Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

Mayor's Question Time at the London Assembly. Always a bundle of fun. I am leading for the LibDem group with a question on Mayor Livingstone's (lack of) success at getting money out of the government. In fact, the transport grant is going down - less money equals no successes by the Mayor!

Sods law (and probably no coincidence) in his update report to the Assembly Livingstone announces that the Government has decided to 'allow' prudential borrowing - and Ken's application for £400m has been granted. Labour's in a hole over transport and trying to dig itself out and through Ken a lifeline.

Obviously Labour's polling is showing that people are fed up so suddenly - Bob's your uncle, it's OK to borrow.

I've long argued that the GLA should have the power to raise money through bonds (prudential borrowing isn't quite that but is a form of it). Given how Gordon Brown has always firmly refused to allow this, I guess it is a sign of Labour's political troubles that he's finally had to relent a bit.

Of course, this totally undermined the thrust of my questionning - but a quick bit of thinking and I ran through the above with the Mayor and reminded him that it was now even more important to make the case for London as the Government in future could simply say - "well you can borrow" and reduce what should rightly be paid for by the Government still further.

I then drifted onto the Mayor's £350million underspend on the tube. I think Ken is misleading the Assembly and I am trying to flush him out on what this is really about. He keeps saying 'it isn't me who is underspending, it's just that the private companies haven't sent in all their bills'.

Not so - there are no bills due. In fact, the service charge on the PPP money is always up front - so that's a bit of a porky.

Ken slithers around on this one - but basically admits that I am right about the money being up front. So I ask him to publish a list of the projects he thinks are in the pipeline and will have to be paid for with price-tag and time-line. He wriggles into 'commercial confidentiality' as a get out of this.

But it's not over yet - my allotted time for questionning runs out (and we have a very rigorous Assembly Chair who is a stickler for timings). But I'll be back!

During question time a group of young people from the Haringey Youth Forum are present to see how London is run. Afterwards I go to Committee Room 9 where the youngsters are having sandwiches and take questions from them. Bright kids, bright questions.

Labels: gordon brown, ken livingstone

First informal meeting of the Stop and Search Scrutiny panel to discuss the first draft of our Met Police Authority report on Stop and Search.

The first draft is a bit adrift (understatement). Everyone agreed it was strong and hard hitting with good recommendations - but the structure was appalling, the referencing non-existent, the context entirely missing, the statistics not up-to-date and there was a lot of academic sociological waffle about the issue.

So - a fair bit needing to be done to knock the report into shape. However well it is then put together, there will still be ructions as the basic tenet and thrust is still pretty critical - hopefully constructively so.

PS Emerge from lift on 7th floor of City Hall. The London Assembly member who I didn't name earlier in my blog when describing them as someone 'who could talk for Britain' at an Assembly press lunch, was entering the lift as I emerged. I think they may have twigged - for as I walked away from the lift the word 'cow' emanated from said member's lips.

To Haringey for a Full Council meeting. For reasons that are unclear to me it was a very good humoured meeting. Not a common experience in the chamber where the usual sport is shouting at me individually or the LibDems collectively for daring to exist - let alone having the temerity to challenge the status quo.

By the time we got to council motions the public (there were none this time) and the media had long left. So only council members were left to pontificate amongst themselves on the local MP's failure to vote against top-up fees, despite much previous media coverage of her 'rebellion'.

More seriously, my concern is the number of Haringey's young people who will now not go on to a university education because of debts they will incur. Whilst the government may argue that future graduates will pay back their debts out of their very high and advantaged earnings, many will find that if they go to worthy but lower-paid jobs, like teaching or working for voluntary organisations, they will have to pay back an extortionate tax rate out of very low income.

Meeting with Haringey Council's traffic officer about various issues, key amongst which are speeding on Muswell Hill and Priory Road.

Have been nagging for speed restrictions on this lethal hill for years. Sum total of Labour's response to date have been speed signs saying 30mph. From the five accidents at the bottom of the hill in the last few months I would say that Labour's response is inadequate (understatement).

However, on the back of this spate of accidents I've been tackling them again. Labour have now conceded bollards to protect pedestrians from vehicles mounting the pavement on narrow strip at bottom of hill and the officer agreed to apply to the London Safety Camera Partnership to try and get funding for a speed camera.

I have a meeting with the Labour Executive member in the next couple of weeks to plead the case further.

On a crossing for Priory Road - I am offered signs and road markings. I suppose it's better than nothing, but suggest given the expected increase in traffic that will be generated by a new superstore development further down the road, that we might squeeze funding out of the developer for said crossing to deal with said traffic increase. He agrees to put that forward too!

