Liberal Democrats demand urgent action on Highgate Group Practice parking

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Highgate patients and carers stranded without adequate parking following the introduction of resident parking restrictions by Haringey Council in July 2007 will have to wait until new Pay and Display machines arrive from France for the chaos to be resolved.

The news has angered Lib Dem councillors, as the Highgate Group Practice, used by residents from a catchment area covering Highgate, Muswell Hill, Fortis Green and Crouch End, is not well served by public transport, with patients, carers and staff depending on parking in nearby parking bays. Lib Dems are outraged that residents will have to wait longer whilst parking meters come from abroad and have urged Haringey Council to stop the excuses and act now to provide the extra parking bays.

Cllr Martin Newton, Lib Dem Traffic Spokesperson, comments:

“For a lot of patients access by car is the only practical option. Once again Haringey Council has imposed parking restrictions without properly considering those who need to use local facilities. The Council needs to stop the excuses and provide these parking bays now.”

Cllr Neil Williams (Highgate), adds:

“Clearly people using the practice need parking nearby as they are likely to be sick, vulnerable or elderly. People attend the practice when they are in need of treatment. The last thing they need is to arrive and then spend hours looking for a parking space.”

Fixed-term Parliaments

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Well – it seems to be the coming thing! There’s now a cross-party campaign to introduce fixed-term Parliaments: www.fixedterm.org.uk

If you’ve read my blog before – you won’t be surprised to know I think this is a very good idea! And of course it’s always nice to see people from other parties – and none – take up a long-standing Lib Dem policy and suddenly say how wonderful it is! But in the spirit of cross-party campaigning I promise not to tease some of the recent converts too often when they forget to mention it was a Lib Dem policy in the first place!

Jacksons Lane Centre: Council must secure funding

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Highgate Lib Dems have warned Haringey Council that its failure to pursue vital grant funding for the much loved Jacksons Lane Centre means a major grant is in danger of being lost – if the Labour-run Council does not take urgent steps to back a bid for funding from the Government’s Community Asset Fund.

With the 15th November closing date for applications just one month away, Lib Dem Councillor Bob Hare has written to Haringey Council asking for urgent action, which must grant a 25-year lease that is needed to pursue the funding.

The Community Asset fund, which is a lottery fund, offers up to £1 million for each of up to two venues per borough. It is aimed at community buildings owned by councils, and applications are intended to support refurbishment and upgrading.

Lib Dem councillors are also pointing out that the Highgate venue is an ideal applicant for funding, as it is in dire need of investment and it would not readily qualify under other schemes designed to help areas with high levels of deprivation.

Lib Dem Councillor Bob Hare says:

“Haringey Council must act urgently to enable Jacksons Lane to purse this much needed funding. The centre provides a wide range of services across the whole community, from the elderly to the young. There is still time for Haringey Council to act, but time is running out.”

Lib Dem Leader and Highgate councillor Neil Williams adds:

“There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy here, as Haringey Council constantly seeks credit for the current repairs on the building – even though these works are actually being paid for by insurance and were only needed because the Labour-run Council allowed this building which they own, to become run down. It is not good enough, and major investment is needed. Action is needed now to give us the first class centre Highgate residents, and the wider community, thoroughly deserve.”

Parliament: it's like a badly behaved playground

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Sunday night – so did my stint on Radio 4’s The Westminster Hour again. It was reasonably lively tonight. No prizes for guessing the main topic – leadership! Both Brown at PMQs and Ming.

I am so fed up with this Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQs) rubbish. The House loves it. The media loves it. It is a great spectator sport (blood sport that is) but it is not the way to judge leadership or to hold the PM to account – at least, not if you are a grown up. It’s boys behaving like boys do – and I don’t mean that as a compliment!

Can you imagine anyone in the real world behaving like that? Can you imagine in your workplace that sort of shouting and disorder passing for normal at meetings where the manager answers questions from staff or the directors answer to shareholders? I think not! Yet in the majesty of Parliament – we have the behaviour of the playground. And our political system is meant to rest on this sort of behavour. Not impressed!

Anyway – my verdict on this week was that I thought Brown did his best (following his delivery of his own mortal blow in terms of bad judgement) and Cameron just appeared like an upper class bully boy – famed of public school films.

As for Ming – yes Simon Hughes said what he said. But the way it was portrayed in the media was OTT. It was a statement of the bleeding obvious for any party – you always want to do better. So – pooh to all of that!

Alexandra Palace: court blocks Labour's plans

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This week’s historic court judgement on Alexandra Palace (courts blocked the planned sell-off) is a damning indictment of the behaviour of the Labour councillors who rammed through the deal on Ally Pally with Firoz Kassam’s Firoka group. It is justice being done and seen to be done (see Hornsey Journal here and here and Ham & High coverage).

