Haringey Council on the brink as auditors refuse to sign off accounts

By Cllr Richard Wilson | Fri 28th September 2012 - 6:48 pm

Labour-run Haringey Council is in danger of breaching the legal deadline for having its accounts signed off by its auditors after a series a multi-million pound errors were found in the accounts. Today is the last working day before the legal deadline for auditor approval of 30th September

The debacle was revealed at last night’s Corporate Committee meeting where the Labour chair of the committee described the situation as “very regrettable”. However Labour’s Cabinet Member for Finance Joe Goldberg failed to turn up – leaving council officers to face the music and apologise. The errors have already cost Haringey Council dearly, with the all the extra audit work needed costing taxpayers up to £45,000 more in audit fees.

This the latest in a string of calamities to hit Haringey, which has lurched from crisis to crisis in recent years. Earlier this year the deputy leader quit, followed by the sudden and unexplained departure of the Chief Executive who had only been in place two years. Haringey Council currently has no interim Chief Executive and until last week the chief financial officer was on long-term unpaid leave.

Haringey’s hard pressed council taxpayers are left wondering yet again who is looking after their money – and will anyone ever be held accountable for these errors? The Liberal Democrat Group will do our best to stand up for residents and make sure this mess is cleared up.

* Richard Wilson is Leader of the Opposition in Haringey.

3 Comments

Richard Dean 29th Sep '12 - 12:32am

It looks to me like the fraud squad ought to have been called in long ago.

Anyway, what are the options now? What might happen in the next few days or weeks, and how can events be managed in ways that lead to satisfactory outcomes for all, and particularly for the people of Haringey?
Joe Goldberg 29th Sep '12 - 8:54am

Hate to break the bubble, but to answer Richard Dean “What might happen in the next few days or weeks?” my guess is the earth-shattering event of the accounts will be signed off by the auditors. Oh they were yesterday.
Mike C 29th Sep '12 - 9:27am

Sadly in a democracy people will make bad choices in the exercise of their right to vote. The inevitable outcome is toxic councils of which there are more than just one in the UK. I would suggest that voter apathy is one reason for this and therefore should we be looking at a compulsory ballot and fines forelectors who do not vote (Australian style) ?