Local MP to fight Post Office closures

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Reacting to the shocking news that five local Post Offices are being consulted for closure, Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“I am absolutely furious that a third of Post Offices in my constituency are threatened with closure. One thing local residents have not been telling me is that there are too many Post Offices in our community and there is no way we will take this lying down.

“These offices are the lynch pin for small parades and their closure could be the death knell for small independent retailers who rely on these Post Offices as draw for customers.More than that, where will this leave older people and those with mobility issues who already have limited choice about how far they can go for shops and banking services?

“Any small financial savings the Labour government thinks it can make can in no way offset the huge cost to the community these closures will have. I have already started working with residents to draw up a battle plan to fight these closures tooth and nail. “

Note: the five local offices threatened with closure are:

Highgate High Street
Alexandra Park Road
Ferme Park Road
Salisbury Road
Weston Park

What would you do with files of personal information, including bank details, on 20,000 people?

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If you’re Haringey Council – the answer is, “leave the dumped in a squatted building”.

Yes – really! That’s what The Sun has discovered. The building in question is in Crouch End, and used to be used by a council Housing Benefit office. But when they stopped using the building, they failed to secure or clear out the files. Instead, we have a building open to anyone to walk in – and stuffed full of personal files, containing details of 20,000 people, including in many cases all the details needed for identity theft.

I am shocked and extremely concerned for the people affected. They urgently need to know the risk they have been exposed to by Haringey Council’s incompetence. They must be contacted immediately by Haringey Council so they can check whether or not they have been a victim of identify theft or fraud. Then, the council leaders need to sit down and seriously review their archiving system. With benefit claims, child protection documents and Council Tax records, Haringey Council holds some extremely sensitive information on virtually every person in the borough – and it must be properly looked after.

Neil Williams, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Haringey Council, is tabling an emergency council motion today calling for a thorough investigation and review.

Confidential files left in squat shows grotesque Haringey Council incompetence, says Lib Dem leader

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Haringey Opposition Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams is calling for an urgent independent investigation into a shocking and disastrous breach of security involving the personal details of thousands of Haringey residents.

Reports in The Sun newspaper today show how Haringey left the personal details of thousands of local residents in an abandoned building in Crouch End, North London, that has been occupied by squatters.

Cllr Williams comments:

“This is an absolutely appalling blunder and shows incompetence on a scale that is truly grotesque.

“We must have an independent investigation so that lessons are learned. Sadly experience shows us that this council rarely investigates its own mistakes properly, so you can bet there will be an attempt at a whitewash by Haringey Labour.

“But the most important question of all is what steps are Haringey Council taking to inform those whose confidentially has been so disgracefully breached? Given that the police appear to have confirmed that criminals would have all they need for identity fraud, this must be done straight away.”

Cllr Williams is tabling an emergency motion to today’s full council demanding a full explanation, investigation and apology.

Local MP demands abandoned record victims to be contacted

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Commenting on the apparent discovery of Housing Benefit records relating to 20,000 people abandoned by Haringey Council, local Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“I am shocked and extremely concerned for the people affected.They urgently need to know the risk they have been exposed to by Haringey Council’s incompetence.They must be contacted immediately so they can check whether or not they have been a victim of identify theft or fraud.

“Then, Haringey Council leaders need to sit down and seriously review their archiving system.With benefit claims, child protection documents and council tax records, Haringey Council holds some extremely sensitive information on virtually every person in the Borough.Local residents deserve cast-iron guarantees that their private records will not have the same fate.”

Ms. Featherstone has made urgent representations to Haringey Council’s chief executive demanding the council contacts those involved and carries out a full independent investigation.

Breaking down barriers between communities

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I’m quoted in the Sunday Times today:

Children from ethnic minorities are to be sent on adventure holidays with white youngsters in a scheme to break down racial and religious barriers.

Ministers want children from different backgrounds to mix at summer camps where they can enjoy extreme sports together. The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) centres also offer workshops in skills such as circus tricks and producing pop videos…

Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat youth and equality spokeswoman, said: “Breaking down barriers is a good idea. [But] we need to look at the long-term effects of these schemes: they have to be more than a holiday.”

What did I previously think about Brian Paddick?

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From my latest column for the Ham & High:

The risk with keeping a public diary (as I do with my blog) is that it means your words are out there, in full public view – and (thanks to search engines, caching and all that malarkey) even still there to be found if I hit delete on my own site.

So – when Brian Paddick, a former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, put his name forward to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor, I went through two immediate emotions.

