It looks like the formidable campaign by my LibDem colleague Cllr Matt Davies, the Leaseholders’ forum, various local campaigners (and me) will succeed. You can read the full story here. Haringey Council wanted to charge astronomical charges to their council blocks for digital switchover – £1000 to each home – way over the odds. After a long battle it looks like this will now be reduced to £400. That’s not as low as it could go – but it’s a hell of a lot better than before. Fingers crossed for the meeting next week where this will/should go through.
Brown's temper, temper
Two things struck me about the allegations about Gordon Brown’s temper, bullying and violence. Firstly – if Rawnsley has written something untrue – why doesn’t Brown sue? Probably too simplistic.
Secondly and perhaps more interestingly is what constitutes bullying? If a ‘boss’ shouts at an employee because they’ve done something wrong – something serious that puts the firm or organisation in jeopardy – is that bullying or is that just the sign of someone who is passionate about their work, firm or reputation?
My mother, who ran a small chain of shops in London’s West End was from the old school. The customer was always right – for a start. She was definitely paternalistic (I know – it needs to be maternalistic really) and when employees erred grievously they would be called into her office. She would lecture them and tell them exactly what she thought of their actions and what would happen if such an occurrence recurred.
She was much loved and respected by her employees, most of whom stayed with the firm all their working lives. Was she a bully – or a good boss?
A Future Fairer to All?
Labour launched its campaign slogan today – a Future Fairer to all.
For those who watched Question Time this week and saw the raw anger of local people in the Middlesbrough audience against the loss of 1600 jobs on Teesside as the Corus steel plant is mothballed, might be forgiven for comparing the slogan with reality. Thousands of other jobs may follow as a consequence.
The anger and hurt in the audience was palpable – and the question was – how is fair of Labour to plunge zillions into the banks to save them – whilst this key industry on Teesside is let go to the wall?
It shows the reality versus the spin. For if there is any way out of the recession it is jobs and it is not only unfair – but it is an insanity to not try and preserve local jobs in an area that is suffering when the costs of dealing with the aftermath – unemployment, depression, retraining, redevelopment etc will cost far more in the long term and in terms of peoples’ lives.
One woman in the audience made the hugely powerful point – that even if those who are young enough to be retrained and find a future – for those over 50 its basically curtains.
Labour may hope that people won’t notice reality – won’t look at the statistics that shows that the gap between rich and poor is still widening, that social mobility is worse now and that if you are born poor now you are more likely to end up poor than you were thirty years ago.
I think people are not so easily fooled and will tell Labour exactly what to do with their new shiny slogan and where to put it.
Haringey Council wastes further taxpayers’ money after delivery error
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.”
Protest song for the Whittington
A protest song against the threats to the Whittington Hospital has been penned and launched. You can hear it here. Come sing it as we march on the 27th February from Highbury Fields to the Whittington.
Whittington Hospital: come to public meeting with key decision makers from the NHS
(Also on YouTube here)
It is clear from the overwhelming response to the campaign and petition that local people want the Whittington A & E to remain and remain 24/7. In fact – most people can’t believe closure is even being proposed – as to anyone locally this is madness.
But the fight doesn’t stop at a petition. On the 4th March, I have arranged a public meeting, where local residents will get the chance to hear at first hand, what the hospital bosses have to say about the threat to the A&E. To represent the NHS, I have invited Rachel Tyndall, Chair of the North Central London (NCL) review panel, the body that has put forward the proposals to close the Whittington A&E, and Richard Sumray, who is chair of Haringey Primary Care Trust.
This will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions – directly to the powers that be. And I want you to be there. If we can show just how strong local feelings are about this threat, I think we might have a chance of stopping them. We now know from the latest document that there are seven draft ‘options’ for the future of the Whittington. Four out of the seven show an end to 24/7 A&E at the Whittington.
The meeting will take place as follows:
Thursday the 4th March from 8 pm, Greig City Academy, Hornsey, N8 7NU.
To access the assembly hall where the meeting will be held, please use the entrance from Hillfield Avenue and follow the signs. If you have any questions, just call my office on 020 8340 5459.
Lastly, I also wanted to mention that I am marching, with my fellow Liberal Democrat colleagues, in protest against the potential closure on Saturday the 27th February. The march, organised by Defend the Whittington coalition, will start at Highbury Fields at 12 noon and to the Whittington Hospital.
