Enterprise Tzar

Letter to the Financial Times from Sir Alan Sugar in 1992

“I have noted with disgust the comments of a certain Mr Gordon Brown who has accused me of doing well out of the recession….I do not know who Mr Gordon Brown is. Excuse my ignorance, but I don’t. Whoever he is, he has not done is homework properly. The man doesn’t know what he is talking about….Labour offers no route out of recession.” - Sir Alan Sugar

This election is about London not Haringey Council

One look at any piece of election literature coming out from the Liberal Democrats here in Haringey and you would think that today's (Thursday) European election is about control of the council.

All you read about is how the Lib-Dems are best placed to beat Labour in the borough. But what they seem to forget - and certainly would rather you did not know - is that the constituency is the entire capital, just as it was for the election of Boris Johnson last year. 

Such clarity changes the perspective of this election - and just as it was a year ago, it is the Conservatives who are best placed to beat Labour. And even here in Haringey the Conservatives came a very close second to Labour in 2008 - the Lib-Dems a distant third. 

Time to support the Conservatives on leaseholders rights

Today I am calling on Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone to back the Private Members’ Bill on extending leaseholders’ rights.

The Bill, introduced by Conservative MP for Beckenham Jacqui Lait, aims to confer more rights on leaseholders in relation to management and maintenance of their properties.

The Bill was introduced in January 2009, and will have its Second Reading on June 26^th.

Leaseholders here in Haringey have been losing out financially for years, too often the victims of shoddy and overpriced repairs and maintenance.  Regrettably, Haringey Lib Dem councillors have been completely ineffective in standing up for hard-pressed leaseholders locally. So it’s clear that what is needed is legislative change at a national level to offer leaseholders the protection they need.

Over the past month I have been talking to leaseholders across the Borough about their experiences and time and again I hear the claim that they are being treated unfairly, “fleeced” by the council and seen as nothing more than a ‘cash cow’.

That is why today I am launching a campaign to support leaseholders here in Haringey and would urge anyone with experience to contact me so that I can in turn advise Jacqui Lait, the bill’s sponsor in parliament.

Despite political differences, I sincerely hope Hornsey & Wood Green’s MP backs this Private Members Bill which aims to bring real change and fairness to the way leaseholders are treated in future.

Details of the Bill itself are still be formulated but it is hoped that this Bill will succeed where previous Private Members’ Bills have failed, including one from Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes.

Out in Highgate

Canvassing in Highgate this morning and never have I come across such anger toward all three main political parties. 

What has been exposed in the past three weeks is indefensible, totally disgusting and has destroyed a good deal of faith in the political process.

Residents are furious, angry, confused and disillusioned. We all are.

Our economy is in a dire state, our Government rudderless and to compound the sense of helplessness our elected representatives have their collective snouts in the trough. And it does not matter whether it is a duck house or a vacuum cleaner - the message is clear - a plague on all your houses.

I will not defend a system like this - root and branch reform is needed and fast. So my message to all MPs (including Lynne) is get back to work and clean it up NOW.

The best attack on the BNP!

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451b31c69e2011570a52834970b-pi

Thought of the day - Oliver Cromwell

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone!

So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!"

Oliver Cromwell 1653, to MPs from the steps of the Houses of Parliament.

Baby Peter

The news that the findings of the serious case review into Baby Peter's death found that it "could and should have been prevented" should send a clear message that this dreadful incident should never be repeated in Haringey again.

I applaud the findings of the review, which was commissioned by Children's Secretary Ed Balls, which has said agencies lacked "toughness and urgency" by not taking the 17-month-old into care.

It also said that if doctors, lawyers, police officers and social workers had adopted a more ‘urgent, thorough and challenging approach’ the abuse of Baby P ‘would have been stopped in its tracks at the first serious incident’.

The review was carried out by Graham Badman, who was appointed chair of Haringey's Local Safeguarding Children Board in December 2008.

The lesson here is that any professional in this field should be – as Badman said - "deeply sceptical" of any excuses offered in the apparent maltreatment of children. Furthermore, I fully endorse Lord Laming’s findings as long as it does not lead to yet more heedless process and paperwork. What we need to see is a step change in the managerial accountability of these key services as well as a major change in the recruitment, training and supervision of frontline staff.