Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Tomorrow ~ By-elections in two Haringey Wards
THE Haringey Community Press notes two by-elections in Haringey tomorrow.
Taken together, they'll either consolidate the current "no overall control", or they could give the Greens a sliver of a simple majority.
HCP—Greens face tests in crucial by-elections
Even with such a "majority", due to practical factors such as deaths, illnesses, defections or resignations, a one-seat "majority" would probably not be enough for a secure policy path forward, for four years.
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I see the HCP article—linked above—quotes former Haringey Council Leader Peray Ahmet speaking just after the election ~
The prime minister has to take responsibility – and those around him. This has been an absolute disaster for all of us.
As leader, Cllr Ahmet took Cabinet responsibility for Communications (PR). The handsomely-funded Public Relations team, as always, did their level best and managed to minimise many municipal mishaps and misfortunes.
But were there truly no failings or disasters in our Borough and for which a Leader needed to take responsibility?
The former leader said "this has been an absolute disaster for all of us". However, on Polling day, 21 (twenty one) of her Party colleagues were re-elected:
Find Councillor | Results by political party: Labour
Surely not a disaster for all Labour's Haringey candidates?
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Kier Starmer's Gaza policy, his lack of standing up to Trump; his multiple U-turns on domestic policy including Green-reversals, his foolish Mandelson appointment, his lack of clear principles: all these were likely to be contributory factors in New Labour's local losses on May 7th. None of them were helped by his typically wooden delivery, not unlike that of a corporate lawyer. Rather than a respected political leader.
However, unlike other, braver members of the Labour "family", Cllr. Ahmet took no or few, opportunities before the election to speak out about the manifold shortcomings of the past PM.
With Sir Keir's resignation on Monday 22nd, the former Haringey leader could then safely welcome the new national leader. The HCP wasted no time in reporting this on the same day (below).
The Ex-council leader also took the opportunity on Monday to take credit for her role last Thursday, in the Makerfield by-election win of Andy Burnham:
HCP article: Ex-council leader welcomes Andy Burnham to Westminster
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Tags for Forum Posts: Ahmet, By-election, HCP, Haringey Community Press, Labour, Party, Peray, Starmer, disaster, governance, More…
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson
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Below for who the candidates are
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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THE council has published the by-elections results here
After yesterday's by-elections, the two Wards switched Parties!
As compared with the results on 7 May, Northumberland Park went from Green to Labour and Woodside went from Labour to Green.
Thus, In terms of overall control, the net result is no change.
The turnout was 25% or less.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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Thanks Clive end Michael. for reminding us about the by-elections. Though Clive, I didn't really need a recap of your grouchy views on Keir Starmer and Peray Ahmet. Let's forget the history and talk instead about heatwaves.
What alternatives are there to avoid potentially dangerous very hot weather? The only obvious UK option I can think of is substantially increased postal voting.
I note that some countries have very early voting and others tried mobile ballot boxes.In the UK it seems that total overall percentage voting in our two by-elections in Haringey stayed steady in both.
However the the percentages of postal votes cast was not shown.
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Let's forget the history
Alan, let's not forget history.
Last night at the Harringay LCSP meeting I remembered and mentioned some history:
The Enclosures are a part of British history, some lessons about which have been forgotten.
Yet again in Finsbury Park, Haringey Council-approved enclosures are now well underway, as part of the council's "Summer Season". This is thanks to the former leader (and Grime-fan) and local New Labour's long-standing policy, begun under Claire Kober.
Heatwaves, water and the commons vs private interest
In the last few days the council's corporate customer (Festival Republic) has brought into our park tonnes of water. They're in huge tanks labeled Drinking Water and presumably are only for the consumption of customers of TIcketMaster.
In this context, a wise Labour councillor once commented that the council had forgotten who their real customer was.
In any event, former Leader Ahmet repeatedly boasted that the events she helped to promote generated £1,200,000 and every penny of which was reinvested in Finsbury Park.
The claim was and remains, astonishing and flabbergasting.
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A few years ago the council's Head of Parks & Leisure attended a meeting of The Friends of Finsbury Park.
In the meeting, residents brought up the need for a public water fountain.
The officer managed to list every excuse under the sun to claim this was impossible or too hard or too expensive. There was total resistance to the idea of providing free water to the public then, and the council has maintained the policy.
Our 110 acre public park that serves three Boroughs does not have a single water fountain.
Perhaps the Greens will demand action from the council's Events Team, who for years have dominated our public park.
Those Who Cannot Remember the Past Are Condemned To Repeat It
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And there it is. I was doing a bit of a countdown on how long before Finsbury Park made its way in. The George Santayana quote is inscribed on a wall in Auschwitz. I think he had issues bigger than drinking fountains in mind when he wrote it.
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