Green Crouch End deserves better than this

One of the things that I love about living in Crouch End is the vibrant and active green community. I’ve enjoyed films at the green on the screen nights run by the local transition movement. I enjoyed being involved in the early days of the Budgens roof garden project ‘food from the sky‘. And I’m proud that Haringey council has led the way on taking strong action on climate change by pledging to reduce its emissions by 40% by 2020: the brilliant 40:20 scheme.

The Haringey 40:20 scheme commits to reducing borough wide CO2 emissions by 40% making Haringey a leading borough on tackling climate change.

But one of the things that disappoints me is having a Liberal Democrat MP who is part of the government once dubbed ‘the greenest government ever’ but now led by a man dismissing our key concerns as ‘green crap‘. Lynne Featherstone has let Crouch End residents down by voting with the Conservative led government against putting a 2030 decarbonisation target in the energy bill. We need that target now to give investors the certainty they need to help move Britain towards its low-carbon future. Labour would introduce that target upon winning in 2015. Lynne wants a vote on it in 2016. I know which option I prefer.

Crouch End deserves better than an MP who props up a Prime Minister like David Cameron.

That’s why Crouch Enders should welcome the selection of Catherine West as their candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green. Catherine West has not just spoken about her commitment to the environment, but has also spearheaded initiatives such such as the Bunhill energy centre, which uses excess heat from London Underground to heat homes. Catherine has consistently prioritised the issues that matter – from when she made Islington the first living wage borough to introducing free school meals for all to help tackle inequality.

I love it when voters tell me in Crouch End that they share my passion for the environment. That’s why I’m proud of the work that Haringey is doing on bringing down emissions in the borough. But to really make a difference we need a Labour government. Ed Miliband has pledged to create one million green jobs by 2020 if Labour win in 2015. Ed Balls has promised to give the Green Investment Bank new powers to borrow and invest in renewable energy as well as energy efficiency.

I hope to do more in the coming weeks and months to convince neighbours and friends in Crouch End that to really go green, they need look no further than Labour.

Ed Miliband in Crouch End

One of the most common things that we’ve heard on the doorstep from Crouch End residents in the last few months is that it’s great to see Labour out so often in the area. Crouch End residents must have been over the moon to see the leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband come to the Broadway last weekend.

Ed Miliband speaks in Crouch End

Ed Miliband was there to talk to Crouch End residents about the cost of living crisis. He visited local businesses including Dunn’s Bakery to talk to them about how Labour’s plans for cutting business rates and freezing energy prices would benefit them.

Ed Miliband talks to staff at Dunn’s Bakery

Despite the pouring rain Ed Miliband talked to a big crowd outside of the Town Hall in Crouch End about why he’s standing up to the energy companies. While wholesale prices paid by energy companies have gone up by 1.7% in the last year, the companies have put prices of household energy bills up around 10%. This at a time when wages have been going up much slower than prices across the whole economy.

For 39 of the 40 months since the Lib Dems put the Conservatives in government prices have risen faster than wages

Ed Miliband won’t be in Crouch End every weekend but local Labour candidates Jason, Lourdes and Natan will. Crouch End Labour will working hard to get the message across – as people across the country face hard times Labour has to do all it can to help ease the strain. That’s why Haringey Labour has frozen council tax for another year. But more can be done and will have to be if Labour are to help people through tough times. In the coming weeks and months Haringey Labour will be laying out spending plans and the manifesto for the local elections in May 2014 to show that Labour are standing up for people in tough times.

Ed Miliband poses with Hornsey and Wood Green candidate Catherine West as well as Crouch End Labour council candidates Lourdes, Natan and Jason

Welcome to the Crouch End Labour blog

Welcome to the Crouch End Labour blog. This is a space where our three candidates Jason, Lourdes and Natan can keep you up to date with their campaign. It will also hopefully be a place where you can get in touch with your local Labour team and tell them what more they can do to stand up for people in Crouch End.

The message is simple: Labour is listening and working hard to represent the people of Crouch End.