number in London and four times the London average.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green comments:

“This extraordinary increase in the number of people living in temporary accommodation, often in terrible and run down states, is one of Labour’s biggest failings.

“Not only is Haringey failing to find decent housing for these often vulnerable people, but my casework postbag offers evidence of the terrible state of many of these temporary homes. Haringey Council needs to own up to this failing, and address this as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Carolyn Baker, Lib Dem Housing Spokesperson, adds:

“These figures are a shameful testament to current Labour governance. This means that 5,447 families are without a proper home in Haringey. Residents have continually had to bear the brunt of an ineffective local council, unable and seemingly unwilling to tackle this housing crisis, and a national government hell bent on strangling council housing. It shows Labour’s complete failure to deal with housing needs.”

Note: figures from Department for Communities and Local Government Homelessness returns (quarterly)

The sexist law on royal succession soon looks set to be confined to the dustbin of history, following a recent discrimination referral to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) by local MP Lynne Featherstone.

The Hornsey and Wood Green MP wrote to Trevor Phillips, chair of the EHRC, after Lady Louise was pushed back from eight to ninth in line to the throne, following the birth of her baby brother in December last year. The response, acknowledging the practice as discriminatory, triggered earlier this week a proposal from the Solicitor General that abolition of the practice be included in the Single Equality Act, which will pass through the House of Commons later this year.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“The Government seems to have finally realised the importance of equality at all levels of society.

“We can’t have a law that is meant to fight discrimination and injustice, but allows a blatantly sexist law on royal succession to continue.

“This is the perfect time to change the law when there is no one who will be personally affected. It shouldn’t create a hue and cry.

“Let’s confine this outdated message that men are better than women to the dustbin of history.”

Local Liberal Democrats have exposed Ken Livingstone’s cynical bid for votes over Ally Pally, admidst Haringey Labour’s catastrophicmismanagement of the cherished building. The Lib Dems are reminding local residents that his promises this week comes four years after Labour’s Mayor made a similar bid for votes at the last Mayoral election – since which he has done absolutely nothing to help as local Labour bosses have wasted further millions in a disastrous attempt to dispose of the site.

When the last Mayoral election was days away, Ken Livingstone told local newspaper the Hornsey Journal that the Ally Pally was a “regional resource” and a “huge financial burden” for the people of Haringey – and suggested that extra funding could be made available to it from the Mayor’s budget (Hornsey Journal, 3rd June 2004).

In the past four years however, he has done nothing to help, while the local Labour Council has orchestrated a disastrous attempt to flog the building to a developer through a failed lease that has been thrown out by the High Court – leaving local taxpayers with another multi-million pound bill on top of the £50 million already squandered.

Local GLA candidate and Haringey Lib Dem councillor Monica Whyte commented: “Ken Livingstone’s empty promises to save the Ally Pally from the clutches of Haringey Labour would be great if they were true – but this just shows that he will say anything for a few votes in this area.”

“He said he’d help save the Ally Pally last time and what did he do? Absolutely nothing. Instead, Lib Dems have had to battle another fiasco of mismanagement over the Firoka deal, which has cost local residents further millions.

“Local residents will not be fooled by Ken a second time round!”

Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate, joined local Liberal Democrat councillors last Friday to support the Wards Corner Community Coalition (WCCC) community alternative to Haringey Council’s controversial development plans for Wards Corner, Seven Sisters.

WCCC, consisting of local activists, traders and residents, has submitted a plan that aims to keep the historic nature of the old Wards Corner Department store and protect the existing market. Haringey Council, working through the New Deal for Communities partnership (NDC) with developer Grainger, plans to demolish the building.

Cllr Carolyn Baker and Brian Paddick met traders throughout the market.

Cllr Carolyn Baker (Harringay) comments:

“I am angry that Haringey Council will not listen properly to local people. It is their strength of commitment to the local area that persuaded them to pay £8,000 for their own development plans to be drawn up in opposition to the Grainger plans. If the plans go ahead as proposed it will destroy people’s lives and livelihoods as well as an important part of Haringey history.”

Cllr John Oakes, Lib Dem Community Involvement spokesperson, adds:

“Haringey Council has reneged on its own development brief promise to retain the original Wards landmark for environmental reasons.

“Its draconian plans for a gated flat development will destroy scores of local businesses. Construction is not the same thing as regeneration. Haringey Council and the NDC should honour its offer to get the WCCC alternative plan independently costed, and involve the community, instead of foisting an unwanted eyesore on an ailing area.”

Hornsey and Wood Green’s Liberal Democrat MP has been nominated for another media award this week. Lynne Featherstone is in the running for the New Statesman’s New Media Award ‘Democracy in Action’ for her commitment to keeping in touch with her constituents through her regular blog.

Lynne has been a regular blogger for several years, and runs a website packed with information about her work and local Liberal Democrat campaigns. More recently, Lynne has started ‘twittering’ – keeping in touch with her constituents through regular text messaging.

The prestigious New Media Awards, now in their tenth year, champion those individuals or organisations using the power of new media in fresh, creative and constructive ways. The Democracy in Action award recognises the use of new media technology to improve democracy, fostering better communications between the public and those they elect. The awards will be decided by a panel of judges and presented in July.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I love using my website to keep in touch with people locally, and I try and blog on a very regular basis. It’s great to have this recognised by being nominated. Fingers crossed for July!”

