COUNCIL BUDGET - LIB DEMS CONDEMN FURTHER BLOW TO VITAL WATCHDOG COMMITTEES

23.10.02

Lib Dems have condemned what they describe as further attempts by Haringey Council to undermine Haringey’s vital new scrutiny system - this time over the council’s controversial budget setting process.

The council’s move to block a vital new Budget Scrutiny Committee was confirmed at Monday’s night’s meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Haringey’s Civic Centre.

The Lib Dems say that Haringey’s council tax, set to rise dramatically by over 40% in the next four years on current projections, will not now receive the proper scrutiny that it needs. The Lib Dems are accusing Haringey Labour of deliberate political manoeuvring to stop a new Budget Scrutiny Committee from coming into being.

Haringey Labour had initially agreed to allow the Lib Dems to chair the new committee – but then attempts were made to block a deal that would have given the new body an independent adviser to carry out its work – despite this being the norm on other council committees. The council’s budget setting process will now be scrutinised at just one special meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in November.

Lib Dem councillor Jonathan Bloch, comments: “This has been another disgraceful episode for Haringey’s handling of the scrutiny system. They have again shown contempt for the whole process, just as they did in the summer, when they insisted that Labour chaired all of Haringey’s new watchdog committees, breaking recommended guidelines. This is a very controversial budget process that could see council tax soar. It will not now have the vital scrutiny from councillors that it needs.”

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