Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Administrator on March 8, 2014 at 10:27

Local press coverage of candidates for council elections has been gearing up as candidates begin to be declared.

The Tottenham and Wood Green Journal website includes a map detailing how the political complexion of Haringey might change following the council elections and a discussion of how the campaign might play out.

(click on the map to read the full story)

Over in Enfield the focus has been drawn to inappropriate comments on Social Media by two senior conservatives.

A searing article on the Enfield Advertiser details Islamophobic comments by Conservaive Cllr Chris Joannides and a "litany of misogynistic comments" by Election Agent Stewart Green.

Read the full article online

No doubt further news on candidates and councillors will emerge as we get closer to Polling Day.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 27, 2014 at 21:12

Thanks Tom - links now fixed.

The map above only shows only Haringey targets not Enfield. Bounds Green ward (in Haringey) is being fought by three candidates from each from Conservative, Labour Greens and Lib Dems plus a UKIP.

Bowes Ward, in Enfield does not have Lib Dem candidates at the council elections.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 28, 2014 at 16:05

Tom - yes as you say it is interesting to see who lives where - particularly amongst the Haringey list of representatives who have quite a few out of Borough candidates.  Personally - for local council elections I think its preferable, though not essential for candidates to live in the borough they seek to represent, experiencing the borough services first-hand and being part of the community.

However  think it is unrealistic to limit selection to just the Ward level this would mean drawing from a far more limited pool of those committed to stand-up as representatives - which could be detrimental to democratic representation and weaken the contest at election time. 

For Westminster elections I would say Prospective Parliamentry Candidates should be resident in their constiuency ( which is easier to do in London where you can get a tube to Westminster in 45 minutes rather than representing Belfast, Cardiff or Edinburgh seats.) But many MPs will need a second home in the Constituency - which has contributed to the worst of the expenses scandal.  

I think in our neighbourhood (being split across two boroughs) a representative's location is less of an issue. The concerns of the Enfield half of the Bowes and Bounds area up by the North Circular is pretty much the same as the Haringey end down by Bounds Green.

Far more important than location are the commitment and the efforts of the candidates who step-up to take on the councillors role.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 28, 2014 at 22:25

If you are in Bowes Ward (Enfield) you would be limiting your self to no choice at all in the forthcoming election. As I read it only two of your three potential votes could be cast for people who live in the ward. If you are in Bounds Green (Harringey) you have a wider, but incomplete choice - for example I believe it wouldn't be possible to cast your three votes for three candidates of the same party if you limit yourself simply to Ward based candidates.

UK Electoral law requires that a prospective council candidate must meet one of four qualifications:

• be a registered elector for the local authority area, or
• for the whole of the previous twelve months have lived in that area; or
• for the whole of the previous twelve months have occupied, as owner or tenant, any land or premises in that area; or
• for that twelve months have had their principal or only place of work in that area.

Beyond those connections with the borough, a link with a ward is strongly established by the candidates' nomination procedure - each person wishing to stand as a councillor has to get ten residents of the ward they seek to represent to sign a nomination form before they are accepted as a candidate by the returning officer - that for me is a sufficient link with the ward.

I'm no expert but a quick scan of the borough lists in both Enfield and Harringey suggest that no ward is represented solely by candidates  from that ward ... like I said in my earlier post I believe it is simply just unrealistic - and in my view exceptionally limiting - to expect to find a fully representative slate  of candidates representing a range of parties in such a small geographic area.

However it may, of course, be the way you will choose to cast your three votes ... but that's democracy! Each one of us has an equal say in who gets elected - and each one of us has the right to choose the reasons on which we base our vote.

