Haringey Green Party have confirmed Tom Davidson, experienced community figure and ex-Labour councillor, as the Green candidate in the Woodside by-election, to take place on Thursday 2nd October to fill the vacancy on Haringey Council.
Tom works as a barrister specialising in criminal defence. He was a Labour councillor in Wood Green for 12 years, and a member of the Labour Party until 2013. He is currently a Governor of Blanche Nevile School, on the Board of Hornsey Housing Trust, and a Trustee of Muswell Hill Community Centre. After years of increasing unhappiness with Labour’s policies, he examined Green Party policies. He found them “more progressive than Labour’s have been for a long time”, and promptly joined the Green Party. As a councillor, he worked successfully with Community, Residents’ and Tenants’ groups to get the Council to set up a pocket-park in Myddleton Road, and get new equipment installed in a local playground. He also lobbied successfully for road safety measures in his ward, and voted in favour of traffic calming measures. He was Chair of Haringey Council’s Planning Committee for 6 years.
There was almost nothing in it – only a dozen votes – between the Greens and the Lib Dems for second place to Labour in this ward in the local elections this May, with the Tories some way further back.
Tom Davidson said: “Labour already hold 47 of the 56 seats on Haringey Council – how much difference would a 48th Haringey Labour councillor make? In contrast, as Haringey’s first Green councillor I would make a real difference. I would be an independent voice holding the larger parties to account, questioning their ways of doing business, challenging the austerity and cuts agenda, and putting the interests of real Woodside residents first.”
The detailed local policies of Haringey Green Party can be read at www.haringeygreens.org.uk/policies.