Ken Livingstone and Dispatches

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I guess a lot of people watched the Dispatches program on Monday night – Martin Bright’s the Court of Ken! I watched it myself at about midnight on Monday. Hadn’t realised when they interviewed me (for an hour) that I would have such a starring role! Usually when you do these things (or my experience anyway) is that you end up on the cutting room floor.

What is quite interesting is the atmosphere that surrounds all of this as well. I gather that many people won’t speak on the record of what they know – for fear of reprisals. (If you find me in the Thames with concrete boots…………..). However, I am relative small fry in this. And I’m glad in that Ken is being put under the spotlight for the things he does. My view in general is that if there is evidence – which it appears there is – then appropriate authorities need to take action to bring the villain to account – be that Ken, the LDA, Lee Jasper or whoever – or clear them if the charge can’t stick.

When this started with the Andrew Gilligan stuff in the Standard – no one probably thought that it would rumble on. But as it has progressed, there seem to be more and more evidence.

So the cross-party referral of matters to do with the LDA for independent inquiry by the District Auditor is important in itself.

I don’t think it ends here. Ken may try to diss everyone and everything and assert that there is nothing here but people with agendas against him. I don’t have an agenda against Ken. I spent the early years of the Assembly fighting shoulder to shoulder with him – for the congestion charge and against the PPP for example. But – public money is being spent – and power must not be abused.

Gordon Brown agrees with me – but will he do anything about it?

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Gordon Brown has admitted that he thinks his weekly question and answer joust in Parliament isn’t really achieving much. Good I say – that’s my view too: we very rarely have exchanges that really hold the PM to account, and the whole “whose MPs can shout the loudest?” display of rowdy behaviour does damage to the reputation of Parliament and politics.

So kudos to Gordon for this in The Independent today:

Gordon Brown has expressed his growing disillusionment at what he considers the poor quality of the weekly battle of wills across the despatch box.

Mr Brown fears the 30-minute sessions have become so noisy and bad-tempered that the public will be increasingly repelled.

But the report then goes on:

He has made it clear he has no plans to change the event.

Well – why not? He’s Prime Minister, he’s there at PMQs taking centre stage role nearly every time and if nothing else – he could have a quiet word with the Labour Chief Whip about the behaviour of Labour MPs.

So come on Gordon – let’s have some action to back up your words!

Three sentences you should read about Northern Rock

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Saying something is a ‘soundbite’ isn’t normally meant as a compliment in politics! There is though a role for short, pithy statements – soundbites if you will – that get to the heart of complicated matters and pulls out the essence of them.

All of which is a prequel to praising Vince Cable for his Northern Rock soundbites yesterday. Once again Vince got to the heart of the matter, and rather than losing himself in the massive financial details of the Northern Rock saga, he got right to the heart of the matter:

The Government has ingeniously come up with a private sector sale that doesn’t involve any private sector money.

In order to save face Brown has decided that losses of Northern Rock should be nationalised, but that profits should be privatised.

Taxpayers now face years of underwriting Northern Rock, giving the opportunity for a private bidder to make an absolute killing.

Well said Vince! (And you can sign his petition on the topic here.)

Site visit progress on controversial 271 Highgate bus stand

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Local MP Lynne Featherstone has welcomed a decision by Transport for London (TfL) to conduct a site visit to discuss the controversial location of Highgate Village’s main bus stand, following a meeting she had with top London transport boss Peter Hendy.

Lynne Featherstone, along with the Highgate Society, have been pressing TfL to consider the issue for months, as something that could have a major positive impact – right in the heart of the village.

Now, in response to a direct plea by Ms Featherstone, Mr Hendy and London Transport officials have agreed to the meeting. Lynne Featherstone hopes that they can be persuaded that moving the stand will have a huge positive impact on local businesses and the community.

Ms Featherstone and the Lib Dems want the Village’s vital 271 bus route extended to East Finchley, so that it connects better with other local services and East Finchley Tube. This will not only create more joined-up bus services, but will allow the removal of the bus stand, making Highgate’s Pond Square a much more pleasant public place for local people to enjoy.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that TfL are beginning to address this issue. We will use it as an opportunity to show them how these really sensible plans would benefit the village, and hopefully they will see sense.”

Highgate councillor Neil Williams adds:

“It’s a positive step. We will be keeping up the pressure on London Buses to extend the 271 route, as we need better bus links for Highgate. We will also be working for a great improvement to a public space that is right at the heart of the village. It should be possible to put an end to buses sitting there, chugging out fumes and blocking the view. How could TfL refuse?”

