Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey's progressive traffic boss faces the chop
With local elections in London round the corner, ward-level local political parties across the borough are choosing their who will represent them. Whilst it's not uncommon for sitting councillors to be endorsed to run again without challenge, there are also times when challengers are put forward.
Both the Harringay and St Ann's ward councillors will face a challenge this time. Mike Hakata, is a St Ann's councillor with cabinet responsibility for traffic across the borough. Haringey Council has a poor record on traffic management and it is way behind neighbouring boroughs in introducing new approaches to reduce rat-running and encourage active travel.
The Ladder, in particular, has been a victim of poor traffic management decisions going back over half a century. Mike Hakata is now apparently promising to tackle the issue head-on. After getting approval for a St Ann's low traffic neighbourhood, he has now turned his attention to the Ladder. Whilst I still have some concerns and questions about the approach that will be taken, Mike Hakata seems to be the best chance we have. it would be a crying shame to see him de-seated by his local party.
The vote in St Ann's is next week (Monday, I think). So if you are a Labour party member (which I am not) in St Ann's ward, please please do think about making sure that you vote and give full consideration to Mike's importance for the future wellbeing of the Ladder.
Tags for Forum Posts: deselection, mike hakata, st ann's labour, traffic
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Robert Pike on
-
Exactly! You ask Mike and Julie for support and they will find solutions or someone who knows a solution. We have had walkabouts in Chestnuts and surrounding roads to identify where there are issues and they have tried to facilitate solutions. As they both live in the ward with their families they obviously care greatly about improving the area.
Mike has championed the Healthy Streets cause within our community when the St Anns Hospital scheme came forwards. That drive and passion is now being felt borough wide in the role of school streets and LTNs. St Anns is at the forefront because of that.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Sean Boyle on
-
I don’t know if you can do anything, other than asking people you know who are Party members to support them. I think this procedure was introduced to prevent special interest groups taking up membership at the last minute to push a particular agenda. This has happened in the Conservative party, loads of UKIP and other right-wingers joining up to influence the selection of candidates, and also in the Republican party in the US. A small group can limit the scope of decision-making for the majority- one of the weaknesses of democracy, I’m afraid.
-
Permalink Reply by JulieB on
-
I don't think we have a current 3rd councillor, it's a two councillor area/ward. Although that might have changed with the recent redrawing of boundaries.
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
My understanding is that it used to be a 3-councillor ward but the recent LGBC changes have made the redrawn ward a 2-councillor one.
-
-
SCHEDULE
Wards of the London Borough of Haringey
(1) (2) Name of ward Number of councillors Alexandra Park 2 Bounds Green 2 Bruce Castle 3 Crouch End 3 Fortis Green 3 Harringay 3 Hermitage & Gardens 2 Highgate 3 Hornsey 3 Muswell Hill 2 Noel Park 3 Northumberland Park 3 Seven Sisters 2 South Tottenham 3 St Ann’s 2 Stroud Green 3 Tottenham Central 3 Tottenham Hale 3 West Green 3 White Hart Lane 3 Woodside 3
-
-
How can one find out who are Momentum members? I read through the candidate statements of over 50 potential candidates who expressed an interest in standing for election in this ward. Only one mentioned that they were a member of Momentum. Reading between the lines there were a few others who may have been. I got the distinct impression that the real selection decisions were being made in secret ‘smoke-filled rooms’ and that ordinary party members who are not active enough to know what is going on behind the scenes cannot really know who or what they are voting for.
-
-
The idea that Mike is up for reselection just shows how out of touch parts of the local party are. He's been a real force for good in our community - even if I don't always agree with specific proposals - and it would be a terrible shame to lose him.
-
-
It's worth noting that because Haringey is always Labour, it's at these selection meetings where it is decided who will represent us.
It is not unusual for these selection meetings to result in all councillors being replaced (this has happened in the recent past in St Ann's), so the process is of considerable importance both to political factions in Labour and to any powerful local interests.
-
-
Of course - but Haringey is not "always" Labour - it wasn't Labour in the late 1960s - and if you belive in local democracy then it should not "always" be Labour. The way that Labour has treated Haringey as it's personal property is scandalous - the voters of the borough are of no significance to the local politicians whose only concern is the process of politics and certainly not the wellbeing of their local residents...
-
-
I believe in local democracy, and I think that proportional representation would be one tool to reduce the number of effectively 'one party' boroughs.
I'm not saying that Haringey will always be Labour, but it would be a brave person that bet against it at the moment. Given that, the selection process for Labour candidates is currently very important, not that most of us have a vote!
-
Permalink Reply by Sarah on
-
I currently live in St Ann's but on Monday I am viewing a flat on the ladder. A huge factor in my decision will be whether I feel I can safely cycle around there. The other place I am looking at is on Philip Lane and will benefit from the planned improvements to CS1.
-
Permalink Reply by hhnrau on
-
I live in Tottenham Green Ward but have seen the excellent work Mike Hakata and Julie Davies have done in promoting a green agenda in neighbouring St Anns, and across the borough - the climate and biodiversity crises threaten human existence, but Haringey is woefully behind in adopting good policy and practice compared to neighbouring boroughs like Hackney. Intra-party politics shouldn't come into this - Mike and Julie must be re-selected to represent the ward.
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