Meet Simon Hughes to go to Brighton to see the only bus company that runs completely on Global Positioning System. So many people complain about buses bunching together and Countdown (the system at many bus stops which tells you how many minutes - in theory! - to the next bus) not working, I have persuaded Simon that GPS is the way forward in London.

GPS tracks the passage of buses accurately and transmits the information to electronic signs at each bus stop in real time - so you know exactly how long before the next bus comes. This is much better than Countdown which only takes snapshots of where buses are - and can even "lose" them from the system.

Sitting on the train for an hour, Simon, clearly impressed by my recently 'blog' success, tells me he has commenced one of his own. However, being Simon, a local supporter has offered to do the donkey work for him. He telephones her from mobile and spends most of journey dictating his life over last few days.

First Mayoral candidate to have a 'blog'. Where I lead - Simon
follows!

However, I think he needs to edit a bit more, otherwise the poor woman will be typing until kingdom come.

Labels: simon hughes

The meeting is billed as the big show-down with three contentious items on agenda, I feel in murderous mood. Have had enough shenanigans from colleagues in other parties and witnesses alike. Time to get tough.

First up - motorbikes versus cycles in bus lanes. I know - it doesn't appear that sexy or contentious - but the vitriol that has been flying through my email box as the contenders have rowed over recent months has ended up here in my 'courtroom'.

Transport for London have been running a pilot along three radial routes in London allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes. To cut a long story short - and no surprise - the motorbike lobby want this to become forever and the cycle lobby more or less say over their dead bodies! Which appear to be the point - they believe they will be injured by motorbikes. The trial so far doesn't bear this out.

The disagreements were plain to see - but that was all that was plain. The only clear evidence emerging from the session was that nothing was clear at all. And it will be a real tough call as to where to go with this one. Meanwhile the trial is extended so Transport for London can collect more data.

Contentious item number two was the London Transport Users Committee business plan and budget. We have had problems - us and LTUC. Read earlier blogs for more detail. Suffice to say they turned up mob-handed to support their chair and chief exec. Not necessary. I asked LTUC to come back with comments within a month.

That was fine in the end. Though John Biggs (my Labour vice-chair) did say he would behave today - having previously caused ructions by being outrageously rude to them at a previous committee meeting. He behaved like an angel today! Well that's John. We heard later - don't know if it was true - that the chair of LTUC had brought six other members just to witness John Biggs appalling behaviour. Disappointment all round then!

And the last item which could have wreaked havoc - was getting the congestion charging report through committee. The Tories had already made it quite clear they would vote against it. Labour had been messing about for two months trying to find fault and were down to five minor amendments to the text.

It looked like it would fall or have to come back yet again, when I thought 'sod it' put the amendments (well the three I didn't mind) to the meeting, they got passed - we then passed the report as amended and Bob's your uncle. All done and dusted. Hurrah!

Went to Cranley Dene for an 'estate visit'. Cranley Dene is a sheltered housing development in my own ward of Muswell Hill. I go into the 'lounge' where a group of elderly residents are gathered to meet the estates manager and myself.

I love these visits. And was really happy that the new warden and the new estates manager both seem excellent. The previous ones were both pretty useless and seemed to do very little. When you go and meet people like this, it really brings it home to you how dependent older people are on the staff who are charged with their well-being.

There were a number of issues around security - none of the window catches work properly at ground floor level - and some of them are truly terrified as lots of strangers wander in off the street to the little garden at the back and they have had a number of intruders. One very elderly lady was clearly petrified and couldn't sleep.

So the key things to make sure happen are to get new window catches, evict a squatter from one of the flats and see if we can get CCTV to cover the back area.

One of the residents told me he had been rung by the Tories (there is a by-election on in Muswell Hill at the moment) and asked if they could rely on his vote. He said that he told them where to go - given he hadn't heard from them since the last election and that the LibDems were around all the time.

Older people are just older - nothing wrong with those marbles I can tell you!

Journey intrepidly to Orpington Methodist Church to address the Liberal Democrat Youth & Students conference.

It's the first time I've been invited to one of their events. Display my 'youth' credentials by regaling them with
tales of my street cred, In the 70s I marched against 'Maggie Thatcher - Union Snatcher' and threw flour bags at her effigy when (before she was Prime Minister) as Education Secretary she wanted to take away power from student unions. All sadly a very long time ago.

