Lynne Featherstone

Documents revealed last week show how Labour councillors propose to spend over one million pounds next year on creating a fund which has no agreed plan or purpose and has the name of the party’s election manifesto.

Local Liberal Democrats have branded the £1.2 million ‘One Borough, One Future fund’ a Labour slush fund which is aimed to promote political aims and pay for Labour pet projects.

Cllr Paul Strang, Haringey Liberal Democrat Resources Spokesperson, comments:

“I’m appalled that Labour have decided to take £1.2 million of public money, that could be spent on front-line services, out of the Council’s budget to spend on their pet projects when, in their own words, public services are facing unprecedented reductions in spending.

“You don’t call a fund after the title of your political manifesto if it isn’t going to be spent on politically motivated projects. The fact Labour have no plans as to how this money can be spent shows they haven’t learnt from their years of wasteful spending.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“Labour has cut treasured front-line services, but feel its right to spend £1.2million on yet to be defined projects. That is frankly outrageous.

“The local community should have a say on how this money should be spent or it should be reinvested in the services that Labour has decided to cut.”

Lynne Featherstone is the Liberal Democrat MP for the Hornsey & Wood Green seat and a minister in the Home Office. She blogs on http://lynnefeatherstone.org/category/blog