London Borough of Haringey - Politics

Politics

The borough has been Labour-run since 1971. No Conservative candidate has won a local government election in Haringey since 1998. In May 2006 Labour retained control of the Council with a majority of just three seats over the Liberal Democrats.

Late in 2007 Liberal Democrat councillors Catherine Harris and Ali Demirci crossed the floor to join the Labour Party, the first such occasion in the history of the borough. The Labour majority thus increased to 7 (32 Labour, 25 Liberal Democrat). In July 2009, councillor and former mayor Alan Dobbie left the Labour Party to join the Conservatives, becoming the first Conservative in the council for 11 years. In January 2010, Brian Hayley became the first ever Haringey Labour councillor to defect to the Liberal Democrats.

Labour increased their majority to 11 at the May 2010 local elections, winning 34 seats to the Liberal Democrats' 23.

Seats on Haringey Council, by party:

(Boundary changes in 2002 reduced the number of councillors by 2)

• *after local elections in May

In recent years, Haringey Council has become the subject of nationwide criticism over its handling of the welfare of young children, in connection with the murder of Victoria Climbie and the death of Baby P. George Meehan, Council leader at the time of both the Victoria Climbie inquiry and the death of Baby P, resigned after a "damning" examination of Social Services caused by the Baby P case. He and Liz Santry, cabinet member for Children's Services, initially refused to resign at a Full Council meeting. All Labour Councillors voted for them to remain in their posts. Sharon Shoesmith, who was sacked on 8 December 2008 without any compensation package over the Baby P affair, is suing for lack of notice.

In March 2009, the council's overall performance was assessed in an Audit Commission review as among the fourth worst in the whole country, and the worst in London. Its previous three stars were reduced to one.