Talk about transport and young people - get so carried away that run out of time and lots of people came to me afterwards with questions.

See my fan club are out in force in letters page of Ham & High! Three vitriolic attacks on me personally and the LibDems collectively. Anyone would think there was a by-election on - and there is.

My campaign manager tells me that the more attacks on me the better it shows I must be doing. Of course, it's not his name in the frame!

High noon with Tube Lines! In reality a working lunch with the Chief Exec of Tube Lines, Terry Morgan. Tube Lines is the private consortium who is contracted to look after the infrastructure on the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines.

Lunching with the enemy - having been a staunch, to put it mildly, opponent of the PPP, I guess the idea was to seduce me in their stylish Headquarters building with its posh conference room with stunning views of the river. Terry gave me a presentation to show me how much they are doing and how well they are doing.

Of course, the PPP companies now have to deliver what's in the contract, so in many ways my real argument is with the Labour government who part-privatised the tube in a way that will deliver almost nothing in terms of relieving overcrowding and in which there is loads of work and profit for the lawyers - particularly in arguing over who is responsible for what.

One bit of new information surfaced of real interest - but it can't go into the public domain - yet!

Plenary session of the Assembly on the GLA's budget. Mayor Ken Livingstone made his report and is set to raise the precept on London by 7.5%. Maybe there will be a rabbit out of hat at last minute - otherwise London will be stung again.

The Lib Dems are proposing a precept of around 2.5%. We leave the budget for policing London untouched - but cut out the Mayor's proposals for extending the congestion charging zone westwards, the West London tram and his very expensive self promotion.

Everyone makes speeches as expected. Lots of bad temper from Toby Harris (Labour) and Eric Ollerenshaw (Tory). For once I don't speak - enough hot air in the chamber in my view!

No surprises. None of the political parties' budget amendments lowering the Mayor's precept get the two thirds majority needed. Needless to say, Labour support the Mayor and therefore his draft budget passes with the support of one third (Labour) of the Assembly. No other forum passes a budget on a minority vote!

Labels: ken livingstone

Meeting with Sir John Stevens, Met Police Commissioner. He suggests that the Muswell Hill police front counter should be open by the summer. I remind him that I have still not had any further info on how the Met is doing following my report and work on its inability to answer non-urgent calls - 40% of police stations did not answer calls. He promises to follow up and arrange a meeting on the work to date.

Labels: muswell hill police station

Mayor's press conference which, not unnaturally, centres on Congestion Charging. He maintains it has been absolutely successful and there are no real problem with business downturn or customer service problems. My own view is that whilst a stunning success on reducing congestion - there are still a few question marks.

Firstly, the charging regime is very punitive. This shouldn't be about catching out the honest - but simply charging people who still choose or even need to come into central London by car. 165,000 penalty notices a month are being issued. No way are all of them trying to dodge the charge. Casual users often simply forget and by the time they remember they are
whacked a huge penalty charge. I am suggesting that instead of penalties kicking in by 10pm on the day people should be allowed a further 24 hours in which to redeem themselves.

I want people to pay the charge - but it should be easy and not simply nab them for being human. Traffic measures should be about controlling bad behaviour, rewarding good behaviour and targeting the purposely dishonest.

Secondly, I don't think that one year of a scheme this huge and this new is enough to be confident of the social, financial and business impacts of the scheme. That needs more time, more assessment and more analysis before moving onto other areas.

And thirdly, while the scheme isn't there to raise money, the original projections of net income by Transport for London put the revenue stream at around £200 million net of penalty notices. In reality this is around £18 million. That throws a huge question mark over Transport for London's ability to project the economics of transport schemes - which is worrying to put it mildly given the number of other transport schemes in the pipeline.

Transport Chair's Briefing today. Nothing but storm clouds on the horizon for committee business between here and the election. The Committee's report on Congestion Charging has run into political difficulties. The Tories won't sign up to it because it is not critical enough of the Mayor's scheme and Labour may not because it is too critical. Strikes me then, that the balance is just right! There are only minor amendments still wanted by Labour - so hopefully will sort by time of meeting next Monday.

As for the report on LTUC (London Transport Users Committee) which is aimed at bringing them into the modern management framework - they are not happy. Many complaints and meetings and lobbying going on. The report simply asks the Transport Committee to agree the report and that it be sent to LTUC for response within a month. Change is always a challenge.

But given that LTUC has as many staff and as much money as London Government itself has for all its scrutiny work, we do have to find a way of making it accountable in a way it has not been used to before.