Do come along and show your support – if you want to find more details on the march, please go to: http://dwhc.org.uk/.
Thanks again for the support you have shown for our campaign, and please help spread the word about the threat to our A&E – together we can fight this!
Question Time this Thursday
Am doing Question Time this Thursday. What do you think the questions will be?
I remember doing Question Time the Thursday after I was elected in 2005 – a terrifying thing to do to a new MP with virtually no television experience. But actually – it went well. I was sitting next to Boris – still an MP at that point in time. There was a question about whether young people should be banned from wearing hoodies in Bluewater shopping centre. I remember noting down the words ‘dress code’ and saying that any establishment was welcome to have a dress code – but in terms of hoodies – it should be about behaviour not a piece of clothing. After I spoke – Boris said ‘dress code’ definitely – and agreed with me – or words to that affect. He was very funny and whilst I don’t agree with him that much – and am still cross with him for even standing for Mayor of London (let alone winning) I’ve always had a soft spot because of his kindness that evening.
A couple of days later, I think – although memory may not be completely accurate – I met or was phoned by Shami Chakrabarti – who said she had watched Question Time and that answer signalled to her I was ‘one of us’. Much flattered – and the start of a good working relationship – which as I became spokesperson for Crime and Policing shortly afterwards was a very good thing.
Of course – it might still not happen – as last time I was lined up I was bumped off the program in favour of that Nick Clegg!
Local MP to host public meeting on the future of the Whittington A&E
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.
Guardian decides shape of future government
The Guardian front page this morning says we have ruled out coalition with both Labour and Tories. In recent weeks I think they have had stories saying we will support coalition with Labour, coalition with the Tories – and now – no coalition at all.
We haven’t changed our position at all. The people, not the party leaders, are the kingmakers and it is completely pointless and wrong to try and predict the future until people have had their chance to vote.
The voters will decide the result of the election and then all the parties will have to respond to the country’s decision.
What we have said is that our four key priorities around fairness are what’s important.
Wood Green police station: latest plans
Here’s my latest column for the Ham & High:
The police are planning to expand their presence in Wood Green – keeping the existing police station in use but also moving the front counter to the Fishmongers Arms (right next to the Civic Centre, closer to the centre of Wood Green, closer to where people congregate and closer to the crime hotspots).
I was impressed with the new front counter – not yet in use – when I went with Cllr Robert Gorrie (Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Haringey Council) to see it and meet the local Commander, Dave Grant.
Having staffed and open police stations in the heart of our community is central to the fight against crime and the fear of crime. It gives us a police service that knows its community and whose community knows it. That’s why I fought for so longer to get the Muswell Hill front counter reopened.
The new front counter in Wood Green is much better equipped and located than the current one. It’s all ready to go – brand, spanking new – and has the advantage that local people would be able to use the front counter to report their problems in a much more peaceful and calm atmosphere – no longer needing to mix with the less salubrious side of station life with those who have to report to the police station, and so on.
If the existing building is also kept in use for police services, such as cells and a base for patrol cars etc, then this means overall a bigger and better police presence in Wood Green. Hurrah!
If!
We need to be sure that moving the front counter doesn’t become an excuse to cut back, sell off property – and leave us with fewer services. That has to be the concern in these times of economic uncertainty.
And then there’s still the question of exactly what policing will be done from the existing police station building. The police have promised a public consultation on that – including the possibility of moving the front counter back from the Fishmongers Arms, if it isn’t a success in its new location and local people want it moved back.
We also need to make sure that any building work on the old police station preserves its historic front, which is a real architectural gem that adds to our community. Last time the police made proposals for the station the local community was rightly up in arms at the insensitive architectural designs. That planning application was withdrawn and we await a new one, due to be submitted in the autumn.
So we should be due two chances to have our say – the public consultation on police services in the area and also the planning application for the Victorian police station building.
But ahead of that the police want to try out starting to use the new facilities at the Fishmongers Arms – moving their front counter service from the existing police station to the new location.
I know some people have been skeptical about this, worried that it’s a way for the police to preempt those two chances for us to have our say later in the year.
But if it is a genuine trial, making use of new expanded premises and with a commitment written in blood that the final decisions will only come after we’ve been consulted – then it means we get to try out the new services sooner and it makes for a better decision in the end if there’s some practical experience to draw on.
So this is a debate which will run for some time – and do let me know your own views.
You can also watch my latest film about Wood Green police station:
Lynne Featherstone 