Liberal Democrats criticise Labour's reluctance to take action on plastic bags

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A move to reduce the amount of plastic bags across the borough has been stalled by Labour-run Haringey Council, despite recent successes by residents and independent traders in Crouch End.

In a motion to the Full Council meeting last night, Liberal Democrats proposed that Haringey Council leads the way in promoting similar schemes to Crouch End’s ‘Bag for Life’, with the aim of making Haringey plastic bag free by 2010.

There was outrage in the Chamber when Labour’s controversial environment boss, Brian Haley, said that the idea was “unnecessary and unworkable” – despite the success of the scheme. Another Labour councillor claimed that the “unions weren’t consulted”.

Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare, who proposed the motion, said the response of Labour was “mean minded” and showed “a lack of willingness to engage.”

Mr Hare, Highgate councillor and Lib Dem sustainability spokesperson, comments:

“I am extremely disappointed that Labour has failed to support this motion. Full support of Haringey Council would have sent a signal that Haringey is taking the problem of plastic bags seriously and wants to lead the way on tackling climate change on a local level.

“Once again Haringey Labour is lacking the political leadership to stand with residents and support a proven grass-roots initiative that has already saved over half a million bags in Crouch End alone – instead waiting for legislation that their own reports admit may never come.

“Haringey Labour talk about working with residents and their commitment to the environment, but at the first, inexpensive and proven opportunity to put this into action, they fail to act.”

Cllr Lyn Weber (Crouch End) adds:

“In Crouch End, residents and traders have backed a great scheme that has culminated in the Crouch End ‘Bag for Life’. By rejecting our proposals to promote this across the London Borough of Haringey, Labour has discredited their hard work. It is very discouraging now for other areas looking to introduce similar schemes if Haringey Council has shut the door in their faces.

“Some of the comments from Labour were astonishing – that local action on climate change was not a priority, and that the benefits of a reduction in plastic bags would only be good for big business. We say that reducing our dependency on plastic bags would be a long-term benefit to everyone in this borough. Unfortunately the inward looking Labour administration have once again failed to engage with residents to work together to combat climate change.”

The Home Secretary's kebab-buying habits

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Well, well – Home Secretary Jacqui Smith seems to have made a right mess of talking about the dangers of walking out at night.

This was in fact the topic of second newspaper column I ever wrote. It was for the Ham & High, back in 2000 and started with a personal anecdote:

A man followed me home from the tube last Wednesday night. It was about 11.30pm. He had been in my carriage from Warren Street, got off at Highgate, was behind me on the first escalator, behind me on the second escalator up to Archway Road – and as I headed up the hill, I was conscious that so did he.

The few people who had started in the same direction, faded away within the first 100 metres – so it was just he and I. I crossed the road – at a point where the pavement narrowed so it would look like the natural thing to do. So did he. When I came to the turn I needed to take – so did he – albeit once again on the opposite side. I was ready for flight – was looking for which houses had lights on, which doors were near. Suddenly he ran across the road towards me and then, with a spurt of speed, arrived on the pavement ahead of me and accelerated away.

Once he was ahead of me and I had him properly in my sights, I felt OK. And then, of course, he crossed the road and went up a drive, got his keys out of his pocket, opened his front door and went home to hearth and family. He had obviously run to get ahead of me to stop me thinking he was following me. Men and women reading this will probably recognise this situation – a woman thinking she’s being followed and a man knowing that she’s thinking he is following her. That’s the situation we have arrived at because we feel unsafe, going home late at night – whether we are or not. (Continued here)

That night, things ended safely for me – as they have indeed on numerous journeys around London, often late at night returning from meetings and events in previously unfamiliar locations.

Yet there are many victims of crime – and even more who have their lives limited and curtailed by their fears of crime (sometimes well founded, sometimes not – but in both cases the fear of crime feels just as real, is just as unpleasant and can have just as limiting an effect on people’s lives). So the question of crime – both actual and fear of – is one I’m happy to debate and discuss – and was/is a major campaigning point of mine both on the London Assembly and then in Parliament.

Jacqui Smith though has got the issue all wrong. Not once, but twice she’s sounded as if she doesn’t understand at all how the rest of us live – saying that no real people are ever out walking in Hackney after midnight (hello? have you looked?) and then that she never walks somewhere she doesn’t already know (hello again? I can’t imagine living my life never walking somewhere that I don’t already know – how do you manage to only walk somewhere you’ve already driven, cycled etc through?).

