My priorities for tackling violence against girls and women overseas

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This week I wrote to all MPs, in my role as Ministerial Champion for tackling violence against girls and women overseas.

Violence against girls and women is one of the most systematic, widespread human rights abuses in the world. One in three women will experience it in their lifetimes. The UK Government believes this can change, that every woman and girl has the right to live free from violence and abuse.

In the letter, I outlined my priorities for this year. In short, they are:

  • Defending/securing the rights of girls and women to live free from violence, through international negotiations such as the Commission on the Status of  Women in March and the ongoing negotiations on the framework which will take us beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
  • Eliminating FGM/C within a generation.
  • Sharing what we know works to prevent violence against girls and women, by investing in research and working with others to ensure what we do is based on strong evidence.
  •  Forging strategic partnerships in the international system to ‘lock in’ prevention of violence against girls and women, making sure we get the best outcomes for girls and women by working closely with others over the long term.
  • Linking our international work with domestic, particularly our work on FGM/C and Early and Forced Marriage where there is significant read-across, and through the UK’s National Action Plan on violence against women and girls.

You can read the letter in full here – and find out more about my work at the Department for International Development here.

Haringey Borough Commander ‘fully behind’ Special Constable campaign

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Lynne Featherstone MP and local campaigners celebrate the new campaign with local residents.Haringey Borough Commander, Victor Olisa, has backed the local Liberal Democrat campaign for a 50% Council Tax discount for Special Constables.

The Commander, who confirmed his support during a meeting with Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, joins the hundreds of residents who have already signed up to show their support.

The proposal would see every Special Constable in Haringey receive a 50% Council Tax discount. Campaigners say this will reward existing Special Constables, as well as encouraging other local residents to volunteer and help the police fight crime.

Labour-run Haringey Council will make the decision on whether to adopt the proposal at a Council meeting on the 26th February.

Special Constables have the same powers and responsibilities as regular police officers, and spend up to 16 hours a month volunteering with the police – all without pay – in order to help make our community safer.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It is great to secure the support of the Borough Commander on this campaign to reward and encourage our hardworking special constables.

“Hundreds of residents have already registered their support for our campaign. If you haven’t yet – please do sign up – the more signatures, the more chance we have of making this happen!”

“The Haringey Lib Dems and I are working hard to help fight crime in the borough – on this campaign and others – including our campaign for a replacement police base in Muswell Hill and for better street lighting.”

Haringey Borough Commander, Victor Olisa, said:

“I am fully behind the proposal to give our Special Constables a 50% Council Tax discount. I think it would be a good reward for the current Specials, and it would encourage more people to sign up and volunteer to fight crime in Haringey.”

 

Public Meeting called on the Noel Park estate

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Roberto Robles and Lynne Featherstone reporting issues on the Noel Park estate. Lynne Featherstone MP and local campaigners have called a public meeting to discuss Labour-run Haringey Council’s ongoing failure to repair and improve homes on the Noel Park estate.

The Liberal Democrat MP has long campaigned for repair work on the estate, and met recently with housing chiefs to put forward the case.

Local campaigners say the meeting will give residents a chance to have their voices heard, and discuss the problems they have with repairs to their homes.

The Labour councillor for Noel Park, who is also responsible for housing in the borough, has been invited to attend.

The meeting will take place on Monday the 17th February – 7:15pm, at Shropshire Hall (Gladstone Avenue, N22 6LD).

Local Noel Park campaigner Roberto Robles said:

“My colleague Colin Heinink and I think the Labour-run Council’s failure to do vital works to homes on the Noel Park Estate is outrageous. Many homes on the estate are in desperate need of repair.

“Shockingly, at the same time homes on the Noel Park Estate have been left to crumble, Labour-run Haringey allowed £3.7 million to be spent on bonuses for home repairs staff.

“Enough is enough. The Lib Dems have already started a petition and met with local housing chiefs. Now, we’re calling a public meeting so residents can have their say too.”

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“It’s about time residents were given a proper say on the repairs their homes need. For too long their own Labour Councillor, who is responsible for housing in the borough, has ignored them.

“It’s Haringey Council’s job to provide tenants with a decent standard of living – and the Government has given the Council extra money to do so.

“The Council have committed to make urgent repairs and consult residents – which is a step in the right direction but not good enough. This public meeting is the next step in our campaign to secure full repairs for residents on the Noel Park estate.”

Volunteering to fight crime could really pay off!

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Here’s my latest Ham and High column on the new Lib Dem campaign for a council tax discount for special constables:

Crime unfortunately affects the vast majority of people at some point in life. When I’m out on the doorsteps or at my local constituency surgery – I often hear awful stories from people who have been victims of burglary or fraud, for instance.

On the whole, crime is currently falling – but we must remain vigilant. Figures recently revealed the Muswell Hill area to be in the top 10 UK ‘burglary hotspots’ – and other types of crime in the Wood Green area remain a concern to local residents.

The Haringey Liberal Democrats and I have a long history of working closely with our local police to tackle crime and to reassure residents about police action.

We opposed the Conservative Mayor of London’s changes to policing in the Capital, which saw Muswell Hill police front counter closed and Hornsey downgraded.  Now – we’re still campaigning for a replacement police base and front counter in Muswell Hill and for better street lighting in the Borough – in our bid to tackle crime.

In addition, we’ve just launched a campaign to give local Special Constables a 50% discount on their Council Tax.

special constables 2

Special Constables have the same powers and responsibilities as regular police officers, and spend up to 16 hours a month volunteering with the police – all without pay – in order to help make our community safer.

We think these volunteers deserve to be rewarded for their hard work and assistance in tackling crime. And, if the Council Tax discount helps encourage more people to become Special Constables – all the better!

