Local chemist's shop seeks to expand.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on December 18, 2013 at 13:58

This is excellent. His chemist shop is open extended hours and some excellent feedback on it has been left on HoL. The addition of another two part time employees in Harringay employed in such an open manner (and yes I am presuming that not everyone employed on Grand Parade is enjoying the full benefits of being a tax payer entitled to minimum wage).

I would ask though, is this really the kind of person we want to take one of our "advocate for resident concerns" councillor positions?

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on December 18, 2013 at 14:52

I'm unclear about the issue raised here.

Local business people are part of the Haringey community especially when they live in the borough - as Mr Ali Gul Ozbek does. Nor do I see any contradiction in a local business woman or man standing for election or holding public office.

It seems to me that it's not inherently different from council candidates and councillors who are for example: landlords; trades union officials; employees in local public services such as the NHS; or staff of political parties. (Although from my recent dealings with apparatchiks I'm very wary.)  The issue is declaring their interests and scrupulously avoiding potential conflicts.

I am currently arguing that in North Tottenham the Council should not be pursuing its appalling "Social Cleansing" policy, with plans to demolish both homes and businesses to make way for a Spurs "Walkway". Many of the businesses to be "cleared" are owned by people who don't live in Haringey. Although others do and are local families with many years - and sometimes generations - in the borough.

One irony is that this travesty is being proposed in the name of having stable and cohesive "mixed communities".

Mr Ali Gul Ozbek is part of our local mixture. I wish him well with his business. But I also wish that he and his St Ann's Labour Party allies had properly read the Labour Party's rules about the need for people to join the party in the place where they live and vote. There's still time for Mr Ozbek and his fellow "candidates" to do the decent thing.

(Tottenham Hale ward councillor. My partner is Zena Brabazon one of the deselected Labour councillors for St Ann's ward.)

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Permalink Reply by pamish on December 18, 2013 at 14:13

I think it may be hard for him to say he has no influence within the local party, given that he has been selected as a prospective councillor for St Anns.  But of course 'selected' does not mean 'elected' even in Haringey.

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Permalink Reply by Burgoyne Bec on December 18, 2013 at 16:51

This is great news. Not sure what the politics is (or how it's relevant unless you allege he can use his influence to get approval) but I'm all for a bigger local chemist.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on December 18, 2013 at 19:58

This is getting a bit silly. Are people really saying that the local chemist goes through all the faff of being on the list for the elections just to expand their business, an application which would probably be approved despite the supposed connections of the applicant? Does anyone want to object to the application which will probably be a positive thing for Green Lanes? If you do not want this person to be a ward councillor in St Anne's just vote against him.

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Permalink Reply by pamish on December 18, 2013 at 21:05

I noticed this in my weekly scroll through the planning appns; I flagged it up as it could be that Mr Ozbeck believes he will need to employ more people as he will need to take time out from his business to enable his Councillor work, for which he will receive at least £10,000 pa and then more as he assumes more responsibility, quite likely as he has to be a favourite of the Kabal.   He does have to be elected first, I guess he's taking that for granted.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on December 19, 2013 at 0:25

I'm sure he has more than enough spare time on his hands to do his councillor work already and I have to say I applaud the idea of a local and useful business with such a good reputation expanding.

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