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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Mr Lammy MP and our Constituency name

Hello Harringay onliners.

A while ago I opened a discussion about our constituency name of "Tottenham" not reflecting our area and proposed it's renamed "Haringey and Edmonton".

I wrote to Mr Lammy about it, and after a follow up email got an answer from his office. Here is the email trail as I think is it of interest to us all.

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BME's email to Mr Lammy's website. 17th Nov 2011

... I emailed asking  Mr Lammy to consider asking the Boundary Commission of England who are presently in consultation regarding boundary changes, to rename his constituency "Haringey and Edmonton" to better reflect the area and people he represents. ...with now only 18 days of the consultation left, I would like to press to matter and receive a reponse. Kind regards,

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Mr Lammy's Parliament office. 18th Nov 2011

.. thank you for your email to David about the boundary review. He is totally opposed to the coalition government’s decision to limit the number of seats to 600 and to force this change on the country. That is why he voted against the Bill at its first reading.  
 
He is pleased that the Boundary Commission’s initial proposals retain the broad shape and integrity of his constituency, particularly given the recent riots and the need to rebuild Tottenham. David’s view is that Tottenham needs coherent leadership, and that this makes having an MP who doesn’t cover the whole of Tottenham problematic.
 
Best wishes

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BME's reply 18th Nov 11

Thank you for you speedy reply.

I am not questioning the area in which Mr Lammy covers, I am questioning the name of it. It does not reflect the constituency as a whole and even though Tottenham has been through a lot, that still doesn't justify why the rest of the constituency can't have a more representative and collective name.
Mr Lammy's constituency covers a large area of North London, and not just Tottenham. Under the new proposed boundaries, he will cover even more taking in the area of Stroud Green which like most areas Mr Lammy represents, is not in Tottenham. Tottenham will remain within the constituency as a whole regardless of the Commission's decision, and will continue to be represented by one MP.
I understand the argument that Tottenham needs strong identity and representation more than ever in Parliament - and I certainly don't dispute that - but so does everyone else in Mr Lammy's constituency. It only makes sense that the constitency name reflects the whole area Mr Lammy represents and not just a small part of it. It is not just Tottenham that Mr Lammy represents, and it wasn't just the people of Tottenham that voted and campaigned for him to return to Parliament in the last General election. 
I would therefore ask again that Mr Lammy speaks to the Boundary Commission to change the name - not the boundary (and thereby not affecting Tottenham as a whole) - to Haringey and Edmonton. I feel the present name does not represent my area nor my neighbouring areas, and I would like to feel that my MP - Mr Lammy - is in fact representing myself and my neighbours' interests and not just a small part of his constituency that I and thousands of others have no direct connection with.
Please can you brief him again on my suggestion as there are only 17 days left now in the Boundary Commission's consultation, and I feel I have raised a very important point that will affect thousands of people living in Mr Lammy's constituency.
Kind regards
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If I get a reply I will post it.
You may feel this doesn't matter, but I say it does. We don't live in Tottenham no more than we live in Liverpool or Manchester or Bristol. It is not a case of disassociation, it's a matter of identity and representation.
What do you think?

Tags for Forum Posts: boundary commission, boundary review, parliamentary constituency boundary rewview

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by pamish on November 19, 2011 at 19:33

But 'Tottenham' the seat not all of Haringey. Could say East Haringey, + how much of Edmonton is Lammy''s? 

Permalink Reply by Alison P on November 19, 2011 at 23:20
Haringey and Edmonton isn't any more accurate a description of the ward than Tottenham is it? Haringey is a far bigger area than his constituency covers, agree that east Haringey about as accurate as you'll get.
Permalink Reply by John D on November 20, 2011 at 6:00

Why does it matter what it's called ? Are Green Lanes green ?

I'm much more concerned that Lammy's office churned out a stock answer without responding to BME's question.

Permalink Reply by John McMullan on November 20, 2011 at 17:54

Yeah, this should be a HUGE priority for them. Obviously a bunch of idiots with no idea about what their constituents want.

Permalink Reply by pamish on November 20, 2011 at 18:13

Cut and paste without even reading the question.

Hope they are embarrassed to see their handiwork here.

