Lynne Featherstone

Labour were tackled by the Lib Dems at Full Council on Monday night over the glaring £4.6 million hole in Haringey Council’s budget. The projected overspend has risen steadily throughout the year. Councillor Robert Gorrie, Lib Dem deputy spokesperson for Finance, tackled Haringey Council Leader George Meehan on the issue, demanding that he explain what action he was taking to address the situation.

In April the Council’s total projected overspend was £1.5 million. By June this had risen to £3.5m. The latest reports are that the figure now stands at a seriously worrying £4.6 million, a figure equivalent to an extra 5% on Council Tax.

Councillor Gorrie comments:

“Beyond a few suggestions that it was the Government’s fault, Councillor Meehan provided no concrete ideas at all. He quoted an audit report suggesting the Council’s financial management is sound. How this ballooning financial deficit can be a product of sound financial management is beyond me.

“We see frivolous waste in some places – last year’s overspend of £13.6 million on the disaster that was the Tech Refresh project – and unhealthy lack in others – Labour have grossly underinvested in the roads and pavements of this borough such that £35 million is required to bring them back to an acceptable standard, for instance. Labour are simply not capable of keeping their books in order.”