Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
THE Green Party doubles their number of Haringey Councillors
Tags for Forum Posts: Councillors, Councilor, Green Party, Haringey Council, Mark Blake, doubling
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Amy Sharp
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The honourable thing would have been to step down and trigger a by-election and take his chances as a Green.
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Permalink Reply by Simon
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Definitely agree - this councillor has retained the Labour sense of entitlement if nothing else
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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I look forward to learning details and practical illustrations of Cllr Mark Blake's engagement with Green issues during his years representing Haringey residents. I read and agree with his comment in the Haringey Community Press
"... that a country needs a progressive alternative willing to counter the racist narrative driving us towards a far-right government".
But as a Socialist I am curious about why Mark felt that the Independent Socialist Group on the Council was not the best way to achieve this
Mark is plainly right about the dangers of far-Right governments; whether in the UK, or under Trump; and in some European states; or in the Middle East.From my own Reading it appears there is a strong argument that Keir Starmer may be complicit in the shocking and sickening murder of children in Gaza. Though Starmer has taken (all-too-tiny steps) away from that stance.
For any future election, before I vote again for any candidate - Labour, ex-Labour, Green or other, I plan to email them asking their views on the Gaza genocide.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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THE Independent Socialists (IS) currently stand at two and the Group reportedly declined to comment on the defection.
The council webpage listing Councillors has not yet been updated for the changed Party Membership, but this is likely to happen with possibly more edits needed before the next local council election in May.
The IS Group could not stomach the official Labour Party's longstanding loyalty to the Netanyahu-led government of Israel. They are not alone in this. The Labour Government was remarkably late in toning down their support for IDF actions in Gaza.
The IS Group were brave in making a stand against national Labour. At the same time, being elected as a Councillor is much about local issues.
National leader Starmer's local representative (Cllr. Ahmet) however, did not raise her voice against the national policy, at least not publicly, and she clamped down on any local discussion of Labour Government policy on Gaza.
Ostensibly, this was based on council lawyers' feeble, cop-out opinion, that Haringey Council had no business discussing international concerns. To the council's credit, this view—on no international comment—did not obtain in 2022, with their reaction to the Russian dictator's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Haringey Council leader (up to next May) may or may not agree with Kier Starmer's backing for Israel. In any event however, surely the over-riding factor is that local leader does not want to be seen by her superiors in Government to be out of line. Is this leadership?
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Haringey Council does indeed have no business discussing international issues.
Perhaps if it, and it's constituet councillors, spent less time on issues that have nothing to do with their core duties they might be able to get the basics right.
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Haringey councillors are are all currently members of political parties and so will always need to be aware of crucial national and international issues directly impacting our borough.
Some are life and death matters. Covid was and remains one such issue. Plainly others include: Climate Change; Homelessness and the affordable housing crisis.
Friends still in the Labour Party tell me that during election campaigning they come across anger and other strong emotions expressed about Gaza.
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Got to agree - if you are elected as a Borough councillor you should get on with the job in hand - the basics are definitely not right.
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Got to disagree.
Unless I thought every elected councillor or street or ward or Borough is an island
Entire of her, his or itself. And is not a living crying piece of our world
That deaths piling up day by day is nothing to do with UK supplied arms and planes and nearby UK bases;Doesn;t the cruel avoidable deaths, woundings. starvation, and amputations diminish each of us?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QowrXJ_vfxM
Polly Harvey read John Donne
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Agreed by me as well.
Many Haringey councillors, particularly the Labour ones, and especially the ones on the Far Left, are too interested in the politics of grievance and in unravelling society than actually listening to residents and their concerns and doing something to help.
They promoted Haringey as a 'rebel' borough which says it all really.
Why not aim for an efficient borough or a well run borough or just a happy borough.
It's nothing to do with government funding. It's all to do with competence, imagination and accountability.
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AMY, the council does not always get the basics right at the best of times!
The leader forbade any discussion of Gaza, but this did not remotely help in getting the basics right.
Basics include financial probity and fully recognising municipal waste, especially the many millions lost during a 36-month period of peculiar and irregular property wheeling and dealing.
Three years of Haringey Council accounts were in such a state, that the external Auditor (BDO) had to deliver the worst possible Audit Opinion: No Opinion.
Up and down the council, the expectations are so low, that this damning indictment attracted little attention. The emergency government bailout sought was expected and delivered. As if this is normal.
Is it any wonder that the (Buggin's Turn) London Borough of Culture 2027 is so attractive and so distracting for the present "leadership".
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