Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
On HoL it's all about Epstein, Mandelson, Starmer, hating Lammy ? Or maybe we should start with Marina Hyde?
Like many of us, I take my lead from what I see or read, or hear others say. Leading to my feelings of sickening anger especially as we engage in intense conversations with people we love and trust.
One Israeli who understandably left Israel/Palestine many years ago, sends me essays I treasure. And where she now speaks of Starmer's need to save his soul not just a political career.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on the radio this morning. Talking what seemed excellent sense about what needs doing urgently and radically to clean-out our systems. Very persuasive. Until he offered a highly unlikely explanation why Keir Starmer was the man for these urgent jobs. As if the best doctor we have for the epidemic is also the man who told his subordinates to let Mandelson help spread the deadly infection. And while not top of Gordon Brown's long list of sicknesses and symptoms, at least he included the crucial issue of abused women and girls.
Which made me appreciate Marina Hyde even more. Because that's where she has continued to shout out.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/06/jeffrey-epste...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mahoney on
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Thanks John.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Mark Michaels, Can I please make a request to you?
While other people on this website focus on a vitally serious issue, your post helpfully illustrates that you've nothing to say other than repeat the similar silly, empty, ill-informed abuse you've posted before.
To avoid the temptation for future pointless duplication, just leave this latest posting here. Although I will understand if you wish to correct your embarrassing Shakespeare misquote. ("... the lady had to doth protest too much ... )
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan
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Brian and Clive, what were your thoughts when you saw the FOI? Did you think it’s strange that our media hasn’t reported on this? Did you wonder as to what might be the cause? Better reporting thanks to feminism perhaps?
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Hi John,
My initial thought was that the numbers are high. It saddens me that this kind of thing happens at all let alone in such numbers. That's partially what prompted my question about which jurisdiction the numbers related to. Part of me was hoping, naively, that it was all of the UK rather than just London.
Other than that I agree with Cynthia who says that basically "they are getting away with it". It's a hard crime for police/DPP to prosecute successfully because the evidentiary requirements are necessarily high. Plus there are so many practical and social impediments for children and young women (also men but predominantly young women) to overcome in order to sustain their efforts to have the perpetrators charged (eg. family relationships, resulting trauma, misdirected self-blame, fear of reprisals, coercive control by partners etc etc).
It's not clear, given the short time period covered whether instances have increased in recent years. It might be that the number of cases unresolved in one year are then resolved in subsequent years because they take longer than 12 months to finalise. It might also be that the numbers referred to as unresolved remain simply that, sadly.
You are correct to note that this has not been highlighted in the media. You will no doubt have seen efforts by various people and organisations to present London as very safe despite visible evidence to the contrary. It has become less so in recent years and particularly since the arrival of 'the Boris wave' (because that is the thing that has changed). People just don't bother reporting crimes anymore; its worth noting that in addition to the rapes and sexual assaults mentioned in the FOI there are many other cases that are simply not reported.
Commentators fear that highlighting such things plays into 'racist narratives' etc. That, frankly, just pisses people off. These are not only English people being raped. They are British people of all kinds; English, British Asians, British West Indians, Europeans, tourists etc. Victims from those groups and their families want action too regardless of who gets offended.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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ALAN, maybe we should start, or at least continue, with Aditya Chakrabortty?
Behold the incredible shrinking Starmer: the PM who promises more while giving less
Lobbying
Aditya Chakrabortty notes the number of New Labour MPs who have been—or are—lobbyists. Gordon Brown has asked for a clean-up, but he then went on to endorse Starmer.
Haringey has literally contributed at least one in the shape of New Labour's Adam Jogee. For some while, Councillor Jogee was engaged by Peter Bingle at the property lobbying group formerly known as Terrapin Communications.
That employment overlapped with his acting as Labour Group Chief Whip and local New Labour's HDV fiasco. Which misconceived scheme incinerated much public money. At the time, it may have been seen as a career move, but typically for the council, no one saw a conflict of interest.
Governance at local and national levels badly needs reform, but not with Reform.
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As you know, Clive, the HDV (Haringey Development Destruction) was avoided because of hard work from a large loose coalition of opponents across the political and ethical spectrum.
As for Adam Jogee MP, as you also know, people can change for the better. Many many people are misled and/or foolish when they are young. Certainly and shamefully including me.
We can but hope that being part of New Blairism didn't do Adam Jogee irrevocable harm. And that he emerges wiser from those Thameside Houses of antiques.
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I HAVE not forgotten the HDV including many details including those who promoted it. Not least because I was an Opposition Councillor at the time and I was active in the resistance.