One slip of the tongue – fair enough, we all can mangle a word, leave out a word or fluff a line. But to do it twice and at some length – sorry Jacqui, you’ve really messed up. And you’d be better off admitting that, rather than have the rather bizarre attempt to rescue matters by having your spokesperson ring the media talking about your late-night kebab-buying habits.

Jacksons Lane: outcome of Arts Council meeting

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Lynne Featherstone MP and Cllr Neil Williams petition Arts Council over Jacksons Lane Community CentreWell – Neil Williams (Lib Dem Leader of the Opposition on Haringey Council) and I met with Moira Sinclair of the Arts Council this morning to plead for the Arts Council to overturn their proposal to cut funding to Jacksons Lane Community Centre. The Arts Council meet to make this decision on Thursday.

We have been swamped with responses to our petition which we handed in – thanks to everyone who responded; we will keep sending them in.

I was very impressed with Ms Sinclair. She was thorough, rigorous and efficient in her summation of why our beloved Jackson’s Lane is under threat. And it was crystal clear that she felt we are in this position because Haringey Council has not given it the necessary backing – neither financial nor emotional – over the last five years. And that has given the Arts Council concerns over the future financial management and property maintenance.

It was made quite clear that there is hope and the decision is overturnable – but at this eleventh hour I think perhaps only Haringey Council coming forward with complete commitment to the repair and renewal of the building and some matched funding would sway the members of the Arts Council when they sit on Thursday.

Haringey have – at this late point – responded to the consultation positively – but will there be any money on the table? It is their track record over the years before that I fear has led the Arts Council to put this terrible question mark over the centre’s head. Neil and I put our best foot forward, saying we would do our utmost to ensure that the corner had been turned.

Labour on Haringey Council really need to come up with the rescue package that can influence the final decision on Thursday. We certainly made it plain that this is a vital arts and performing arts facility in West Haringey and much loved and much needed by local people.

Perhaps the chink of light is that out of 75 organisations that are to have their funding completely or partially cut – there will probably be a couple who are saved from the axe. Let’s hope that Jackson’s Lane is one of them. With the enormous local community support and Neil and my pleas – we wait with baited breath and everything crossed!

Jacksons Lane: Liberal Democrats present petition

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As the crucial decision on the future of Jacksons Lane becomes imminent local Lib Dems have called on Haringey Council to show a clear financial commitment to the beleaguered arts centre.

In a meeting with Arts Council England Highgate councillor Neil Williams and Lynne Featherstone MP made clear the overwhelming local resident support for Jacksons Lane when they handed in a 400 strong petition. They were assured that these views would be heard loud and clear by Arts Council bosses.

Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate) comments:

“Now is the time for Haringey Council to show its support and commitment. While Haringey Council has taken action on urgent repairs this is a sticking plaster approach. It needs to put money where their mouth is and show that they truly do want to save this great community asset.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“I left the Chief Executive in no uncertainty of the strength of local feeling on the issue. If Jacksons Lane goes, there really will be little public art provision left locally and I will not let Highgate be turned into a cultural desert.”

Fire Authority Member comments on Haringey's first LIFE Course

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Councillor Ed Butcher, Lib Dem Fire Authority member and Haringey councillor (Stroud Green) commenting on Friday’s LIFE (Local Intervention Fire Education) course that he attended, the first to involve young people from Haringey:

“As Fire Authority lead on Community Safety I have seen several of these displays before, but I certainly felt an extra twinge of pride today to see young people from my home borough taking part for the first time.

“Well done to all the young people who completed today’s LIFE course.I hope the experience will have shown them what can be accomplished with teamwork.

“Modern fire safety is about more than putting out fires; it’s about stopping them before they happen. I strongly believe that we must continue to be proactive in preventing anti-social behaviour that can lead to fires and projects like LIFE contribute to this important aim.”

The government wants to reduce your say over local planning issues

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Lynne Featherstone MP with Quenin Givens protesting against the Planning BillYesterday it was a case of rain, rain go away – but it didn’t. So trooped off to the Friends of the Earth stall in front of Wood Green library to show solidarity against the swingeing powers of the proposed new Planning Bill. Cutting to the chase – decisions about big developments will be taken away from local decision making and we local people won’t even have a voice. Hence Quentin Givens being blind-folded and gagged in the photo.

This is a really serious issue and as the Bill goes through its Parliamentary processes I will certainly be representing those people and groups locally who rightly fear what the outcome will be in terms of unwanted, unnecessary and badly planned developments.

Planning law already favours the developer – and with the developer being able to appeal against a refusal. This Bill brings forward proposals that simply put more and more nails in our local coffin – and mean that we will have no means to prevent something being built that local people don’t want. Action stations!