MP joins local school in the world’s biggest birdwatch

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To help keep track of Haringey’s bird population, Lynne Featherstone MP on Friday went bird counting with Greig City Academy students, in the school’s grounds in Hornsey.

The Hornsey and Wood Green MP joined the students for the RSPB’s ‘Big Schools’ Birdwatch’, an annual event to check up on the UK bird population and part of the world’s biggest birdwatch. Armed with check sheets and pictures of the most common birds, the team spotted species such as woodland pigeon and blue tit, in the schools’ special wildlife garden.

Any local resident who wants handy tips on how to make their garden more inviting to birds should go to http://www.rspb.org.uk/hfw/

Lynne Featherstone, MP, comments:

“I’ve just had the most amazing time, bird counting with the Greig City students, and, thanks to this handy sheet, we were able to identify quite a few different ones, like woodland pigeons and blue tits.

“I look forward to seeing the results, but I fear that, judging from previous years’ counts, we need to do all we can, to make Haringey’s birds feel more at home.

“The RSPB has got a really useful website, with handy tips on how to make a garden more inviting, and I’m certainly going to have a look to see what I can do with mine!”

Tweeting – the real thing- RSPB's Big Schools Garden Watch

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Up with the lark and hopped over to Greig Academy to join them in the RSPBs Big Schools Garden Watch. Armed with pictures of different birds and a check sheet to tick off which ones we spotted – I went out into the cold morning air with a group of enthusiastic pupils, teacher and binoculars.

And I finally got it! I mean – I have long known that bird-watching is hugely popular – but have never really understood the joys of staying out in the cold, keeping still and silent, and staring endlessly at mostly nothing. How wrong I was. It is completely fascinating and enjoyable – and the special wonder of suddenly finding in my urban surroundings – just how much bird life is out there. It’s just like this massive secret life that runs parallel to ours – but I guess I am just so busy rushing around and never lifting my eyes – I just don’t see what’s in front of me.

The annual count that this visit is part of is a really important way to keep a check on just what is happening to our bird population – and what happens to birds matters to us and our future.

In fact –  so enthused – I begged to take hope a sheet of pictures so I can watch in my own garden.

So thank you Greig City Academy and the RSPB – for opening my eyes.

In the public interest! Whittington continued……….

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So – on Monday the draft ‘options’ for the future configuration of our local health services were passed up the chain to the Strategic Health Authority for London – NHS London. Well – that is the news that reaches me. No – we are not to know their thinking.

My understanding is that these are the first cut of reconfiguration options that NCL (North Central London Sector) have sent to SHA (Strategic Health Authority.

I feel we should have access to this document as soon as possible and I have sent an email to Rachel Tyndall (Chair of NCL) asking for a copy. Just in case this request is refused – I will submit a Freedom of Information request on Monday.

On the democratic accountability around all of this – why is it that local authorities have no representation at the decision making tables? It turns out we do – an officer form Enfield has been nominated to NCL. It is outrageous that a paid officer has been made the effective “place man” to represent  the 1.2 million people in the NCL area.

It seems that this was agreed following meetings between NCL and Leaders and CEOs of the boroughs – sold down the swanny in my view. My LibDem colleague, Dave Winskill’s suggestion is, at the very least, all lead members on adult services get together to discuss this and the implications for their services and demand representation.

After all, I have no doubt that any savings that these savage cuts make (if they succeed in their evil passage) will not be shared with the Boroughs who will surely bear some of the extra cost of community based care?

Great Ormond Street Hospital – did they hear what I was saying?

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I finally got to meet the Chair (Baroness Blackstone), the CEO (Jane Collins) and several non-executive members of the Board of Great Ormond Street yesterday.

I was there on two counts. The first was to ask why Kim Holt, the whistle-blowing, senior paediatrician who raised concerns over child protection in Haringey and was not listened to, had not begun to be re-instated having been on ‘special leave’ for two years despite agreement to so do. The second thrust of my meeting was about issues around bullying and unhappiness amongst medical staff and what had been done to address those issues.

I am not going to blog the detail today – but I did take notes. Suffice to say I tried to warn them but when I walked out – I really wondered whether they were able to hear what I told them.

Liberal Democrats launch campaign for local Wood Green park

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Liberal Democrats in Woodside ward have this week launched a campaign to bring a local park back to life. Local residents are being asked what improvements the Council should make to White Hart Lane Recreation Ground, also known as ‘Pond Park’.

Local Liberal Democrats are concerned that the park, which has declined in recent years, has little to attract visitors and needs a face-lift to become a better place for local young people and families to enjoy.

The boating pond which the park is named after has been out of use for over five years.

Local residents can take part by signing an online petition to Haringey Council to receive funding to give a face-lift to the park. The petition is at http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/pondpark

John Thompson, Woodside Focus Editor, comments:

“I remember playing in the park as a child in the 70’s it was a place where local kids met after school and played football. At the weekend model boating clubs would meet to use the pond. It’s sad to see it derelict.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“I hope that local residents will take part in the online petition. For too long the Labour Council has neglected this vital green space. We now need to see some investment to bring it back to life for local people to enjoy.”

Local MP makes case for fair schools funding to Minister on eve of consultation

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Ahead of the imminent launch of a new consultation about schools funding in Haringey, Lynne Featherstone MP last week put the case of our local schools getting £1,000+ less per pupil than neighbouring boroughs directly to Schools’ Minister, Vernon Coaker.

The Hornsey and Wood Green MP, accompanied by Chair of the local Schools Forum, Tony Brockman, got confirmation from Vernon Coaker MP that the funding arrangement, where Haringey schools pay Inner London wages but get Outer London funding, has resulted in one of the country’s most unfair and largest discrepancies between neighbouring boroughs.

