Liberal Democrat councillor walks the walk

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Harringay Lib Dem councillor Karen Alexander joined over 15,000 women and men to successfully complete the Playtex Moonwalk on Saturday 19th May 2007 to support the fight against breast cancer.

The walk started at midnight and followed a 26 mile route around London. Cllr Alexander completed the course in 7 hours 25 minutes and has raised £400 for the charity to date.

The Playtex Moonwalk 2007 is in aid of Walk the Walk, a charity established 10 years ago when 13 women power walked the New York marathon in their bras to raise money and awareness of breast cancer. Since then the charity has raised over £20 million for breast cancer research and cancer care.

Cllr Alexander comments:

“This was a fabulous event to be part of and to complete the course. I had a great time raising money for an excellent cause.”

Getting closer to a prosecution in the Litvinenko case

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Great! News comes through that the Attorney General is going to ask for Mr Litvinenko’s alleged murderer to be charged and that extradition requests (to Russia) will now be made. I should bloody well hope so. Without fear or favour – that is the promise I extracted from John Reid in Parliament as to how the investigation would go. Let’s see if they mean it – or whether it was just words.

How Labour tries to cling on to power

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It was Haringey’s Mayor making last night. As ever – a travesty of democracy with Labour refusing to have a Lib Dem Deputy Mayor or even letting Lib Dem councillor Ed Butcher be the council rep on one of the council bodies dealing with Finsbury Park. Yet five of the six Haringey councillors for the areas right next to the park are Lib Dem; but in Labour Haringey that means the rep has to be Labour! Just like almost every single one of the placements on outside bodies (and there are dozens and dozens) – Labour give places to Labour. Clearly they are clinging desperately to power and running scared of any other voices.

It’s such a shame; it’s not the proper way to conduct democratic processes – and an appalling example of standards in public life. An example of typical Labour behaviour towards me (and there are dozens of examples) would be when I went over to the new Sixth Form College when Labour Minister Jim Knight came to visit. I wasn’t allowed in the photos, near the platform, not allowed to speak – and no one even said the usual ‘we are pleased to have local MP Lynne Featherstone here’ today. It was shabby – and of course it was different when it was a Labour MP here! I’ve even been told of schools being instructed to take down my surgery notice and so on and so on.

MP launches Parkland Walk online survey

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Following the problems people have had using the consultation provided by Haringey Council, Lynne Featherstone has this week launched her own online survey to make sure local residents can have their say on the TfL proposals for the future of the Parkland Walk.

People wishing to have their say should visit www.libertyresearch.org.uk/take/103

Lynne Featherstone MP says:

“Parkland Walk is a local natural treasure and it’s important that everyone should be able to have their say on its future.I have been contacted by a number of local people who have complained that the Council’s online consultation is inadequate; therefore I have offered an alternative.

“Nobody’s views can be excluded and this survey is about making sure any changes that happen to the Parkland Walk follow from a decision the whole community has made.”

Comment on the Litvinenko murder case

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In response to the announcement that charges should be brought in the Litvinenko murder case Lynne Featherstone, Hornsey and Wood Green MP said:

“At last, this is a serious step in the right direction. It should not be possible to murder a man in Britain without facing up to the law, no matter where you are from.

“Mr. Litvinenko was my constituent and I will continue to monitor the case closely to ensure that this case will be pursued without fear nor favour. Justice must be done.”

Liberal Democrat challenge to Labour over Deputy Mayor

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Haringey Lib Dems have expressed disappointment at Labour’s partisan approach to the issue of first citizen of the borough – which means that the west of Haringey will not have a local councillor as Mayor – or even Deputy Mayor in the foreseeable future. The Liberal Democrats say this is a serious problem if Labour wants to govern for the benefit of the whole of Haringey.

Labour rejected a Lib Dem offer to withdraw their candidate for Mayor, the experienced and highly popular Alexandra councillor Susan Oatway, in exchange for Labour accepting a Lib Dem as Deputy Mayor ahead of yesterday’s Mayor making at the Civic Centre.

Councillor Susan Oatway (Alexandra) comments:

“The Mayor and his or her deputy should represent the whole of the borough, I would have been happy to serve the Mayor as deputy, with the opportunity to be an ambassador for Haringey.”

Councillor Neil Williams, Haringey Lib Dem leader, adds:

“Labour are sending an unfortunate message to the people of Haringey, and it is undemocratic that they should overlook the Haringey voters’ wishes in the appointment of someone who is supposed to be an ambassador for the borough as a whole. We are happy to work with Labour on this.The Lib Dems were the most popular party in the 2006 council elections, topping the popular vote tally.It’s a shame Labour can’t accept the fact, for the good of Haringey.”

Meeting the local police

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Met Simon O’Brien, Haringey’s Police Chief. As ever, the subject of the moment was the future of police properties. The very well positioned proposed new police front counter and neighbourhood teams’ base in Muswell Hill has fallen through because the work needed to be done was too expensive. This is a real mistake. The position on the roundabout was perfect for public access and for the teams to patrol from. You’ll be lucky to find that again.

We have a bit of a discussion about the possible proposals to close Wood Green front counter at night. I have no doubt that the debate that Simon wants to have around only three people a night using it typically will find trouble at mill. As I explained (and he knows himself) local people want to feel that there is a place of safety at night – even if they don’t use it. But at least Simon says he will take his proposals out into the community and argue his case when the time comes – which in turn means people who feel differently will get to argue back too!

In talking to him I also highlight the really good work of some of police officers such as Andrew Underwood (for his community initiative on Wood Green High Road), the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Bounds Green (who, thanks to their work with kids, have now spawned the Bounds Green United football team) and the police community support officers in Muswell Hill and Alexandra wards who are really getting to know and engage with the most challenging kids.

Liberal Democrats reveal school places 'black hole'

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Figures uncovered by Haringey Liberal Democrats have revealed a shocking ‘black hole’ in Haringey’s school places provision. In an answer to a Lib Dem written question submitted in March 2007, Haringey Council have only now confirmed that out of the 110 children that did not receive any of their four school preferences for a reception place, just under a quarter – 25 – came from Alexandra ward – one of nineteen wards in the borough.

Haringey Liberal Democrats have continually expressed their concerns at the recurrent gaps in local school places provision that annually blight the families of Haringey. Lib Dems have used a map to illustrate the ‘black hole’ that shows the gap in provision in Alexandra Ward. The lack of places has forced local residents to reconsider living in the area and to contemplate moving in order to get a local reception places when their children reach school age.

Cllr Gail Engert, Lib Dem Children and Young People Spokesperson comments:

“I call on Haringey Council to urgently address this situation. With the number of new family houses being built locally the problem will only get worse. For someone who moved into the area because it is so suitable to bring up a family, to now be contemplating having to move out because there is not likely to be a local school place for their children is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately it’s another case of the Labour council not having a robust enough forward plan for school places that foresees potential shortages before they happen.”

Cassie Harris a local resident adds:

“Our priority is finding a place at a local school so we and our children can be part of the local community. I feel very strongly about this: if it is not possible then we will be forced to move. A lot of local families and friends are in the same situation as us.”