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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

I attended the Scrutiny Committee meeting on the future of music events in Finsbury Park last night. One of the most important outcomes for local residents is the recommendation for the establishment of a Finsbury Park Strategy Group. Harringay's Cllr Gina Adamou suggested this as the way forward to ensure that residents have a voice on the future of events in our park.

Chair of Scrutiny Cllr Gideon Bull demanded that officers get the ball rolling on this by the end of the month.

I will post further updates when more information is available.

Emine Ibrahim

Labour Party Candidate (Harringay Ward)

Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park events, finsbury park stakeholder group

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Hi Clive

Perhaps it would have saved officer time had you simply asked your 5 lib dem colleagues - (which includes former leader Richard Wilson) who presumably attended the first 2 meetings. Or perhaps Friends of Finsbury Park of which I believe you are a member - and who were invited to the first two meetings?

Emine

Don't be bitchy Emina. He's told us more than you have.

And omitted to include the attendees of the first two meetings.

You haven't given us the names of attendees at any of the subsequent meetings.

And Clive isn't even a Harringay councillor - you are.

John you are suggesting by pluralising that there has been more than one which is incorrect.

I attended the last meeting which in Clive's response states - attendees are to be confirmed. I can say I attended as did Cllr Adamou, Cllr Gallagher, Cllr Sahota, Cllr Bevan, Cllr McNamara and Cllr Demirci. I am not in a position to provide the list of all attendees as I did not take the minutes. I also would not provide the names of members of the public or officers without their permission as that would be highly unprofessional and inappropriate.

On the wider issue and moving forward as there is no point in dwelling on the past I have committed to raising the issue of the publication of the minutes. Ultimately the residents of Harringay and Stroud Green had a good old fashioned spring clean on May 22nd and our job now is to talk about what's going to happen from now onwards. I agree bickering about what unfortunately didn't happen before May 22nd is fruitless.

regards

Emine

John, you can do better than that. I admire an accurate, apt, witty, clever insult which sharply illuminates the weakness in someone's argument. But calling Emine "bitchy" is none of those things. 

The issue, surely, is openness and transparency. Unlike almost every other current Haringey councillor, Emine takes part in discussions on this site.

Okay, in this particular instance, perhaps she may not yet have shouted loudly enough. But openness is not a Party Political issue. It's both a legal and ethical issue. All members of this Stakeholder Group - former and current - should have insisted loudly and clearly that its proceedings were, as far as possible, in public.  As were its agendas, membership, and minutes. And then formally protested if this was not the case.

The ethical issues are included in the Seven Principles of Public Life as set out by the Nolan Committee.

  • "Accountability Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office."
  • "Openness Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands it."
  • Leadership Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Alan, I thought it was a bitchy comment because it added nothing to Clive's post but instead attacked him for being a LibDem.

Why the secrecy? It makes no sense. What's to hide for goodness sake?

Why have they taken the trouble to rename it as a stakeholder group? Is this so it's not a council body so they have no obligation to publish minutes? Can you get a formal response on what a stakeholder group is, its status and how it works. Also I'd like to know why it's secret.

Are our the 5 Councillors who attend also sworn to secrecy on what happens or will they give us a full and frank accounting?

I thought the public who actually use the park would be stakeholders. If not, what the hell IS a stakeholder ?

Hi Hugh

I think I have caused confusion by talking about 5. I was referring to 5 changes. Prior to May 22nd the Cllr attendees would have been Cllrs Alexander, Schmitz, Wilson (Leader of LD's) Reece (Deputy Leader of LD's), Butcher and Cllr Adamou.

That is 6 of course, the changes are myself, Cllrs James Ryan, Tim Gallagher, Raj Sahota and Kirsten Hearn. The group is now chaired by Cllr Stuart McNamara.

So far this isn't looking much like the promised good news for park users.... do we get to know anything about this group and its decisions? And who on earth are the stakeholders???

Thanks, Clive.  So we can all see the fuller picture, could you please post both your "Member Enquiry" (councillor's formal question) and the reply.

Just to be clear, I am fully supportive of openness and transparency. But there are rules on meetings and commercial confidentiality. But even if this applies in this case, there is no reason not to have a "Part 1" (public) and Part 2 of any meeting.

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