The Minister said that it would probably come down to two options, which would be consulted on in the very near future. One of the options, based on straight labour cost, would mean virtually no change – the other option, called the ‘hybrid option’, would see the current 20% gap between Haringey and its neighbouring boroughs reduced to 6%.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“On the eve of the launch of the consultation, it was important to bend the Minister’s ear and make the case for Haringey.

“Once the plans are firmly on the table, I will encourage all local residents to respond, so we can let the Government know just how strongly local people feel about this unfairness; so watch this space!”

Tony Brockman, Chair of Haringey’s Schools Forum, adds:

“Lynne set out Haringey’s case very clearly in Parliament and to the Minister. There is now likely to be an option in the Government’s consultation which would fund Haringey schools fairly. “

Whittington A+E campaign update – this is about peoples' lives – not pawns on a management piece of paper

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Decisions are being made right now behind closed doors about the future of health services at the Whittington, including the Accident & Emergency service.

Although there will be a public consultation later this year (after the elections are safely out of the way!), what is being decided now is what options will be on offer in that consultation. So unless we fight now to get the options we want included, it will all be too late by the autumn.

That is why I am going to meet with Rachel Tyndall, (Chair of the London North Central Review Panel) – and want to make sure she knows just how important the Whittington A&E services are to so very many people.

Very importantly, the petition will show numbers and weight of public opinion – but there is nothing like personal stories to make the case.

So – to do this I need some more help from you. What I need is one paragraph with your own personal story of when you or someone you know had to go to the Whittington A&E and what that meant to you and so on. This is about peoples’ lives – not about pawns on a piece of management paper.

If you’re lucky, you and the people you know won’t have had to use the A&E yourselves – but please do also pass this request on to others that you know.

I will then collate the stories and present them not only to Ms Tyndall but to all the Board Members of the various bodies who will have a hand in deciding what options come forward next autumn for public consultation. (So please leave out any very personal details which you don’t want other people to read.)

Thank you so much for your support in this battle.

(Also on YouTube here.)

Conservative reaction to Tory leaflet

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Canvassing in Hornsey & Wood Green this last weekend, there was a solitary, sodden Tory leaflet on the pavement. I picked it up and put it in a bin – as political litter gives all of us a bad name. Then yesterday I received this email from a local constituent. This is what she sent to the Conservative candidate for Hornsey & Wood Green in response to that  same leaflet – and she has given me permission to publish it.

Dear Mr Merrin
I have lived in Shepherds Hill for four years and other than receiving one very apathetic communication from your goodselves prior to the last Local Elections, this is the first Conservative newsletter I have had posted through my door! I rather think that you ought to change the title of your newsletter because ‘in touch’ you are not! Ah well, as the General Election is looming, I suppose you had to produce something!

Your comments about Lynne Featherstone in your newsletter are rather unfair – but that’s politics I guess – let’s have a dig! Take it from me, she is much respected by her constituents who find her very proactive and approachable, and issues brought to her and her Lib Dem councillors are resolved quickly. Any issues I have wanted Ms Featherstone to take up for me have been dealt with promptly and resolved. She informs frequently with newsletters and she e-mails her supporters on matters which are of importance to us. I, and others I know in Shepherds Hill, think she is probably the best MP in Parliament.

I have voted Conservative all my life, but this time I will be voting for the Liberal Democrats – I like their thinking and I want Ms Featherstone to retain her seat in Parliament.

Yours sincerely

Carole                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Highgate

 

Whittington A&E new news!

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Word reaches me from the Council of Governors’ of the Whittington who met on 13 January (not from a Governor – just before anyone begins a witch hunt).

According to the record of the meeting  – North Central London NHS (the sector we belong to) and the Whittington have now ruled out the Whittington A&E being reduced in hours to 16 per day. In black and white it says: “This leaves options where either the full A&E is retained or there will be no A&E at all. The Whittington might then have an Urgent Care Centre.”

Reading the words in italic above from the record of the Governors’ meeting – why is it I feel that the North London Central NHS will be pushing for the Urgent Care Centre.

If that is such a brilliant solution – let them have the courage of their convictions and put both options to us – the people!

Well – the public consultation is in the Autumn or later – and I am sure we local people all want the option that retains a 24/7 A&E at the Whittington to be in that consultation – and we want that consultation to be for those who use the Whittington. They are the ones who need to be heard in this debate – local people, the patients and the relatives – not the rest of the sector, not the managers, not the CEOs or Medical Directors – but us!

Our challenge is to make sure that option comes forward and that consultation actually means that we have a choice and that the outcome of the consultation reflects our views.

Labour U-turn on mandatory retirement age

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I thought the Today Program had good researchers – but listening this morning and hearing that the Government says there was no support for abolishing the mandatory retirement age during the Equality Bill is rubbish.

I, myself, raised it in Second Reading:

My last point about age discrimination and matters mandatory is that I cannot for the life of me understand why the Government have retained a mandatory retirement age. It seems completely wrong. I am surprised, as it is clearly discriminatory to decide on an arbitrary age as a cut-off. I heard what the Leader of the House said about the default retirement age being on a separate track, but the issue should be included in the Bill.

Moreover, at Committee Stage, I tabled an amendment to end this arbitrary discrimination against older people. Obviously individuals should have the right to choose when to stop working.

And, my LibDem colleague, Lord Anthony Lester, who is leading in the Lords on the Equality Bill (and whose life work has been equalities) has been pushing the Government very hard on this too.

I’m very glad that the Government have now seen sense but am fed up that when the LibDems lead the way –  the BBC fails to report accurately.

Anyway – hurrah – in the end the right thing has come about.