Haringey’s Liberal Democrat opposition are celebrating at the news that Stroud Green voters have given them a crushing victory over Labour in the Stroud Green council by-election. Lib Dem candidate Laura Edge stormed to victory in a sensational win which has left Haringey’s unpopular Labour party in utter disarray.

Laura Edge polled a massive 54% of the votes, leaving Labour with a disastrous 19% of the votes in a council seat they had held for decades.

The astonishing 29% swing from Labour to the Lib Dems would see every single Labour councillor facing defeat at the next council elections.

The result now places huge pressure on the Labour party in the parliamentary seat of Hornsey & Wood Green, where a neck-and-neck battle with Labour at the next general election is predicted. The Lib Dems now have 16 councillors in the area, with Labour trailing on 14.

Despite the bitter cold and icy pavements, voters came out in force to elect Laura Edge, who mounted a strong campaign on local issues and the poor record of Haringey council after 30 years of Labour control.The Lib Dem tally of 1,135 gave the party a majority of 727 over the Labour candidate, who polled 408 votes – barely one third of the Lib Dem total. Labour’s day of disaster saw just one in 20 local voters turning out to back the party in what had been a Labour stronghold in the borough

Lib Dem winner, councillor Laura Edge comments:

“I just want to thank everyone who came out to vote on such a bitterly cold day. Although, we thought we had every chance of winning, the scale of the victory exceeded our wildest expectations.

“Stroud Green voters want a different approach to that offered by Haringey Labour, and I am looking forward to working with the whole community on so many important local issues. Finsbury Park must get a better deal form Haringey, and the Stroud Green CPZ needs better enforcement.I will be working with Islington Council who are coming forward with plans for much needed investment and improvements for Stroud Green Road, and I will also be working closely with my fellow Lib Dem councillors in Crouch End over issues affecting the Broadway.”

Lib Dem Council Group leader, Neil Williams (Highgate ward) comments:

“I want to congratulate Laura on the marvellous result that she and the Stroud Green Lib Dem team have achieved. It sends the clearest possible message to Haringey Labour that local people have had enough of the Labour council, after our 30 years of Labour control, high council taxes, and poor local services.

“National issues also played a part, with Iraq coming up frequently on the doorstep. Labour have now been put on notice by the voters in both the Council, and the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary seat.However, today, we will be celebrating this wonderful win.”

Full result:

Lib Dem Laura Edge1135 (53.7%, up 37.9%)
Labour408 (19.3%, down 20.9%)
Green403 (19.1%, down 8.8%)
Tory166 (7.9%, up 1.1%)

Turnout: 26%
Swing: 29.4% from Labour to Lib Dem

Local Lib Dems have selected local resident Gail Engert as their prospective candidate in the Muswell Hill by-election.

The by-election, in a ward that has been won three times in a row by the Liberal Democrats, is taking place on 4 March.

Gail Engert comments:

“I am extremely pleased to have been selected as prospective candidate for the by-election, and the chance to join such a great team.Lynne Featherstone, Jonathan Bloch and our local Lib Dem councillors work extremely hard for the area. They have had some noticeable successes in recent weeks, with funding being found for the police station front counter to reopen, and the trial of the new bus route to Swiss Cottage starting.

“I’m very much looking forward to working with them.”

Gail Engert is a partner in a design group and is an art historian. She has been active in the party for several years. Gail is married with one son.

With just a few days to polling in the Stroud Green by election, local resident and Lib Dem candidate Laura Edge is predicting that the election will be a head-to-head battle between the Lib Dem opposition and Haringey Labour. The Lib Dem candidate says that support for the Tories and Greens is fading, as voters realise that neither party has any seats on the local council. .

Laura Edge says that people have responded to her positive campaign for the area, which includes tackling rubbish, better management of Finsbury Park, continuing to work to improve enforcement of the CPZ and promoting a clean up of Stroud Green Road and the area’s dilapidated strain stations.

Ms Edge also says that Labour’s poor record in the area is having a big impact on the doorstep, following the shock resignation of the local Labour councillor.