 

Permalink Reply by B on November 22, 2011 at 0:38

An interesting take from the Tories

Thank you for your email. I'm afraid we can't agree with you on changing the name. St. Ann's, West Green (where I live) and even Harringay (to a lesser extend, granted) are very much part of Tottenham. 90% of West Green has a Tottenham postcode (N15&17) - the remainder is N22 (Wood Green). And 60% of St. Ann's falls under N15 (the remainder being N4), so you're very mistaken.

 
Tottenham is even mentioned in the Dooms Day book. What of "Haringey"? A ghastly name born circa 1968 when the 3 boroughs sadly merged. More importantly, where is Haringey? And who says they live in Haringey? No one I can think of!
 
This is more about trendy lefties in Stroud Green not wanting to be associated with Tottenham. Worried about house prices, are they?
 
Yours,
 
...
Tottenham Conservatives
Permalink Reply by B on November 22, 2011 at 0:39

... And if you're interested, my reply ...
Thank you for your reply. 
I don't think many in Haringey - a name that is believed to originate from the Saxon period and first recorded in the 13th century - would appreciate your quote below. I personally am very proud to live in Haringey choosing to live here because I wanted to, and have no qualms whatsoever saying I live here to the extent that I would like my constituency name to reflect that pride. 

As for the opinion of trendy lefties, you would have to ask them. In my opinion the affects of the recent financial crisis has affected the price of my property not the name of the constituency. I live on the Ladder and prices here are even now rising much faster than the national trend. The name of the constituency certainly didn't deter me from investing in the area a few years ago, an area which I have had strong links with all my life and chose to live here once I could afford to.

I personally feel very strongly about my identity. I don't identify with Tottenham any more than I identify with Camden or Kensington & Chelsea, not because of recent unrest but because I don't live in those areas. Albeit a minority group, I and thousands of others live in parts of Haringey that are not in Tottenham yet in Parliament we are clumped under the erroneous name of Tottenham. In our democratic Parliament surely it's important that everyone is fairly and correctly identified whether in the majority or minority? 

Wood Green is not in Hornsey no more than Hornsey is in Wood Green, yet someone had the sense to call that constituency Wood Green and Hornsey. So why can't our constituency name be more reflective of all the areas it covers and will cover in future?

Regards

Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on November 22, 2011 at 13:06

BME, leaving aside (a) the Coalition motives for cutting the number of constituencies, (b) the illiteracy of Lammy's pen pushers, (c) the sacrilegious ignorance of your Tory respondent on the sacred history of the hundred names of Haringey (PBUT):  I still don't think your proposal stands up. 

 

Even on the map, the current proposal of Chingford & Edmonton ("a river runs through it") and Tottenham (including Stroud Green) makes sense.

Tottenham Constituency never included more than a narrow strip of the Edmonton area (Upper Edmonton) while the central heart and north (Edmonton Green and Lower Edmonton) form the bulk, if not all, of the seven wards of the existing Edmonton Constituency, now with its proposed or shotgun marriage to Chingford.

Of Tottenham's proposed ten wards: one is in LBEnfield, nine in LBHaringey - just one "in the west". The remaining ten wards of Haringey Borough spread west and north-central.

It doesn't seem to me that the proposed Constituency has enough of Haringey (as understood for nearly half a century, however controversial its begetting) or even remotely enough of Edmonton  to justify your proposed "Haringey & Edmonton" moniker. 

I think your otherwise ignorant Tory respondent is right about the historically wider reach of Tottenham towards Green Lanes than you allow for. Not to mention its wider identity in Local Government. It may be  that Totty's Ham gets a mention in the Doomsday Book while Haerings Hege (or whatever) got a mention from the Venerable Bede or whoever. But since Haringey has won out for half a century on the Local Government front, why on earth shouldn't Tottenham hold onto the Parliamentary crown?

Permalink Reply by John McMullan on November 22, 2011 at 20:04

Torys were very funny though.

Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on November 24, 2011 at 0:28

You mean "Tories", don't you?

Permalink Reply by John McMullan on November 26, 2011 at 0:23

Blast, I did. Conservatories so Tories, of course.

Permalink Reply by GN8 on November 24, 2011 at 2:22

What can I say - You got a lot more then I did, which was in a nut shell - we are busy and experiencing technical problems we will answer your question some time in the never ever...

Interestingly people's instinct in Stroud Green is sopt on feeling that Lammy is not going to care about their problems! Sadly his absence from proceedings is close to the bone proof of that.

 

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