Firstly – pleasure, because my experiences of dealing with him whilst he was serving in the police and I was serving on the Metropolitan Policy Authority were very positive.

But secondly – anxiety, because I did wonder whether I’d ever written something critical about him – and if so whether therefore my words would get quoted back at me or Brian for evermore – or at least, until polling day.

Read on to see what I found when I went back to look…

The lesson of the Lotfi Raissi case

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The latest terrorism news is a timely reminder as to why it’s foolish to think that the answer to fighting terrorism is simply to give the authorities a blank slate to do whatever they want when it comes to locking up people, bugging them, and so on:

Six years of fighting for justice left Lotfi Raissi an emotional and physical wreck and his marriage close to ruin. But yesterday, the Algerian pilot falsely accused of training the September 11 terrorists heard, finally, that he was “completely exonerated” of any part in the attacks on the twin towers…

Three of Britain’s most senior judges condemned the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for abusing the court process, presenting false allegations and not disclosing evidence. (The Times)

That second paragraph of this quote is the key. To be fair – from what I’ve seen of the case, it may well be that the mistakes were made in good faith, by people working hard under great pressure, rather than anything worse – but abusing processes, false allegations and failing to disclose evidence are all serious mistakes – and the more power people making those mistakes have, the worse the impact is.

Power needs to exercised with caution, control and moderation – something that, as I wrote about before, seems to be lacking far too often.

And even more of our Post Offices are under threat…

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Following on from the news about Highgate Village Post Office (sign the petition here), six more also face the axe. As the Hornsey Journal reports:

THE proposed closure of seven Haringey post offices is set to be announced next week, the Journal has learned. Councillors and anxious residents have thrown their weight behind a lobby to stop the cutbacks which could see trade and the community suffer.

The leaked list, revealed by a reliable source, includes Weston Park, Ferme Park Road, Alexandra Park Road, Salisbury Road, West Green Road, Page Green Road and Highgate High Street…

Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Lynne Featherstone, who lives in Highgate, said: “These are disgraceful plans. We have just seen off a threat to our local community centre at Jacksons Lane and now we have this.”

Highgate Village Post Office under threat

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Bastards! So the Government is planning on closing Highgate Village Post Office. The whole closure program is daft – and the closure of this sub-post office has all over it the hallmarks of out-of-touch bureaucrats who don’t understand the local situation running amok and out of control.

The near-by Archway Road Post Office is over subscribed and you have to queue for half an hour just to get to the counter – and that’s at the moment, let alone after any closure in Highgate.

Our Highgate Post Office is needed. It serves the community. We love it. How dare they?

Well – they’ve got a fight on their hands. Six weeks ‘consultation’ – so into battle we go!

For starters – you can download and print off this Post Office petition flyer. Just printing off a few copies and delivering them to your neighbours will give the campaign a real boost. Or get in touch if you’d like a larger number to give to your neighbours or hand out at work. Thanks!

UPDATE: There’s also an online petition you can sign too along with a Facebook campaign.

Highgate Post Office – we'll fight closure plans say Lib Dems

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Local Lib Dems have reacted with shock and dismay at the plans reported in the Ham and High to close the Post Office in Highgate High Street. Rachel Allison, the Lib Dem candidate in the Highgate by-election has vowed to fight the closure proposal and is today launching a petition to persuade the Post Office to stop the plans.

The Liberal Democrats say that the loss of the Post Office would be a devastating blow to the High street and is totally unacceptable. Ms Allison has launched an online petition with Lynne Featherstone MP at ourcampaign.org.uk/highgatepostoffice, and is also writing to Highgate residents with a petition urging them to object.

Rachel Allison, Lib Dem candidate in the Highgate by election, comments:

“This is devastating news. It is totally unacceptable to propose cutting a Post Office in a High Street such as Highgate. Our Post Office is one of the essential ingredients that gives the retail life of the village its character.It makes for a vibrant High Street, encouraging we Highgate residents to use to other local shops as well. What is a High Street without a Post Office?”

“The Post Office nearest my own home, on the Archway Road, closed around four years ago, removing the service for residents in this part of the Archway area. Closing another Post Office in Highgate is just beyond belief. The Post Office will be hearing in no uncertain terms that this is unacceptable.”

Local Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone, who lives in Highgate, adds,

“These are disgraceful plans. Residents in Highgate have very few local services as it is. We have just seen off a threat to our local community centre at Jacksons Lane, and now we have this. It makes you wonder if between them, the Labour council or the Labour Government want Highgate residents to have any services in our local community at all. It is a dreadful prospect, but we will fight it all the way.”