An increase in volunteer Special Constables will help support the local police in the borough – and make residents feel safer, too. In Haringey we only have 62 volunteer Special Constables – way behind other London boroughs like Barnet (who have 233) and Enfield (180).

Some other Councils in the UK are already awarding the volunteers. In Hull, for example, Special Constables are already able to claim a 50% discount on their Council Tax. It should be the same in Haringey, too!

We’re encouraging local residents to get involved in this campaign by signing a petition and registering their support. Residents can sign up here.

Later in the month, the Haringey Liberal Democrats will be presenting the petition and the proposal to Haringey Council – who will take the decision on whether to adopt it.

The more signatures we have, the more chance we have of convincing the Council and being able to reward our hard working police volunteers!

Closing the gap on mental health

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ClosingtheGap

One in four of us will suffer from a mental health problem in our lifetime. It is a stark figure, made worse because there is still a stigma attached to psychological conditions.

To address this, Nick Clegg and the Lib Dem Care Minister, Norman Lamb, recently launched the Coalition Government’s new action plan for mental health.

The plan outlines 25 priorities for improving the support and care provided to those with mental health issues. These include integrating mental and physical health provision, promoting psychological wellbeing for children, and increasing access to care.

Priorities have been distorted for years. The last Labour Government introduced waiting times for hospitals, but they failed to bring them in for psychological treatment – this needs to change.

As Nick Clegg said, ‘it is time to bring mental health out of the shadows and to give people with mental health conditions the support they need and deserve’.

This will be a multi-agency approach, as it is not simply a matter for the NHS. Better support in education, employment, and housing will give people the help they need to get on.

Ignoring mental health now will just compound the problem in the future – so the Liberal Democrats in Government are taking action.

I am delighted that Nick Clegg has made this a priority. I strongly believe that these changes to mental health care will help create the fairer society we need, as well as providing a positive model for other countries.

Outrage as Labour councillors waive through flawed Hornsey High Street application

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Lynne Featherstone MP outside Hornsey DepotLocal residents and Liberal Democrats have expressed their outrage today, after Haringey Labour councillors forced through the Hornsey High Street planning application without crucial amendments being made.

The developers can now push ahead with plans to build a Sainsbury’s, a car park, and housing on the old Hornsey Depot site.

The Liberal Democrats have long supported local residents’ demands to amend the application – echoing their concerns about the quality and density of housing, the effect on local trade, and traffic implications.

Liberal Democrat councillors on the planning committee voted for the application to be refused permission, because changes to the plans were needed. But Labour voted to go ahead with the plans and forced the application through on the Labour Chair’s casting vote.

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone commented:

“The vast majority of people want to see development on this site – but it must benefit the local area, and be approved by local people.

“The Labour-run Council obviously don’t see it like this – and have instead waived through a flawed application. I am furious – and so are local residents.”

Hornsey campaigner Dawn Barnes commented:

“My colleagues and I are outraged that the application has been waived through by Labour councillors. What a slap in the face for Hornsey residents who so convincingly argued for amendments to be made.

“Labour have proved once again that they cannot be trusted to look after the interests of local people – they prefer to please their developer friends and Town Hall bosses instead.

“Here in Hornsey, I will continue to work with your local MP and councillors Lynne Featherstone, Robert Gorrie, Errol Reid and Monica Whyte to get the best deal possible for local people.”

The latest news on the London tube strikes

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As you may have heard on the news, an ongoing dispute between the Mayor of London and RMT /TSSA Unions has led to a tube strike starting this evening at 9:30pm. 

In my experience, tube strikes also affect buses, trains and roads as people use alternative transport for their commute.

The strike will start at 9.30pm today until the morning of Friday 7th. Another strike is planned between 11th – 14th as well, depending on further developments.

There are a number of tools you can use to plan an alternative route, including TFL Journey Planner and Google Maps. TFL has also released an advice document, outlining which lines will be affected, here.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email, phone, or post if I can be of any other assistance as your MP.

Support the campaign to give special constables a Council Tax discount

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Lynne Featherstone MP and local campaigners (Michael Tiritas, Dave Beacham, Cara Jenkinson and Thomas Southern) discuss the new campaign with local residentsLynne Featherstone MP and the Haringey Liberal Democrats have today launched a campaign to give local special constables a 50% discount on their Council Tax.

The campaigners say this will reward existing special constables, as well as encouraging other local residents to volunteer and help the police fight crime.

The Haringey Liberal Democrats are looking to collect as many signatures as possible to support the campaign – which has been successfully implemented in other Council’s in the UK. Haringey Council will make a decision on whether to adopt the Liberal Democrat’s proposal later in the month.

Special constables have the same powers and responsibilities as regular police officers, and spend up to 16 hours a month volunteering with the police – all without pay – in order to help make our community safer.

Haringey Liberal Democrat crime spokesperson, Cllr Martin Newton, said:

“Our campaign to give Special Constables a 50% reduction in Council Tax will increase the number of these volunteers across the borough. This will give the local police extra help, and make residents feel safer, too.

“Although crime is generally falling, we have seen some shocking burglary figures in parts of Haringey recently. This campaign is just one step in our bid to tackle crime. We’re also campaigning for a replacement police base and front counter in the Muswell Hill area and for better street lighting across the borough.”

Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone MP, commented:

“When I’m out on the doorsteps, residents regularly speak to me about crime, or fear of crime. It’s an issue that affects all of us at some point in life.

“So, it’s vital that we give reward and incentivise Special Constables, who give up their own time to fight crime for free. And under our proposal – volunteering to fight crime really would pay off!

“Haringey Council will be voting on 26 February on whether to adopt this policy, so please add your voice to our campaign today.”