Laura Edge comments:

“After more than 30 years of Labour control, Stroud Green voters are preparing to send a message to Haringey Labour, that they have had more than enough time to get things right. There is a strong feeling that it’s time for a change.”

Lynne Featherstone has secured an assurance from Haringey Council that a fly-posted school sign in N10 will be cleaned up after the Lib Dem councillor highlighted the safety implications of the sign being obscured.

The triangular sign, situated 50 metres from the Fortis Green junction, warns drivers that they are approaching a school area. However since late 2003, the sign has been obscured by a fly-poster. This has been a worry for local residents and Ms Featherstone who are concerned that drivers using the busy road may not be aware of the number of schools in the vicinity and be less cautious driving through the area while the sign is unreadable.

The Council has assured Ms Featherstone, who first wrote to them at the beginning of December, that immediate action would be taken to clean-up the sign. She is pleased that the issue has finally been addressed but said there was a need for the Council to prioritise work more effectively.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that action has been taken. This sign is particularly important as many school children, both secondary and primary, walk along the route, crossing the busy Fortis Green junction.

“It is important that the Council prioritises issues like this one. To have to wait a month for any action to be taken on a children’s safety issue is really unacceptable.”

Haringey has been named as one of 32 London Boroughs who have seen a decrease in businesses since Ken Livingstone became Mayor in 2000. Figures published from research using Parliamentary answers and Office of National Statistics figures show that Haringey has seen a 20% drop in businesses registering for VAT.

The figures, which were measured between 2000-2002, found Haringey in London’s bottom 10, having seen a decrease 5% bigger than the London average of 15%.

Since Ken Livingstone became Mayor in 2000, 32 of 33 London boroughs have seen a decrease in businesses, the exception being Sutton.

Lib Dem Lynne Featherstone says the figures show the lack of faith investors have in a London lead by Mayor Ken Livingstone. She is deeply concerned at the figures, which highlight the damage that has been caused to Haringey’s local economy.

Ms Featherstone is hoping that Londoners have learnt their lessons from four years ago and will look towards a Mayor who will address the real issues facing the capital:

“These figures show that Labour is bad for businesses in the capital, and that Haringey has suffered more than most. Although London is a wealthy city with high business costs, there are areas of acute unemployment as well. London needs a mayor who will focus on the economic challenges facing us.”

Liberal Democrats have met with Transport for London (TfL) to address concerns of local residents in Highgate who use the pedestrian crossing on the Shepherds Hill junction with Archway Road, N6.

The meeting and site visit was attended by Lib Dem councillors Lynne Featherstone (Muswell Hill) and Bob Hare (Highgate) with TfL representatives.

The site visit was arranged after Lib Dem councillors received numerous complaints from local residents who expressed concern at the length of time that the crossing allows for pedestrians to cross. There has also been irritation expressed at selfish drivers blocking the crossing by stopping in the yellow box at the junction.

In the meeting TfL admitted that the junction was ‘sub standard’ in several ways and assured the group that improvements would be made to the crossing and surrounding area, these include:

* Rotating press-button cones for the visually impaired to be made to work again after a long period of malfunctioning
* Upgrading the crossing to the modern standards which will add extra time to all green pedestrian phases
* Considering upgrading of current camera so it can be used to fine those who stop in the yellow box at the junction and block the crossing – a new legal power to do this has just been introduced

TfL is hopeful that some of these improvements such as the crossing modifications will be installed by May this year while other improvements such as the camera installation, are likely to be made near the end of 2004.

The Lib Dems are very pleased with the assurances that TfL has made.

Environment Spokesperson councillor, Bob Hare (Highgate) comments:

“I am pleased that we have had such a constructive site visit with TfL and the improvements that they have agreed will make a significant difference to the local residents who use the crossing regularly.”

Lynne Featherstone (Muswell Hill) adds:

“I am delighted that action is being taken. I regularly use the crossing and share these concerns. We will certainly be paying close attention to ensure that many of these improvements happen sooner rather than later.”