The HDV was indeed eventually defeated in the way you describe. At great length, cost and risk:
That risk included one principled person—risking everything he had—in order to mount a Judicial Review. His JR was the sine quo non in halting the deeply misconceived scheme.
However, the HDV did not come out of the blue, nor was it imposed from outside.
It came from within the Haringey Council Labour Group. More specifically, from the New Labour wing led by Claire Kober.
Jaws dropped in the Borough when at about age 22, Terrapin lobbyist Adam Jogee was appointed to be local Labour Group Chief Whip.
At the time, über property developer lobbyist,Terrapin Communications had a client called Lendlease.
A multi-national property developer once smiled upon by Donald Trump but now in some retreat. By remarkable coincidence our council selected Lendlease as their long-term Joint Venture partner, into which potentially all council-owned land and buildings would be transferred.
The continuing evidence of New Labour trust in the former Terrapin lobbyist was illustrated when in 2023 the now Starmer-controlled Party parachuted the former councillor into a constituency remote from Haringey. This was against the wishes of Labour Party members there, who recognised the nature of their imposed candidate.
As Aditya Chakrabortty points out, the Government is riddled with lobbyists or former lobbyists. Too many who enter politics are motivated by personal ambition unalloyed with principle. Labour is not alone in this phenomenon but I agree with Gordon Brown about the need for cleaning, despite the unlikelihood.
Another leading HDV advocate at the time was the then Cabinet Member for Housing: Haringey Councillor Strickland. I'm not aware that Cllr Strickland was a lobbyist but by sheer coincidence, Alan Strickland is now the New Labour MP for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor.
Is this not part of a pattern? i.e. of the self-interested and self-regarding who seek the kind of access to money, power and influence, perhaps whose ultimate expression is Lord Peter Mandelson.
Labour still have good and decent people in their ranks who seek the improvement of society rather than largely their own betterment.
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Come now, Clive. Former Cllr Alan Landtricks (as I jokingly referred to him), was at least affable, courteous. and willing to discuss issues reasonably. I'm certain he was capable of learning something from the book researched by housing academics on Haringey's proposed HDV. And let's recall that he didn't invent the idea. Schemes of Destruction of public housing were the fashion at the time. And I think Clare Kober was introduced to the plan by "Honest" Boris Johnson when he was London mayor.
As we learned shortly after the Tottenham Riot and then London riots, whatever problems actually led to rioting, the solution - according to property speculators - is usually demolition and more property speculation.
If you're looking for patterns, Clive, this is one of them. Don't University bosses suggest a new branch of their University? Don't Theatre people advocate more theatre? Remember how pPeople with a dubious idea for a restaurant seized on public funding in Tottenham after the riot.The starchitect who got funding for his new building.
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Schemes of Destruction of public housing were the fashion at the time.
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Alan, fashion rather than enduring principles is part of the problem.
Why did Cllr Kober—along with her band of wide-eyed ingenues—not ignore the introduction that you cite?
And instead, prosecuted the (misconceived) proposal in every way and as hard as possible?
I recall that Cllr Strickland claimed that the HDV was not a PFI. As a former stockbroker I took a particular interest in Haringey's absurdly complicated and destructive HDV. Not every PFI was a disaster but my view, it is hard to conceive a scheme that had more characteristics of a Private Finance Initiative.
I don't disagree with your description of Alan-MP's personal qualities. But the public is at least as much interested in policies as personalities. I'm sure it has not escaped your notice that we have more of a TB-type New Labour Government than a Labour Government.
The HDV split the Haringey Labour Party. I understand that roughly two thirds (?) the way through the fiasco, Cllr. Jogee withdrew his support for the HDV. That switch was followed by the publicly expressed annoyance of Terrapin's Peter Bingle. My impression was that the U-turn was less about principle and more to do with keen observation of the changing wind direction.
There are too many lobbyists in all Parties.
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I couldn't remember the starchitect. And I'd completely forgotten the building he modified. I've probably got some poor photos somewhere.
I wonder whether the new councillors in May will learn anything about these once-upon-a-hopeful-time-projects? Whether there are any honest hard-hitting evaluation reports written about what succeeded? ; maybe worked-a-bit? ; and those which failed? Perhaps I'll put in a Freedom of Information request?
I just mistyped "infirmation" request - which is actually nearer what I'm thinking about.
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Permalink Reply by Straw Cat
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Yes, many of the new intake may well be blissfully unaware of these bygone skulduggerys. Such veterans as Cllr Mark Blake however, if he is reelected for the Greens in Tottenham - hopefully - will be able to give them some history lessons!
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