Labour failing Haringey residents

News that Haringey is one of nine local authorities to have been rated “poor” by Ofsted for its children’s services is not really surprising.

I don’t think anyone underestimates the scale of the challenges facing Haringey on child protection, following the tragic deaths of Victoria Climbie and Baby Peter. Attracting enough social workers is difficult for most boroughs, but for Haringey – which has come under so much pressure from the media – it is all the more so.

There are a range of services which Haringey Labour is failing local residents on however. On the new oneplace website the Audit Commission’s overall statement for our area is:

Haringey London Borough Council performs poorly

Haringey is rated 1 out of 4 for managing performance, which is defined as “an organisation that does not meet minimum requirements, Performs Poorly”.

Haringey Labour have had more than three decades to get things right in Haringey and have failed. For the last 12 years they’ve had a supposedly supportive Labour government and still failed. Compare this with Lib Dem controlled Islington, where we took over a failing council in 2000 after years of Labour mismanagement – their overall statement is “good” with 3 out of 4 for managing performance.

Not to worry, local elections in May 2010 and Haringey’s taxpayers have the opportunity to turf Labour out and elect a Lib Dem council to start making a real difference to Haringey – from Highgate to Tottenham and everywhere in between.