Tottenham Liberal Democrats

David with Harringay Ward colleagues Karen Alexander and Chris Ford. By serving both in Parliament and on Haringey Council, David hopes to represent Tottenham as effectively as possible and to bring to an end Labour's failure to take account of the impact of government legislation on the local community. The fiasco of Labour's laws on gambling must never be repeated.

VISIT OUR HARRINGAY WARD SITE

Our Manifesto Commitments for Haringey Borough

• Putting child protection first.
• Making Haringey safer and cleaner.
• Giving more power to residents.
• Spending money well.
• Action on the environment.
• Creating a fairer Haringey.

Download a copy here

Councillor Karen Alexander

I was born and brought up in Upminster, Essex, where I lived until 1986, the year I met my husband - Mark. We first moved to Hackney, and then in 1996 moved to the Harringay Ladder. From the moment I moved to London I loved it, and having spent over half my life here I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. No where else offers the cultural, racial, social and ethnic diversity of London and this is especially true of Harringay.

As a borough it has so much to offer - lots of lovely green spaces, historical buildings (such as the wonderful Alexandra Palace) and lovely restaurants. It is a place that is rich in culture and history. The pride of standing in front of Alexandra Palace on a sunny day and looking at the city in the distance can't be underestimated - it is just the most fantastic feeling.

I thought this from the moment I moved here but as time moved on I realised that it could be so much better. Complaining about things wasn't realistically going to achieve anything, so in 2005 I decided to run for Haringey Council.

In the months that followed, David Schmitz and I took on the daunting task of winning Lib Dem seats in a Harringay ward for years dominated by the Labour party. It was a massive challenge but in May 2006 we won two libdem seats here. Unfortunately David wasn't one of them but my ward colleague, Carolyn Baker and I have worked tirelessly, with David, and more recently Chris Ford, at our side, to make Harringay a better place for all of us.

A little bit more about me. I am married and have two young children. I work for two days per week for a law firm in the city. I am a keen photographer and I enjoy history, especially local history. I am energetic, enthusiastic and will continue to work tirelessly for the ward. Indeed, as a resident myself I of course have a vested interest in making it the most fantastic place to live - a place where people want to move to and more importantly, a place where people want to stay. Living here on the Ladder means that I know exactly what issues we face in our ward.

During the past four years as a council member I have sat on the Planning Committee and was opposition lead member on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee last year. I currently sit on the General Purposes Committee and Corporate Parenting Committee and manage local authority school governor recruitment for the Libdems. At a ward level I am a member of the Green Lanes Strategy Group and the Police Ward Panel. I also regularly attend the Ladder Community Safety Partnership.

In addition to my council commitments I am also on the temporary governing board for the new school in Wood Green, Heartlands High School.

Chris Ford

I have lived in Haringey my whole life; firstly in Tottenham, and then Stroud Green where I spent most of my childhood. Since leaving my family home I have lived in St. Ann's, and now live on the Harringay Ladder where I have been for three years. In 2008 I graduated from UCL with a degree in Politics with East European Studies. I have since worked for the BBC, a political think tank (The Gulf Centre for Strategic Studies), and a window manufacturing firm in Leytonstone. In recent years I have also worked in the Beaconsfield Pub (Green Lanes), and as stage crew at the Royal Albert Hall. Finding full-time employment has been difficult since university, but in many ways only working part-time has enabled me to devote more energy to local campaigning through my volunteer work with the local Liberal Democrats. I currently work three days per week for a small accountancy practice, and volunteer three days per week with the Lib Dems. I also teach guitar voluntarily with our local community group, PHASCA, as well as giving private lessons.

I am putting myself forward as a candidate in Harringay ward because as a genuine local I have an in depth knowledge of the area, a firm grasp of the local issues affecting us all as residents, and a very personal connection with the place I have always called home. I am passionate about Harringay and well positioned to devote more time and effort to council work than many other Councillors can afford.

In terms of my priorities should I be elected, I would highlight the following: specifically, I am determined to work tirelessly with the Council to crack down on HMOs in our ward, and to drive the effective enforcement of laws against litter, fly tipping and irresponsible dog owners. I am also particularly keen to find ways of tackling the high volumes of traffic passing through our ward, and to make much more of our shared open spaces. More generally, I am desperate to reengage people in local politics, especially people of my age group. Being young and far from the traditional 'politician mould', I feel I am well placed to do this. I also want to bring fresh ideas to the table in terms of how Councillors communicate with their electorate, and how residents can communicate with their Councillors - I believe firmly that for Councillors to be truly accountable, they must be easily accessible. Reforming the structure and communication of our Area Assemblies is just one thing I am particularly keen to address.

Finally I want to work towards a greener and more sustainable Harringay. Aside from recycling I save money by using my bike, and I enjoy growing my own fruit & veg. I am keen to encourage residents to recycle more, use their cars less, and make the most of their gardens.

Recreationally I enjoy music - playing guitar, 'cello and singing, gardening, cycling, local history, all things political, art, and not to forget, the mighty Spurs!