Post arrives - casework, documents - but sadly - no valentines!

Meet with woman from Finsbury Park Trust who read of my efforts to clean up Harringay station and contacted me offering to install some rubbish bins.

Fantastic woman. We agree on four new bins - which should help people to behave better. Notice that the new fencing I asked for from Network Rail has now been built - it is excellent.

However, they have still failed to clear the dumped rubbish behind fence. Will have another meeting with Network Rail to push them again on this. It was contracted to Jarvis originally - need I say more? I also see, that despite promises following meeting with WAGN to sweep bridge every day, they clearly haven't done it.

Lifelong job to get them to do it properly I reckon.

Fabby news! I am a runner-up in the Guardian political blogger of the year competition - voted on by you the public!

I have attained genuine geek status (and risen in the eyes of my daughter for having a write up in On-Line section of the Guardian the week before as having fab website too).

Of course, the irony is that the techno side is still a complete mystery to me. I write my blog and email it to my web-master who does the business.

My blog is a kind of stream of consciousness. The Guardian write up of my award said it was 'Down to earth and humorous'!!

I am thrilled though - genuinely. I love writing and I love the very personal engagement it allows to people into my life. I just do it - but it takes on a life of its own out there in cyberland. (A special hello to my reader in Mexico!).

Dash off to Performance, Planning and Review Committee at the MPA - the fun never stops.

The big hoo-ha and the reason for all the cameras and the media interest is a report which reveals that police response times to 999 calls has worsened as has peoples' satisfaction with the action they take when they do come.

Moreover, the tables at the back of the report which show performance on 999 calls by borough and indicate that if you live in wealthy Westminster the police will arrive much more quickly than if you live in the poorer areas like Newham or Hounslow. Post-code policing again! It makes the evening news.

Point is - the Met and I have been fighting for the last four years on this and despite all the extra resources going into the police performance is still worsening. London has a right to expect an emergency response to be there quickly, for the officers to know what they are doing when they arrive and for there to be equal (barring traffic conditions) treatment across London.

So question raised - unanswered by the Met officers at meeting. They are requested to bring forward a report to next meeting explaining their poor performance.

Behind the scenes I am told that the Met tried to get the paper withdrawn.

Labels: mpa

Chair of the Met Police Authority, Toby Harris's annual visit to Haringey Borough today. Trumpets please!

I attend this as a Haringey councillor. Despite living in Haringey, Toby has continually rejected my pleas to be the link MPA member for Haringey - although almost all other members of the MPA are given their own patch to work on. Why not me? Answer - I'm not Labour!

Not sure what these meetings actually achieve, but they do bring together the crime and policing partners in the borough and give a small opportunity to raise issues.

Leave meeting at appropriate time to meet car from BBC - BBC London had telephoned me desperate to get me onto lunchtime news regarding falling standards in police response.

No car there. Switch on mobile to find they have decided to take senior police officer rather than me. Just the way news it - but will be coming with cameras to afternoon meeting.

Call in from Andrew Clark of the Guardian re congestion charging. It's coming up to one year since implementation and there will be a lot of media review over the next week. He asks what I would improve. The main thing would be allowing 24 hours to pay after 7pm on day of entry. Lots of honest people get caught by this and with such high penalty charges have no chance to rectify omission or forgetfulness. It's a great scheme - but still relatively customer hostile.

Labels: mpa

Off to Bowes Park Community Association meeting. First steps into new territory for me. Very glad to have been invited into what has been a Labour stronghold until now.

It's a very successful association representing around 350 local people - really active and able in terms of getting funding and improving the local area. Bowes Park station is a big issue for them. I have been working on getting it sorted and have succeeded so far in at least getting new perimeter fencing but it still filthy with dumped rubbish. Also nearby is Myddleton Road - which judging from the residents' survey I carried out last year is a nightmare in terms of rubbish, filth and illegal housing; needs daily cleaning really.

I agree to work my end at the GLA on crime issues and continue with my work on station. Very committed group. Look forward to working with them.

My transport scrutiny officers at the GLA send me an urgent email about the London Transport Users' Committee.

Apparently they are furious that we are issuing a report which suggests they should have a proper business plan, a clear budget and a look at their size. Coming from a background of not having to be accountable, they are now struggling with idea that they are accountable to the Assembly and that the very large budget they operate has to be structured in a way that has been alien to them.

They threaten to complain to the Chief Exec of the GLA because, although they get the report a few days before it goes public on the web, they want to be consulted. I did say I was willing to meet them - but not to change the report. Offer them the opportunity to place a written statement before committee on 23rd.

