Thank you for all the emails and in-box messages of support and concern following the politicians spineless decisions to support a 75% cut to our youth services in Haringey. We were actually expecting it, after all even before the secretary could finish typing the minutes from the Overview & Scrutiny committee meeting where the cut was not recommended the council had already informed the youth workers that their jobs were deleted on Feb 1st 2011 and the full council meeting was just a theatre performance to fool the public in believing that democracy exists.

As we have kept telling the council, we maybe young but we are not dumb. We went to the meeting with a clear strategy [we had two deputations for a start!] and we achieved what we planned to. Publicly they admitted we were not consulted blaming national government time-scales. It was never an option for the council to forgo a proper consultation with us, as it is our legal right to be consulted under section 507B of the Education & Inspections Act 2006. They continued to state that they will be carrying out an impact assessment after they have cut and reshaped, the actual understanding of how this cut will effect our safeguarding has been to their own admittance is a last thought. The statement was diabolically negligent from a council who lets face it has the worst safeguarding history in the UK. But we thank Cllr Reith for the ammunition she provided us, admittingly it surpassed what we hoped we could get.

The only thing we did not expect was Goldberg’s ability to set himself up for a public fall, he showed clearly that he was using the young people of Haringey to fulfil his party’s desires to enhance their national political position. Some could even suggest it proves that the closure of the youth centres is politically motivated to strengthen the case against the equally disgraceful coalition government. Rather than be the shield of our lives he attempted to turn the children of his voters in to his pawns to score political points and that is disgraceful. But again we would like to thank Cllr Goldberg for the own goal he scored.

In a nutshell the meeting went better than we expected and we planned it very well even if we say so ourselves

SHYS, Haringey Youth Council [HYC] and Haringey UK Youth Parliament [HUKYP] have worked together thus far and will continue to do so, we will concentrate our efforts now to challenge this decision and further actions they take. Let us assure you even if the doors of our youth centres close and our much loved youth workers are gone to help other young people who are lucky to live in a borough where their politicians actually care for their youth population, we will continue our fight to our right of a properly funded and [given the much exposed actions of the current head of youth service] properly managed youth service.

If the politicians hoped that now they made this decision we would go away, they are very wrong. We have caused the politicians of Haringey much embarrassment during our exposure of their constant dismissal of our legal rights and our fears for the safeguarding to our welfare. Now we formally know their intentions we can no longer be silenced by their empty promises and the public shame will not only continue it will increase.