A prominent member of the Highgate Society and a long-running Alexandra Palace campaigner are bidding to become Liberal Democrat councillors for Highgate in May’s local elections.

Haringey Lib Dems have selected society member Liz Morris, 45, and campaigner Clive Carter, 58, as candidates to replace outgoing Highgate councillors Rachel Allison and Neil Williams, who have decided to step down in May.

Cllr Allison, who has served Highgate as a ward councillor for six years, said: “I’ve really enjoyed all the casework and getting to know so many more people in Highgate but have found Haringey politics to be utterly infuriating.

“I’d like to see all councillors of whatever party working together for the good of residents rather than attempting to make political capital out of every single issue, no matter how trivial, though there are notable exceptions on both sides of the political divide.”

Incumbent Highgate councillor, Lib Dem Bob Hare, will stand again in May, joining the two new faces.

Ms Morris, of Southwood Lane, Highgate, has been an active campaigner for the Highgate Society for almost a decade.

The mother-of-two, whose children go to school locally, said: “I’ve done so much work locally already and hopefully residents have seen how committed I am to Highgate and how much I love it.”

She added: “I have already been able to improve Highgate and I would very much like to continue that work on the council.”

Mr Carter, who lives in Stapleton Hall Road, Stroud Green, has been a passionate campaigner on a variety of local issues over the years, most notably on the preservation and recognition of Alexandra Palace.

He regularly cycles from his Stroud Green home to Highgate and says he has very good knowledge of the ward.

“I’ve come to know it quite well,” he said. “Over the last nine months, I think I’ve walked along almost every street in Highgate ward.”

He added: “A long time ago and in a land far, far away, I did a degree in political science so I have a particular background.

“I’ve lived in the borough for 27 years and I have been a member of the Liberal Democrat Party for many years.”

Almost two-thirds of current Liberal Democrat councillors in Haringey are stepping down in May’s elections, including two former leaders of the party locally.

Last week, 12 of the 21 Lib Dem councillors representing Haringey confirmed they would not be standing.

They included Neil Williams and Hornsey councillor Robert Gorrie, who are both former local leaders.

It marks a sharp rise in the proportion of Lib Dem councillors stepping down compared with the 2010 elections. Then, 40 per cent of Haringey’s Lib Dem group chose not to seek re-election.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Richard Wilson, who is re-standing in Stroud Green, played down the exodus of serving councillors and said the party would be fielding a full slate of candidates across Haringey in May.

He said: “Four years is quite a long time to do any job so it’s not surprising some of them have decided to step down.

“Every four years we have a good number of councillors stand down because of family and other commitments.”