Health Committee at the GLA. Together with the Association of London Government, we are holding a pan-London scrutiny of the Ambulance Service.

Today was meant to be listening to the 'patients' voice'. Sadly - we barely heard it. Don't know if it was a cock-up or what - but the main witness was the chair of the newly convened Ambulance Patient Forum and the questions were all to do with structure.

It was glaringly obvious that this new body hasn't yet sorted itself out at all to think strategically about how it can represent patients - and moreover has no resource to do so even when it has. Their first four areas they wish to look at are all but one areas already looked at by everyone: 999 calls and so on.

At the same time, there were reps there from Age Concern and others who made it really clear that the most vital area for flagging up is the way patients are transported to hospital and the complete and utter mess this is in and that it needs sorting. Patients who need transport services sometimes have to wait hours to get to hospital and often miss their appointments because of poor arrangements.

I think patients will be in trouble if the new body continues not to listen to the patients it is set up to represent.

Go to Cholmeley Crescent Neighbourhood Watch to talk about my work on the Met Police Authority and local crime issues. It's a model of perfection where the individuals involved are really good citizens and nice people. Yes - the problems in Highgate don't rate on the Richter scale vis a vis Tottenham - but their problems also need addressing.

Local beat officer Martin Rogerson is there to present local crime statistics and what he is up to. What a star. Single-handed (and sadly in Highgate there is only one) he has through his local knowledge targeted known perpetrators (mostly of car crime) and had staggering reductions of 40% of this and 70% of that.

Glad to see that what I have always banged on about is actually bring home the bacon in real results when tried out. Local knowledge is the best intelligence you can have. At least Sir John Stevens (Met Police Commissioner) has got the message on this and put in motion 'Step Change' - a program of local policing which will see six police personnel (mixture of police officers and Community Support Officers) tied to a ward and ringfenced.

This is now being tested in three wards per borough across London. Great idea! Know it will work - but sadly no foreseeable budget to roll it out across London unless Gordon Brown can be persuaded to loosen his grip on the purse strings! Fat chance.

Labels: crime

Dash to 'media' lunch put on by Assembly Press desk. The purpose of this series of media lunches is to bring in the media a few at a time, put them at a fab table in London's Living Room at City Hall (panoramic views of London) and give them a good lunch with a few of us Assembly Members.

As we near the end of first term of office at London Government the Assembly Press desk feels we need to up raise our profile so that people get to realise there is an Assembly as well as a Mayor. It's a tough challenge!

Today it was ethnic minority media. You are always stuck with who you sit next to at these things. Happily for me, on my left, was the owner of Choice and XFM who was bright and lively - which makes for a pleasant exercise in public relations. Unluckily for him, and I won't name them, on his left was an Assembly member who can talk for Britain. I saw his eyes glaze over quite early on. Still - there's no such thing as a free lunch!

Off campaigning in the Muswell Hill by-election later in the day. Seems beyond cruelty to have had to spend January out knocking on doors in Stroud Green (albeit mitigated by landslide victory taking a Labour seat with a 30% swing to us!) in the cold and the snow - and to go straight into another month out on the knock!

Delivering leaflets with Laura Edge (victor of said Stroud Green) in glorious weather. We bump into two fire fighters by Hornsey Fire Station who come over to chat and wish us well. Have a long chat about the modernisation of the fire service as I am on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. They were excellent and really up for the changes that are coming in the fire service. The future is not so much about just fighting fires, but prevention and working with the community for better fire safety. Much better way forward.

Finish last leaflet as downpour arrives.

Labels: laura edge

A building has fallen down in Queens Avenue, Muswell Hill: Queen's Lodge, a beautiful old building which has had application after planning application in on it. On Thursday one side of it collapsed. LibDem Cllr Steve Gilbert sought assurances from Haringey Council that is was safe. On Friday more fell down. I turned up this morning to meet residents to examine the ruins.

Absolutely staggered as I walk along alleyway at the back to find that only the facade was being retained and that the developers have excavated a vast tract of land at the back. I'm not surprised it collapsed - there was almost nothing left to retain it.

This is serious stuff - and I will call for a full investigation on Monday. Someone is gravely at fault - whether the developer, building inspector, safety officers, council or what! This hasn't happened through misfortune or unexpectedly high water table or any of the usual excuses as far as I can see - questions have to be answered.

Labels: planning issues

Rare excursion to Highgate Art Gallery for 'drinks'. Two of our local Lib Dem members whose daughter has had an exhibition on had invited me.