Information revealing Haringey Council’s write-off of £6.4 million in Council Tax will hit local pockets hard, say local Liberal Democrats. Haringey easily tops the list of London councils, which was revealed in an answer to a Parliamentary Question last week.

Cllr Neil Williams, Liberal Democrat leader, comments:

“I am shocked that Haringey Council can just say goodbye to such a large amount of money. Local residents will find this hard to swallow. They have faced massive rises in their Council Tax bills under Labour, and pay some of the highest Council Taxes anywhere.

“Time after time, Haringey Council blames a tight budget for their swingeing increases in people’s Council Tax, rising charges, and cuts in services – but all along their failure to collect the taxes has hit those most in need.”

Cllr Richard Wilson, Lib Dem Deputy Leader, adds:

“Little over a month ago Haringey Council was robbing older people of their leisure facilities, increasing charges for cremations and raising Council Tax to a figure that is one of the highest in London – they should be ashamed of this and apologise to the people of Haringey.”

Haringey’s Liberal Democrat council group leader, Neil Williams, has announced he is stepping down as leader. Cllr Williams, who has led the Liberal Democrats for the past four-and-a-half years, is to complete his term of office at his party’s Annual General Meeting in May, where a new leader will be elected.

Cllr Williams wants to give a new leader plenty of time to prepare for the next local elections in 2010, where the Liberal Democrats need just a handful of votes, and three more councillors, to take control of Haringey Council, ending four decades of continuous Labour rule.

Neil Williams was first elected to Haringey Council in Highgate in May 2002, where a big swing wiped the small Tory opposition off the political map in Haringey.He took on the leadership of the Lib Dems 18 months later, in January 2004, leading a group of 15 Liberal Democrat councillors. Since then, the party has gone from strength to strength. The Liberal Democrats have won four landslide local by-elections, taken seat after seat from Labour in the council elections in 2006 and seen the election of Lynne Featherstone as the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green.

Commenting on his time as Haringey’s Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Neil Williams says:

“I’ve really enjoyed leading the council group for nearly five years now, and it’s been a great pleasure to play a part in so many successful campaigns. There have been tremendous highlights. I’ll always remember waiting at the bus stop with Lynne Featherstone on the first day of the 603 bus running through Highgate. After so many years of campaigning, it was a great moment and we were both choked. More recently, the campaign to save Jacksons Lane, and the huge response from Highgate residents, was a real highlight.

“I’ve really enjoyed the election successes too, with so many new friends made, new party members, and council seats gained from Labour, but especially the moment when I phoned Lynne Featherstone to tell her that she had been elected as MP for Hornsey and Wood Green in 2005. These are the moments you don’t forget.

“However, we need a leader to take us through to at least 2014. Ten years in the role I feel would be too long for me, so it’s definitely time for a change. The Liberal Democrat Council group in Haringey has so many great people coming through. It’s a fantastic group that is just raring to go when it comes to taking control of the Council. I’m really looking forward to the new team in place, but most of all I will have more time to spend on the most enjoyable part of the job, which is working with my two ward colleagues Rachel Allison and Bob Hare as a ward councillor for Highgate.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Neil has been a brilliant Leader of our council group. It’s not just that he is talented in the chamber – which he is. It’s not just that he has guided our Liberal Democrat group from 15 to 26 members ready to take Haringey Council next time – which he has. It’s not just that he has a sharp political brain – which he does. It’s that he has been a friend and trooper for over ten years and co-author of the rise of the Liberal Democrats in Haringey. I’ve no doubt that whatever role he takes on next Neil will be brilliant again.”

Local Liberal Democrats have welcomed the abandonment of controversial plans to build a new police station at Wood Green – and have also welcomed a major u-turn by the area’s only Labour councillor on the issue.

Haringey Police have withdrawn their planning application for the four storey development that, last year, local Labour councillor Matt Cooke described as “exciting” and “iconic”.

Following a backlash from local residents, Cllr Cooke has subsequently shifted his support to oppose the plans, which he now says are out of character for the area. His support for the new building was so intense that he even talked about his support on YouTube (see here and here) praising the scheme.

Cllr Ron Aitken, Lib Dem Crime Spokesperson comments:

“I’m delighted we have seen the back of these plans – and it’s always good to see a sinner repent. It seems that after realising the unpopularity of the scheme, this Labour councillor has carried out a complete u-turn. It’s a pity Councillor Cooke didn’t speak out earlier, as so much time has been wasted on this scheme, yet the police do need better facilities. Local Liberal Democrats will continue our work with the Police to provide these”.

The brilliant service provided by a local animal hospital has now been matched by equally brilliant new facilities. The Wood Green Animal Shelter in Lordship Lane was officially opened yesterday by Haringey’s Mayor, with the help of local Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone.

For many years now, sick animals in Wood Green have been able get an amazing vet service at the Shelter. A successful, donations-based system means that the vet service is available to all, as local pet owners make a donation based on their ability to pay.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“With this fantastic newly refurbished hospital and its brilliant team of staff, the exceptional treatment provided to the pets here can get even better. We all love animals, and want them to be looked after, but vet care can be very expensive – that’s why Wood Green Animal Shelter is so valuable.

“It’s especially great to see that those animals that have been abandoned are getting the care and attention they need at Wood Green. It’s a wonderful service.”