This Sunday I’ll be on The Westminster Hour again: Radio 4, 10pm.
Bridge NDC – High Court judgement on board sackings leads to fresh calls for full investigation
Haringey Liberal Democrats have welcomed this week’s court judgement that concluded a three year legal battle over the sacking of two women from the Bridge New Deal for Communities (NDC) in Haringey. Mr Justice Keith followed his decision made in February 2007 to quash the decision, by judging that at no time did the NDC board consider the allegations against Joyce Oyeyi-effiong and Ibiola Campbell. Liberal Democrats have once again renewed their demands for an independent forensic investigation of the accounts of Bridge NDC.
Acting as voluntary chair and vice-chair of The Bridge NDC finance committee, Joyce and Ibiola were dismissed after they raised questions when the board was asked to spend £3.8 million for a lease on a property without adequate information regarding the lease. Following complaint letters received by the Bridge NDC Board about their “aggressive” and “disruptive” behaviour, which chairman Lorne Horsford described as “bringing the programme into disrepute”, it was decided on 22nd September 2004 to remove them permanently, accusing them of breaching the Code of Conduct.
They also queried the movement of millions of pounds of Bridge NDC money to Haringey Council accounts without proper authorisation, the spending of £259,000 on a study for the Haringey Chamber of Commerce, for which no final report was ever issued.
The Chief Executive of Haringey Council at the time of the dismissals, and head of the Bridge NDC’s ‘accountable body’, was judicially barred from the Board’s disciplinary meeting, but a Government Office for London (GOL) observer was present. A month later GOL received a petition signed by 600 Tottenham residents asking for The Bridge’s accounts to be examined. But Parliament was subsequently assured (April 4, 2005) on behalf of GOL’s Minister, John Prescott, that his office remained “satisfied that the expulsions were handled fairly”.
The two women applied to the High Court for a Judicial Review of the sacking, but were initially turned down. They appealed, and after a court hearing on February 21st – 22nd 2007, Mr Justice Keith quashed the Bridge NDC Board’s sacking, highlighting that the Board gave no indication of the rules of the disciplinary hearing involving the two women before holding it and did not consider the allegations against them.
Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey and Wood Green comments:
“What has happened to Joyce and Ibi is a travesty. These two brave women were doing their job properly – and asking totally appropriate questions. The whole move against them stinks. The tables should now be turned and it must be the Government Office for London, John Prescott and Haringey Council in the dock. I will be putting down Parliamentary Questions to find out why GOL lacks more effective controls on the expenditure of millions of pounds of tax-payers money.”
Cllr Wayne Hoban, Haringey Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and spokesman on Regeneration, who has repeatedly challenged Haringey Council on this issue, adds:
“Joyce and Ibi have fought hard for this legal judgment, which says they were wrongly sacked.
“I have been raising the same points with Haringey Council, which is supposed to be the Bridge NDC’s ‘accountable body’, for years, and I have been thwarted at every turn. I have never seen properly audited accounts, and am now told that, as an “unincorporated association”, it does not have to produce any.
“I think it is scandalous that huge sums of Government money can be dished out with so little proper control, and I hope this judgment will open up lines of inquiry which will make TheBridgeNDC properlyaccountabletothe community and the country at last.”
Joyce Oyeyi-Effiong said:
“We are naturally very pleased that the Court has declared that our sacking was improper, and has said that we are free to seek re-election. We are now taking legal advice about the investigation of our actual complaints. The judge was not asked to examine this issue, but he has given us full permission to raise the matter again. So we intend to pursue the same questions about financial probity that the NDC Board was so keen to suppress by sacking us. ”
New Sixth Form Centre in Haringey
First visit of the day was to the new Sixth Form Centre in Haringey – which will open for business in September. It is a fantastic building and will deliver top class facilities for students. The Minister Jim Knight was coming to see the building. The new Head seems fantastic – and she will be inspirational for the new students; I wish her well.
Whilst most of the probable feeder schools are on the Tottenham side of the borough, Woodside High School – which is in Hornsey & Wood Green – is a feeder school too. It will also be open to all children in the borough to apply and – for those who don’t want to go onto their own school’s sixth form if they have one – this will be a really vibrant alternative.
Liberal Democrats demand answers on Stop and Shop
Haringey Labour’s decision to press ahead with the ‘shop and stop’ proposals regardless of public opinion has led Haringey Liberal Democrats to demand the decision to be referred to Haringey Council’s watchdog committee for further scrutiny.
The ‘call-in’ of the Labour Executive decision could be held on 18th April 2007 for the Scrutiny committee to examine
Councillor Newton, Haringey Lib Dem Spokesperson for Traffic Issues comments:
“I am appalled that the Labour Executive chose to ignore the views of residents and businesses in the west of the Borough and just nodded this decision through.”
Low Copy Number DNA
After PMQs I dashed over to College Green to shoot for Spotlight – a Northern Ireland news program with a good reputation. They were tracking DNA (so to speak) and in particular Low Copy Number (LCN) DNA.