A real local hero, Jacob O’Calloghan (who is a local historian), is the David who took on the giant of the Labour establishment over their now found to be much wanting ‘sale’ of Alexandra Palace. Throughout the process Labour steamrollered through an inadequate consultation process in which they refused to let anyone know the terms of the contract. Yes – they were told. Time and time again local campaigners and Liberal Democrat councillors raised these issues – but Labour ignored voices that contradicted their plans.

And the Charity Commission, tasked with the proper conduct of charities such as Ally Pally, showed itself to not only be toothless but in my view negligent in their duties.

The judge was clearly appalled by what has gone on and had no qualms about saying so. During Friday’s hearing Mr Justice Jeremy Sullivan attacked the Charity Commission for being “completely unreasonable and wholly unrealistic” in its treatment of residents’ concerns.

He suggested that a fresh consultation process be launched and the lease be made available for people to see so they could make an informed decision about whether they agree with it.

But where are we now? Well Matt Cooke (the Labour Chair of the Ally Pally board) has refused to take any responsibility for this stinging judicial rebuke. He should resign without question – but he has instead spent his time writing to the local papers to churn out the sort of rubbish his quote in the Ham & High demonstrates:

“Our priority throughout has been to restore the palace for future generations of Londoners whilst removing the financial burden of running the palace and servicing its debts from the shoulders of Haringey taxpayers. We have no reason to assume achieving this objective is no longer possible and every reason to consider fulfilment is just a few short months away despite the temporary delay caused by the High Court.”

Haringey taxpayers have suffered long and hard and expensively – but only because of Labour’s incompetence over decades. Getting this judgement simply demonstrates why Matt Cooke and Labour need to get booted out altogether. They don’t even admit it when they are exposed as incompetents who freeze out meaningful public consultation – as with this example from last year:

Imagine the scene. A group of residents want to lobby Haringey Council about the plans to hand over Alexandra Palace to the Firoka group.

What does Labour do? They say, no – you can’t lobby the full council meeting, you must go to the Palace Board meeting. And when is the next Board meeting they can go to … not until after the decision will have been made about whether to give Firoka the site!

You can have your say, but only when it’s too late with Haringey Labour!

And the real issue is that the Palace could be a wonderful resource for local people and the wider population – but with Labour’s handling that opportunity is being wasted, yet again.

Liberal Democrats urge further action in Crouch End parking debacle

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Councillors have cautiously welcomed the first step made last Wednesday evening in an effort to solve Crouch End’s parking chaos but have stressed that there must be more engagement and a full consultation with residents. In a meeting demanded by local Lib Dems to provide a voice for local residents to express their concerns, over forty representatives of local residents’ groups met at Hornsey Town Hall to tell Labour Cllr Brian Haley of their anger and stress at the mess that Haringey have allowed parking to become.

Following the introduction of the Crouch End Pay and Display scheme, the extension of the Highgate and the Hillrise CPZs , the closure of the Highgate Tube Station Car Park and parking of vehicles by hire companies on residential roads, many residents are now unable to park near their homes, accept deliveries or use tradesmen. The local W5 bus route is also experiencing severe delays on the route.

Cllr Weber has been inundated with emails demanding urgent action but Haringey Council have consistently said that nothing could be done until the next financial year.

Cllr Weber (Crouch End) comments:

“Residents are at breaking point and we need action now. Thursday’s meeting was a step forward in finding both interim and long term solutions.

“Too often we have only be given part of the picture. This is a thoughtful and intelligent community who want to be treated like adults – the positive mood of the meeting showed this”.

Cllr Winskill (Crouch End) adds:

“If Haringey Council are saying that money is the problem, then why not use income from the Pay and Display – we have always been told it would be used for highways issues.

“Account must be also taken of key workers at local shops and schools as well those using GP’s surgeries when producing a parking scheme.”

Tradition turns sadistic in Parliament

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Lynne Featherstone with Marina LitvinenkoToday was the meeting I had squeezed out of the Foreign Secretary about the death of Alexander Litvinenko (Pollonium 210 radiation poisoning case). This was so that Marina Litvinenko could get an update on efforts to extradite suspect Andrew Lugovoi from Russia to stand trial for killing her husband.

David Miliband had come to the House of Commons to make a statement on the situation previously – including the expulsion of the Russian diplomats – and I had managed to catch Mr Speaker’s eye. Given the opportunity, I asked David M if he would meet with Marina as she had so many questions to ask that were unanswered. So – today was the day.

As it was a private meeting, I won’t go into the details of what took place, other than to say that during the meeting a vote in Parliament was unexpectedly called. So – David M and I ran, jumped into his car and ran again to get to the Chamber to vote.

