Fighting Haringey’s corner at City Hall

It’s my job as your London Assembly member to use my position to stand up for Haringey residents.

As well as helping my constituents with a range of issues, I hold the mayor to account to make sure he’s doing the right thing by Londoners. I also deal with strategic London issues such as transport, policing, inequality, housing, economy and jobs.

The past couple of years have been difficult. The pandemic has hit those on low incomes, or with insecure jobs, the hardest. Many of those worst affected have been working on the frontline.

Local areas such as ours have been badly hit. But it has been wonderful to see the Haringey community pull together to support each other. I’ve been doing my bit for you at City Hall. I’ve regularly questioned the mayor and lobbied him, and the government, on food insecurity, the need to keep the Universal Credit uplift, for more financial and debt support, and I have been pushing hard on training and job opportunities for Haringey residents, especially those in insecure or low paid employment.

The mayor is taking action through the investment he has put into equipping Londoners with the skills they need, expanding debt advice services, and promoting the London Living Wage. But it is clear that more needs to be done on a national level. I will continue to demand support for areas like ours as the government’s cost-of-living crisis continues to plunge more people towards poverty.

Something that is very important to me is our early years sector. Nursery and early years professionals continued working so that other key workers could go to work. They are under enormous financial pressure. Government support is inadequate and workforce issues mean that many are teetering on the edge of viability. I’m pleased to have helped deliver a support package to offer business advice and financial assistance across London, including in Haringey.

I’ve been frustrated by the government’s failure to properly fund Transport for London (TfL). As TfL’s operating budget is primarily funded by fares, short-term sticking plaster deals from the government just won’t cut it. A new long-term funding model is desperately needed. I’ve regularly raised the need to upgrade the Piccadilly Line signalling and track with the mayor, and lobbied the government on it too. The mayor has assured me it’s a top priority, but it’s impossible without a long-term funding package. We have worked hard to deliver a fleet of new Piccadilly Line trains that will be arriving over the next few years – but their capacity will be severely reduced if we can’t get signalling sorted.

I have also put in a lot of work opposing government plans to take away children’s concessionary Zip Oyster cards which would have been devastating for many low-income families.

As your voice in City Hall I will continue to fight your corner for a fair deal as the borough recovers from the pandemic and help deliver a cleaner, greener, safer Haringey.

Labour’s Joanne McCartney is the London Assembly member for Enfield and Haringey. To get in touch:

Call 020 7983 5524

Email [email protected]

Visit london.gov.uk/people/assembly/joanne-mccartney/more-about