They had picked up on my track record of challenging some of the issues around this super-detection tool and apparently there is a big case in Northern Ireland concerning DNA. The thing about LCN DNA in particular is that it can use something as small or infinitesimal as a single cell found at a crime scene – which sounds great at first because you think, “that means it’s much easier to track down criminals as you don’t need as much evidence to identify them.”
But – my argument is that I shake hands with people all day long and therefore my LCN DNA will be in their clothes, houses, offices etc. It will end up all over the place, on people and in places I haven’t had anything to do with. So LCN DNA should only be used cautiously – and only with corroborating evidence.
I also met up with World Development Movement who are busy lobbying ahead of the introduction of the Climate Change Bill. We are on the same page apparently (hate that expression!) in the key issues around how climate change will hit the ultra poor countries of the developing world much, much harder than us in the Northern hemisphere – so it is both a development and an environmental issue.
So we talked over how to challenge some of the issues in the current proposals and how to get them amended to include things like annual targets for carbon emissions and a development expert on the panels etc.
Water supplies in the developing world
International Development Questions and I have a go at Hilary Benn over water supply in the developing world.
Norway has withdrawn its funding to the Private Partnership International Advisory Facility because its water projects (which involve introducing private companies into the supply of water) keep failing and it is widely criticised – not surprisingly.
Given that the UK also funds the PPIAF I asked Hilary if we would be following Norway’s lead? Professing no preference for private, state or voluntary providers so long as stuff gets delivered, Hilary did then offer to look into the issue I had raised. Well I hope he does – as the point was exactly that – what is getting delivered for our public money? We wouldn’t want it to be water down the drain – or actually – no water down the drain.
International briefings
A history lesson on Angola and plea for help to raise the issue of the alleged EU, US and British complicity in supporting an undemocratic government – which takes lands and rights and wealth from natural resources from the people to line its own pockets and create elite areas. I will do some independent research and make some enquires, as they say, but if what was presented is true – then only too happy to pursue, raise issues and turn a spotlight.
Followed by a SaferWorld and Amnesty briefing for a group of relevant Liberal Democrats on the forthcoming review of the Export Control License. Basically Government policy talks a good talk – but reality falls way short. There are a number of areas where arms trading is clearly taking place through back door or circuitous routes and the Government does not seem over-keen to find and shut loopholes. So the review will run from May to September – and given Labour’s stopping of the investigation into BAE – one has to wonder why the policy is good but the practise falls so short.
Launch of the Haringey Somali Forum
Went 
to the launch of Haringey Somali Forum. Greeted by Mohamed Dirshe. There are seventeen different Somali groups in Haringey supporting the community in various ways – but this is a coming together of those voices, often marginalised and often virtually invisible. It was clear that everyone had worked hard to make this happen.
To be part of a diaspora torn from your homeland is tough enough. But the Somali community have to struggle to get decent housing, to access social and health services. They have often been demonised in the media and in neighbourhoods and had issues with other communities – and if we are honest – there have been inter-clan clashes within the Somali community. And that is why today is so important as this forum brings all sides together in unity to raise the Somali voice.
This is not a grassroots delivery agency – but a campaigning, voice raising, issue raising forum so that the Somali Community can take its place at the democratic and campaigning table!
MP supports court bid to overturn mast decision
Supporting a legal bid from residents to overturn the Planning Inspector’s decision giving the go ahead to a phone mast on Mount View Road, N4, Lynne Featherstone MP joined protesters yesterday at the site.
Ms. Featherstone joined forces with local residents and local celebrities, Neil Morrissey, Joe McGann & Cliff Parisi.
Lynne Featherstone comments:
“Until we are 100% certain of the effects of masts on people’s heath, I fully support a precautionary approach.Masts should not be built within feet of people’s bedrooms as will be the case here.The mast will also spoil one of Haringey’s best views over the city.
“The fact that residents are being forced to launch an expensive court action shows yet again how unfair our planning system is for the people who will be most affected by new developments.It is a real case of David v. Goliath and developers cannot be allowed to get away with this.”
Lib Dem CPZ sign victory
New Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) signs will be installed by Haringey Council following pressure from the Liberal Democrats. Cllr Richard Wilson requested that signs in the Finsbury Park CPZ should show warnings of upcoming football matches and events at weekends when the CPZ will be enforced. The request was made after a meeting on 1st March 2007, attended by Liberal Democrat councillors, where residents voiced their concerns regarding the inadequate signage.
In a letter to Councillor Wilson on 15th March, Haringey Council showed that they have now asked the Department of Transport to authorise an update to existing signage. Once authorisation is given they will seek to change the signage to advertise the date of the games/events in advance of them happening.
Councillor Wilson (Stroud Green) comments:
“This is fantastic news. It is about time that Haringey residents benefited from signs equivalent to those for people in Islington. It seems sensible that these signs show, in advance, the weekends that the CPZ will be enforced. I thank those residents that alerted me to this problem and glad that I was able to pressurise the Council to provide the signs.”
Lynne Featherstone 