Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Local Labour confirms 7-year cosy deal with global live-music monopolist: convicted yesterday
LABOUR candidates for two Wards in Haringey reaffirmed their support for the council’s sweetheart-deal with now-convicted, global live-music monopolist (Live Nation) for another seven summers in Finsbury Park.
Renewed reinforcement for the rotten arrangement was heard last night at the lively local election Hustings organised by The Friends of Finsbury Park:
By coincidence, that support for repeated future lending of our public park, came on the same day as Live Nation's conviction:
BBC: Ticketmaster-owner Live Nation ran a monopoly and overcharged fans,...
Election candidates for Harringay Ward (left table) and Stroud Green Ward (right)
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At the Hustings, there was no explanation for the need to rush through a five-year extension to the existing five-year deal, while the existing five year sweetheart contract still has 18 months to run.
The Cabinet Member for Parks & Culture (Cllr Emily Arkell) had rushed through her Signing:
- Before the onset of the so-called pre-election purdah-period;
- Before the expected conviction that may yet cost Live Nation hundreds of millions of dollars in fines
- Before the announcement of Live Nation's booking of an artist who repeatedly espoused Neo-Nazi views
This is how a rich global monopolist is able to operate when, as a venue-hirer, they enjoy extraordinary and remarkably cosy relations with a feeble municipal land-owner. Under Labour, our public park will continue to be lent at low cost to Live Nation in order to extract the kind of profits that few global monopolists enjoy.
Following their conviction, Live Nation and their UK arm (Festival Republic) may need massive profits from their venues—including Finsbury Park—to help pay big fines in the USA.
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Tags for Forum Posts: Events Team, Festival Republic, Finsbury Park, Haringey Council, Kanye West, Live Nation, New Labour, TicketMaster, Wireless, monopoly
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gina Harkell
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Last night 7 candidates were put through their paces at a packed election hustings organised by Friends of Finsbury Park. The 'just-a-minute' caper through all things wrong with the latest 5-year deal for Wireless etc was both entertaining and revealing. The candidates showed remarkable speed in their answers in the Q&A session - skills they are unlikely to need ever again if elected.
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Presumably the event was filmed. Could you post that here? For the benefit of the many who weren't able or inclined to go along, and the chap at the back of the room who appears to have been asleep.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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GINA, here's some more reporting of the conviction of Haringey Council's Finsbury Park business partner:
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/15/us-jury-finds-ticketmas...
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/15/live-nation-ticket...
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As a former Deputy Mayor said to me once, the council will do business with anyone with money.
There was the attempt to flog Alexandra Palace to a former slum landlord, who a friend once described as "the developer of last resort". There was the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) with Lendlease (also Trump's favourite developer in New York). And a local development group was referred to in the Report of the External Investigator (Chris Buss), coyly as "Developer A".
And we have the continuing Special Relationship with Live Nation Inc. Yesterday, convicted by a New York Jury.
Haringey Council can sure pick 'em.
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So what the candidates said is to be secret? Just for the ears of those who turned up? If that's the case, why bother posting?
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Combatants, across the tables from left to right
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Harringay Ward
Councillor Zena Brabazon (Labour Party)
Contenders: Jo Kuper (Green Party) and David Schmitz (Liberal Democrats)
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Stroud Green Ward
David Vigoureux (Liberal Democrats) and Beth Anderson (Green Party)
James Hand (Labour Party)
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Still refusing to indicate what they actually said. All the images show are a disproportionately old and white group of Londoners. What were they talking about, Clive? Their final salary pensions, the triple-lock, young people being too noisy?
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Read the messages and, if you mean a detailed record, you may always compile a FOI request. (Freedom of Information).
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What messages, Sabrina? I want to know what the candidates said, not some facebook group. And an FOI to the Friends of Finsbury Park? I think you might be confused about their function, competence, and their authority.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson
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The FoI regulations don’t apply to a friends group I don’t understand what the problem is with giving information about what happened at a meeting.
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Thanks Sabrina!
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Permalink Reply by Simon
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Thanks for sharing Clive.
I have a feeling that the Wireless and Live Nation story is not completely played out. Friends of the Park have taken the Council to court in the past and if the political make up of the Council changes they might face less opposition if they do so in the future particularly given the fact that this deal has been foisted on them.
Also it’s possible that the court case in America may trigger similar action here in the uk.
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