Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Police arrest, then release, Haringey Councillors
TWO Haringey Councillors were arrested and released in connection with a demonstration in support of the ‘Defend Our Juries’ campaign.
The Councillors' action stands in contrast with the earlier suppression of any discussion about Gaza in council, by the current Haringey Council leader (i.e. by Kier Starmer's local New Labour representative).
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The Police action stands in contrast to the apparent absence of action in an unrelated matter involving Haringey Councillor(s) and/or a council employee. i.e. the fraud alleged in at least one property deal.
Over a 36-month period, Haringey Council lost at least £10,000,000 in irregular transactions. Plural.
In 2022, council leader Peray Ahmet belatedly but properly, agreed to an external investigation.
That led—a year later—to the [pre-redacted] Buss Report.
More than one Councillor volunteered to be interviewed.
The Council Chief Executive confirmed that the "full" version of the Buss Report was sent to the Met Police.
However—more than a year ago—the Ham & High reported that the Police investigation was still "ongoing".
One has to wonder how the Police investigation is going. In contrast with their arrests of Haringey Councillors at the top, there is no news of any charge or arrest relating to any Haringey Council property deal.
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Tags for Forum Posts: Buss Report, Cranwood, Fraud, Gaza, Genocide, Haringey Council, Met, Metropolitan Police, Police, Property Deals
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Have you read the Ham and High newspaper article, Drew? It's irritating I know to try to follow the detail among the barrage of ads. But I noticed several contrasts with the massive dodgy property issues which Clive Carter has rightly raised. Only to meet long delays and obstruction, in his Freedom of Information requests.
One contrast is plainly the openness of Mary Mason and Lotte Collett. Unlike many people they were public about their views on Israel and Gaza and the shocking ongoing Genocide. They acted on their views. Using their real full names. Peray Ahmet Council leader could have found a way to welcome their primcipled views and given them space and time to express these views.
The two left the Labour Party in 2023. In the Ham & High, Mary Mason describes her plan to join a protest group walking from El Arish - in Egypt - to Rafah in the southern part of Gaza. Their group - Mary Mason says - were prevented reaching their goal by Egyptian police swinging sticks.
They were fortunate not to meet the Israelis who appear less fussy in how they treat civil disobedience. As we saw with past Palestinian civil disobedience marches in Gaza, among the approved methods used were Israeli snipers shooting medics, journalists and disabled people.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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long delays and obstruction, in his Freedom of Information requests.
Indeed. Another day, another FoI request.
Again, about the £6,100,000 factory deal in Enfield.
De jure—the formal "Decision" to buy s clapped-out building with asbestos roof was rubber-stamped during a Cabinet meeting and it was billed as a Key Decision.
However, the cabinet de jure Decision later metamorphosed into a Non-key decision, and the decision was made de facto by three persons:
By a council officer, to whom the £6,100,000 the de facto, "Non Key" purchase decision was "delegated" by the then-leader and his crony, and with whom the decision would be discussed.
it's all in "Cab" papers.
The factory purchase was just one of the nine Haringey Council property deals subject to external investigation, but is not known to be subject necessarily to Police investigation.
Including four years of overheads, the council's losses (our losses) were £3,000,000.
The current leader, Cllr. Ahmet, is more likely to want to speak about Haringey Borough of Culture 2027.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Michaels on
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Man I feel sorry for the person on the receiving end of your vexatious Freedom of Information Act requests who has to try to interpret your ramblings and respond to them.
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There are people who make vexatious Freedom of Information (F.o.I.) Act requests.
But Clive Carter is not one of them.
The F.o.I Act itself has tight legal limits about what can be asked. There are understandable exemptions - such as some commercial sensitivity.Over the years Clive has asked few questions and done so using a free public website. So anyone can read them. They are not "rambling" because they are required to be concise and precise.
Residents and other members of the public have precious few legal rights to elicit information. This is one of them.
Some people make F.o.I. requests simply because they want or need some information. Other people - including Clive Carter - ask F.o.I questions because they wish to test their suspicions that their local council, for example, may be involved in some maladministration. In other words, F.o.I questions can play a small but valuable part in providing checks and balances to both local and national bureaucrats.
There is no financial benefit for people making F.o.I. Inquiries.
Honest and principled bureaucrats and elected people will and should welcome F.o.I. inquiries. They are an opportunity to learn; and sometimes a form of whistle-blowing.
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Residents and other members of the public have precious few legal rights to elicit information.
Alan: yes, exactly!
- The only real chance to hold councils to account is inside a single, 15-hour "window" once every four years, and within our present First-past-the-post system. The turnout percentages show that even this opportunity is not seized by all registered voters. And the feature of "safe" seats, means that some residents conclude, why bother?
- Few residents attend Councillor surgeries and fewer will mount Deputations to Council. The public's trust in government is waning
- To its credit, the first New Labour Government brought in the FoI Act, but former-PM Tony Blair records his regret about it in his book. The Act has few teeth as it is, but is still in danger of being watered down
- Local and National Government would probably prefer that the Act did not exist, yet the ability to ask questions—in a tightly controlled format—is surely valuable in a democracy where we, the people, are compelled to pay money into the system, supposedly for our benefit
- Unfortunately, public money is not always spent wisely and occasionally it is spent fraudulently. Not everyone cares enough about governance to care about the waste of millions of pounds of public money
- As happened at our council
- The people on the receiving end of FoI Requests I feel sorry for, are the members the Council's FoI Team, who do their best to provide answers, but are hampered by certain departments where the Request is embarrassing or politically sensitive. In this regard, Property is a particular offender
- Some council staff would probably be happier if there were no elected persons!
- If the annoying Act had to exist at all, then Councils and government would be content that at least most requests and responses would be in private channels. That would be more less inconvenient. For them
- However, a group of public-spirited persons appreciated this aspect and came up with a scheme that would balance the bureaucrats' preference with an easy-to-use conduit, which offered automatic help and where all correspondence would be in one place and in public. The Shock! The Horror! …
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Alan, re the Ham & High, have you ever tried the "Digital edition" - a 'real' newspaper. You might find it a better option (button at top right of screen). You can flick through the paper and zoom in as and when you want.
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Hugh, Thanks for the suggestion about the digital edition of Ham&High.
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Peray Ahmet Council leader could have found a way to welcome their principled views and given them space and time to express these views.
Possibly, but the Leader's earlier suppression of local debate on Gaza is consistent with the most recent Party line from New Labour's Top Brass.
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Presumably those two councillors will resign or be asked to resign if convicted.
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IRIS in your view, what should or might, the two councillors be convicted of?
Why should they resign?
Many Haringey residents are likely to be proud of their several actions, that have sought to draw attention to the Gaza genocide.
Also, do you have any views about the use of Police resources, or interest in serious allegations of fraud and corruption at our local council?
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Supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.
And yes, the separate allegations of fraud and corruption involving different people at Haringey Council should be investigated which it appears is happening.
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