We were voting opposite ways – and I reached the door from the Chamber to the voting lobby (MPs vote by physically walking through the yes or no lobby) as the shout went up ‘lock the doors’.

The officer of the house actually closed the door on me as I scooted through and really hurt my hand. I understand that you have to have a cut-off point for voting and close the doors – but I would have thought it inappropriate to push it closed with me in it. That is tradition turned sadistic!

Anyway – back we jumped into the car and back to the meeting. Too much excitement for one day.

Local MP takes school funding fight to PM

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Lynne Featherstone MP has forced the Prime Minister to admit that funding of schools in Haringey needs “continued looking at” following her impassioned plea for a fair funding deal for the borough’s schools at yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Question Time.

The Hornsey & Wood Green MP asked the PM to end the injustice that Haringey schools received on average £736 less per pupil than in inner London, even though local teachers are paid on inner London pay scales.

Gordon Brown conceded Ms. Featherstone’s point and stated that outer London funding would continue to be looked into.

Commenting Lynne Featherstone MP says:

“I am pleased that Gordon Brown has finally acknowledged that there is a problem with our local school funding.However, it does beg the question that if even the Prime Minster knows this is an issue, then why has Labour done nothing to change it?

“The situation is completely unfair for our local school children and our teachers.I certainly won’t be letting the issue drop and so I will now be following up my question with a letter to the Prime Minister seeking a concrete timetable of action.”

The South African Government's AIDS record

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I had meant to write more on my trip to South Africa last month – but with an election in prospect, there was not much time available so to do. However, I did want to round up a few more points.

One of the things that was clear at every turn – whether through briefings or site visits – was that local delivery is the main problem. There is no real comprehensive coverage or network to deliver AIDS and HIV programmes across the country. There is patchy provision – more holes than patches. Even in Alexandra, the shanty town we visited, various projects led by the Government were capturing some of the people, some were being helped by NGOs and some through their workplaces – but there seemed no surety of pathway into proper care. And this was in a town right next to a rich white area in Johannesburg – let alone out in a poor rural area.

And I guess that was why we were there – to observe how patchy healthcare is – and equally to observe the capability and capacity of these mega corporations who – through trying to ensure a health workforce (and therefore healthy profits) – had developed pretty comprehensive coverage for their own employees and were now extending their care chain to families and down their supply chain.

As far as I could make out (as the South African Government was missing from our briefings), the Government – having denied AIDS / HIV for years – was, despite launching a National Strategy while we were there, still pretty recalcitrant in terms of working with partners and meeting with the business organisations. They seemed only to see them as cash cows – rather than experienced health deliverers with capacity and desire to help.

The second evening we dined with the British High Commissioner, Paul Boetang, at his residence – about twenty invitees. Amongst whom were two kids: AIDS orphans who headed their families and had great dreams – the girl of being a lawyer and the boy a footballer. I was much moved by their bravery. But they were lucky, in that they were picked out by one of the hospices and helped and looked out for.

Anyway, at dinner Paul was asking what we would do when we returned to London to advance the cause. I said that as an opposition politician my role will be to prod our own Government to pressure the South African Government to move forward on their strategy and to work with business parners etc. It was clear, though, that there was some anxiety about me being in any way critical of the South African Government. But I am critical – a critical friend. This South African black government represents the realisation of what we believed in – through all the years of apartheid – and I expect this Government to embrace progress, act for their people and benefit from help that is on offer. This is not a poor country. This is a middle income country – and leaders have to put the well-being of their people first, last and always.

I want the real thing, the vision – not the same old, same old. So – now an election is off the menu – time to table some questions to start that pressure – pin prick though it may be.

PMQs: I get to question Gordon Brown

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Lynne Featherstone at PMQsSooooooooooooo – at last my number came up in the ballot and I get to ask a question at Prime Minister’s Questions (basically – other than party leaders – MPs are picked at random to ask the other questions).

Although I think Gordon Brown had other worries today (like his political life) I managed my question competently (I thought) and was rewarded with a reasonably progressive answer. He was forced to admit that Haringey School’s funding deal needs “continued looking at” following my impassioned plea for a fair funding deal for the borough’s schools (the topic of my online petition).

I asked the PM to end the injustice that Haringey schools received on average £736 less per pupil than in inner London, even though local teachers are paid on inner London pay scales. Gordon Brown conceded the point and stated that outer London funding would continue to be looked into.

I will follow up with a letter as a chink has opened up and I am damned if our kids are going to get less than neighbouring boroughs for another three years until the funding formula is substantively reviewed. Waiting for a review may be fine in bureaucracy land – but those children aren’t going to get those three years of education back again – and of course we don’t know for sure what the review will even decide then, or on what timescale. So get a move on Gordon!