Deputy prime minister attacks Labour’s “reduced funding” for Wood Green Cypriot centre
Cypriot Turkish resident Ayten Halil with the deputy prime miniser
DEPUTY prime minister Nick Clegg led a Liberal Democrat visit to a Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green on Tuesday.
Accompanied by local MP Lynne Featherstone and London MEP Sarah Ludford, Mr Clegg spent half an hour meeting some of the more elderly residents at the centre.
He also spoke to centre board members Hasan Raif, Susie Constantinides, Gökay Uçar and Bambos Charalambous and the director, Chris Stylianou.
Speaking to reporters, he said he was confident of his party’s chances ahead of elections on 22 May.
The deputy prime minister said: “When every penny counts it’s very important we spend every penny wisely. We’re the only party, where we’re in control of the council, delivering a council tax freeze. 45 Conservative councils have put council tax up, and 49 labour councils have put council tax up.
“Where we’re in control we say, you know what, we’re going to look after you. We’re not going to spend your money on gimmicks or vanity projects as Labour and Conservative councils have.”
Nick Clegg was joined by local party leaders and directors from the Cypriot Community Centre
In comments carried by the Haringey Independent, he added: “In Haringey we’re committed to building new homes, bringing in the landlord licence schemes and freezing council tax. We believe in putting in the hard graft to get money into the things people care about.
“The Cypriot centre is a good example of a brilliant community centre, and it’s been around for about thirty years. It raises 80 per cent of its own finances. The council is now paring back the support and grants it gives to the centre, which is wrong.”