BLUE-on-blue: Haringey Council Leader’s slur on Tottenham’s MP

[Clive Carter]

AT Tuesday’s Haringey Council Cabinet meeting, the current leader went out-of-his-way to snipe at the MP for Tottenham. 

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David Lammy’s offence, if it be offence, was [a claim] that he did not participate in a municipal working party about Wards Corner. The implication was that Mr Lammy had little or no lasting interest in London’s The Latin Village.

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The cause of the calculated, snide remarks, was doubtless Mr Lammy’s excellent speech about The Latin Village, in an Adjournment Debate in Parliament on 29 January, that the MP had called. Mr Lammy well described the Latin community at Seven Sisters and offered a mild critique of the (chronic, delinquent) conduct of Haringey Council at Wards Corner.

Joseph Ejiofor set-up the put-down and prepared the punishment. For good measure, he ensured that it would be recorded on microphone and video for posterity, in the form of question-and-answer.

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He put his innocent-sounding query to his crony and fellow Cabinet Member—disgraced Councillor Charles Adje. “I note … I also note … Could you just elaborate on what contribution he [David Lammy] made …”. Despite the caveats of I stand to be corrected, the dubious duo managed to execute their jab at the Member of Parliament.

 

Cllr Ejiofor sounded fully satisfied with his buddy's comments. Blue-on-blue fire is normally accidental. Here, it was planned.

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It can be heard and seen here

(link to video on YouTube)

Link to Panic at demolition central

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[Alan Stanton]

On Ward's Corner /Latin Village, Cllr Joe Ejiofor's closed-minded intransigence comes across with everything he says and how he says it  The childish game he and Charles Adje played in the public "Cabinet" meeting only served to demonstrate how unfit both of them are for public office.

Why should David Lammy MP have the slightest inclination to help-out Grumpy Joe when he and bumbling Charles use Council cameras for their amateur Q & A sneer? (And as for Charles Adje, why should anyone who has looked into his prominent past screw-ups in Haringey have any confidence in his judgment?)

Fundamentally Joe doesn't seem to have grasped that he's lost the publicity battle over Ward's Corner/Latin Village. Why? Because the campaigners have far more public sympathy. They also have more flair, sparkle and creativity. Which isn't too hard while Joe Grumpy surrounds himself with nodding mediocre yes-people. But spend a few minutes exploring the Latin Village online and you can find music, dancing and, above all, serious passionate speakers with quite simply better arguments.

They've been successful in gaining support from high profile figures, media and organisations. These include David Lammy MP; and the U.N. (Yes, that UN.). A recent BBC World service news item made every attempt at balance, and still showed why the campaigners have all the best evidence and best songs.
There's also Guardian Journalist Aditya Chakrabortty, and The Nation journalist Ed Morales writing in the Washington Post. Maybe our Council's dull-as-ditchwater "socialist" allies of Cllr Grumpy should look-up Ed Morales and ask themselves if they are on the right side. Do they really want to carry Joe's albatross with him?

Because its 'Alas, poor dull Joe' even if the Wards Corner campaign does not win. He still loses as his negative "legacy" and reputation is assured. Yet another failed team captain who didn't understand the basics of cooperation and teamwork. And who steered Haringey obstinately even further down the civic league.