Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey's Pravda
I've suggested before that the council's propaganda magazine Haringey "People" should more accurately be titled Haringey Pravda.
One of its more hard-line defenders was the outgoing Executive Cabinet Member, Cllr. Lorna Reith. She told us that surveys showed that HP was the public's preferred way to receive information from the council.
I note that a Conservative Party blog records Ms Reith as having been a Communist candidate in the 1989 Euro elections for London North. That former allegiance was of course her total democratic right – but it might also explain the belief (and efficacy) in using general taxation for party political propaganda.
Equally seriously, I seem to remember that it was Cllr Reith who was responsible (single-handedly?) for the wasteful and grotesque distortion of our Borough's logo (the squashed spider), for no good reason.
Was it mere coincidence that this uncalled-for, unnecessary change occurred at the time of the attempt to sell our Charity's main asset? Or was it a tactic calculated to weaken the link between the Borough and broadcasting history in the SE wing of Alexandra Palace, a history of which at one time, Haringey Council was – rightly – so proud?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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Oh dear, the Lib-Dem pips are squeeking
still, you'll all be wiped out next election..
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Hi Stephen, its great to have your insight all the way from sunny Berlin (East?!). You may know that all major political parties ask prospective candidates, is there anything in your past that might embarrass the party? In your opinion, should a former Communist's answer to this question be, Yes or No?
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Yes it is sunny, been warm all the week and were expecting 26° again at the weekend.. doesn't it make you want to puke. What did we do to deserve it?
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BTW Clive, I know these things always interest you.. When I was working with Angie & 'Dave' last Thursday, I got this shot of them together with Jens Stoltenberg. 'Dave' always seems very subservient in Angie's presence. None of that empty posturing that we're used to and I have to say, quite likeable.
and the three flags here:
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Permalink Reply by Laura on
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Sorry, still trying to keep up... "our Charity's main asset". "our Charity". Whose charity? What charity?
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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The body that operates Alexandra Palace is established as a Charitable Trust.
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Laura if you live in north London, you are a beneficiary of the Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust - in law, you are a part owner.
The local council (Haringey) is the Trustee, on your behalf. You could be forgiven for not appreciating this because since 1980, the local council has run the place as its own property. There has been a history of mismanagement: for a lengthy period, in many respects it was run as a personal fiefdom.
The south east wing contains the BBC's television studios - from 1936. A proud Haringey Council in 1965 based their logo on the transmission from The London Television Station. Fortunately the shield on the Borough's Coat of Arms was not perverted in the logo revamp.
For about 15 years the council was trying to dispose of it and nearly succeeded, but for High Court action in 2007. The sale plans were abandoned about two years later. The current plans appear on the whole to be moving in the right direction. If you go up to the ice rink foyer, you can see the proposals and I encourage you to do so and give your opinions as part of the current public consultation.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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It has never been a secret that Lorna Reith was a member of the Communist Party. It may be of some comfort to you that she was a leading force in the Euro-Communist wing that caused the party to splinter.
PS. I think the logo tries to portray a radio/TV signal from Alexandra Palace.
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It has never been a secret that Lorna Reith was a member of the Communist Party. It may be of some comfort to you that she was a leading force in the Euro-Communist wing that caused the party to splinter
Michael I hope you'll forgive my ignorance here. Some of us are less close than others to the relatively recent history of the Euro-Communist wing of the Communist Party. I take a little interest in local affairs, but it was still news to me recently that Cllr Reith had been a leading Communist.
I'm only a little more knowledgable with the immediate post-war history of The Party in eastern Europe. I understand that the Communist parties in what became the eastern bloc were in the minority, but under guidance from Moscow, they managed to infiltrate larger, more popular parties and then dominate and subvert them. Sometimes this leveraging effect went through more than one party in turn, via mergers and acquisitions.
There can be little comfort in learning of Communist influence in the local authority magazine. I seem to remember Cllr. Reith saying at a Area Assembly meeting (in answer to a question from the late, great Ralph Crisp) that Haringey People acted to counteract negative comment from the press. There was no pretence of evenhandedness. Like the regualar press but unlike the BBC for example there is no statutory requirement for balance in the council press.
HP offers spin, partiality and sanitized accounts of council activity. The useful information quotient is low and the rest of it appears aimed at children and the impressionable.
Despite severe cutbacks affecting the young and the old, the official magazine must continue, so valuable it is to certain interests.
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On the issue of the magazine, I completely agree that it is of questionable value but you seem to think that Haringey is alone in producing something like this. Most London councils do, for instance there is The Westminster Reporter, Barnet First and the oddly named Brightside from Wandsworth. All do a similar job in promoting the views and policies of their political masters.
On the other issue of membership of the Communist Party, a number of people you probably know are or we're party members. The authors Kinsley Amis, Julie Burchill, Doris Lessing and Iris Murdoch, historians AJP Taylor and EP Thompson, the actor Tilda Swinton, lawyer Helena Kennedy QC and politician Denis Healey.
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And when I was under 18 I actually thought about voting tory.. Thankfully, we all saw the error of our ways.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Perhaps there's a Conservative blog which records Lorna Reith's years of work championing Disability Rights; her record as a community activist on Ferry Lane Estate where she lives; her public campaigning against the Chilean Junta; Lorna's effective support for Fairtrade policies; her determined stance on environmental issues; support for better cycling facilities. And her work on Travelwatch on behalf of passengers. etc etc etc
Clive may have some indications that this record of political activity and public service is inextricably, psychologically linked to Lorna's views on the Windows operating system, Haringey People; the Oakfield Road bridge; and the bid to make part of Ally Pally a World Heritage Site. I regret to say that, over the years and despite many, sometimes heated discussions with Lorna, I can't recall her mentioning these vital issues. Although of course she may have firm and compelling views on each of them.
I do know that Lorna likes cats; and has a bird feeder outside her flat. So maybe Clive can weave that into some sort of theory.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor - with Lorna Reith and Reg Rice)
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