Just make sure you use your vote!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on May 1, 2014 at 16:10

Thanks keeping this site friendly Richard. Elections should and can be run with civility. Don't want to say much more since it is sometimes hard to get that simple message across - explaining why I feel a need now to withdraw from this thread. But as I wrote before, we Bowes Labour people appreciate the local Green Party's support for all the environmental work we've done in the ward. Progressives should stick together, because if we split it makes things easier for non-progressives. Sometimes we forget everything that unites us. It's good to remember.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Laura Davenport on May 16, 2014 at 17:33

I'm a local Green Party member and your statement above suggests that we endorse you which we don't.

Can you provide a bullet point list of the environmental work carried out in Bowes Ward please.  I am being serious, I'm not having a dig, I am being friendly and yes I have missed the works done.

Taking the environment in its simplest form, the trees on Goring Road have not been looked after by the council over the past 4 years.  More houses are to be built at the back of Beechwood Court which was previously been a large playing field and the traffic calming methods on Warwick Road are a joke.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on May 17, 2014 at 10:23

Laura my fellow politician, where you been past 2yrs! It’s election time, you suddenly reappear. Why Is that?

You say you're "not having a dig" but nudge nudge wink wink - you're campaign manager for a rival political party. Is it any surprise then that you pretend not to have noticed Bowes Labour’s sustainability work? Even though you and I were just talking about it on your doorstep last week, under the recently maintained Goring Road trees...

Pretending you guys have the monopoly on environmentalism is very last century. It’s something you and I share with countless other people - most of whom support Labour nowadays.

It's true that your politicking is expressed in almost friendly tones so I thank you for that. Much nicer than what your side has subjected me to recently re: the complicated situation on Warwick. 

Real question is why aren’t you prioritising Winchmore Hill, like your party leaders want you to:

- because they know your real adversaries are the Tories, not progressives like us; and
- because they are always praising the environmental work that Labour does in Bowes!

Like the community green spaces we’re building - including Millicent Grove, behind Beechwood

So please save your electioneering for actual anti-environmentalists. Or would you actually prefer Tory councillors? Because electorally, that’s the only realistic alternative. I’m sure you agree that Labour is the far better choice for progressives and environmentalists alike.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Charles Wright on May 14, 2014 at 10:50

Thanks for posting this information. It promises I think to be a very interesting local election this time and I hope as many residents as possible will take part.

I hope it's in order for me to signpost some information about the Labour candidates in Alexandra ward for those who are interested, here, including our latest blog posts:http://alexlab2014.wordpress.com/ 

There's more information here: http://www.hornseywoodgreenlabour.org.uk/alexandra_ward, and you can read the Labour manifesto for Haringey here: http://www.hornseywoodgreenlabour.org.uk/labour_manifesto

Can I also say a huge thanks to the thousands of residents in the ward who have taken the time to speak to us over the past eight months or so, sharing a huge range of views on local and wider issues - from roads and pavements, traffic, parking and Pinkham Way to concerns about services for elderly and disabled people, education, the future of important local facilities like Alexandra Park Library, the NHS, jobs and the economy. The council has a part to play in all these areas.

Knocking on doors wearing a red rosette now seems like normal life to me, though this is the first election I've fought as a candidate! But what is clear is that any councillor needs to be focused on listening to residents, informing them and involving them in all decisions that affect them, representing local views forcefully - and also on understanding the area, making links and helping bring people together to make a difference.

So good luck to everyone putting themselves forward - and do please get in touch here or via alexandra@haringeylabour.org.uk or @AlexLab2014 if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Charles Wright, James Patterson, Liz McShane,

Labour council candidates, Alexandra ward, Haringey.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on May 16, 2014 at 0:31

Election info.

1. This is last time candidates have numbers, i.e. Labour is 2-7-10 in Bowes ward. It's a quick way of communicating but the Government is getting rid of the system. Wonder why?

2. Unsubmitted postal votes remain valid as long as polls are open - you just have to bring them to the stations before they close.

3. People selecting their three Council candidates should normally put three Xs in the three relevant boxes. But the main criterion at the count is an expression of clear intent (I paraphrase)

• ▶ Reply