I used to love art galleries and art when I had time to go - so I made effort to turn up. Really glad I did. Reminded me of life gone by and I met Chris Hindley who was my doctor through my childhood into twenties. He was instrumental in getting Jacksons Lane Community Centre going and still practises, but now works in the borough of Hackney.

Labels: jacksons lane community centre

Transport Committee this morning, continuing our look at road humps. There has been much ill-temper was between the ambulance service and boroughs. The ambulance service claim that 500 lives might be being lost because road humps slow ambulances down - but this is somewhat undermined by evidence from boroughs that ambulance personnel have never turned up to the consultations on local road safety schemes.

Urgent email from Chair of Ambulance service in my in-box saying that was not true - and if it was true - they only didn't turn up because it wasn't worth while as the boroughs never took a blind bit of notice of their concerns.

Then the boroughs say that the ambulance service object to all humps and that a blanket view prohibits real consultation...

And so it goes.

And the other parties are playing silly buggers on all fronts as we move towards the June elections for the Mayor/GLA and MEPs. They won't
agree to the polling I want to do to find evidence on what people living near road humps experience - mainly in my view in case I get any publicity out of it. Heaven forbid.

Nothing will be easy in committee until after the elections now.

It was a glittering occasion. Held in Bloomberg's office space, I was nervous about being on 'Transport Question Time'. Steer Davies Gleave
(transport consultants) were having a bit of a bash to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

I am nervous because very high-flying transport expert panel of big-wigs (amongst whom I feel like a little wig) and even worse - an expert audience who will all know more than I do. And to cap it all, it was to be chaired by Jon Snow (Channel 4 news). Good practice though, if I ever get to be on Question Time proper!

Arrived 20 minutes early, so waited in reception. Like a movie set. Totally surreal. Bloombergs clearly have money to burn (perhaps that's why he's Mayor of New York). No expense spared on lavish (if tasteless) interiors. Multi-media screens sunk into every orifice - pillars, seats,
desks and free hanging - blaring out the stock market results and corporate messages. I would go insane if I worked in that environment.

Downstairs to reception. Champagne and very up-market canapes flowed. Decide that I will just have one drink before Question Time starts. Sadly, Jon Snow is running late from the 7 o'clock news and so we are almost three-quarters of an hour late getting started - allowing for two more drinks! Dutch courage.

I bumped into Derek Turner - he who introduced Congestion Charging and was 'sacked' by the Mayor the following day. The full story has still not come out on that...

The guests pile into the audience seats and so we begin. In reality, the questions were pretty straight forward: on Congestion Charging, the dreadful state of the railways, funding challenges and so on. Steve Norris was not as 'up' as usual. David Begg (Commissioner of Integrated
Transport) is always good value and witty. Stephen Joseph of Transport 2000 is intelligent and right-minded. John Steel QC (had never met before) but put up a good show and Brian Souter (rarely seen) was extremely funny.

Chaired Transport Energy seminar at City Hall this morning.

I'm very keen on this stuff - travel planning, fleet energy conservation, individualised journey planning. I know it's not sexy like the boys toys - you know Crossrail and the macho game of 'who's got the biggest airport' - but it is the way forward in terms of changing travel behaviour.

Steve Norris is the keynote speaker. He spends the first part of our conversation clearly thinking I am a Labour member of the Assembly. Is it me or is it him? Him, I think!

Discover this morning that this blog has been shortlisted for blog of the year by the Guardian.

(By the way - in the interests of public information of course - details are at the Guardian website and voting closes on Monday 9 February).

Chair's briefing - this is my weekly meeting with Transport Scrutiny officers at the Assembly to plan work program, discuss content of sessions, etc.

Tim O'Toole (TfL's Director of London Underground - sharp American lawyer) has agreed a date to come to Transport Committee to update us on the tube situation. And there's quite a list to update - three disasters, poor performance and why Central Line trains may have to go! (My interpretation of what's happening - nothing they will admit to).

That having been said, I like Tim. He is one smart cookie.

We share a life experience that few do.

A little known incident last year is that I fell down the gap at Embankment tube on the Northern Line. I had always wondered if I could really scream. That day I found out I could. I had been running for a tube train and leapt on board - only to have the doors shut on me. When they reopened I stepped back off the train into the gap. My papers fell into the train, the passengers standing in the doorway space looked horrified, my bag fell on the platform - and I fell down the gap.

My whole life didn't pass before me - but I did think quickly and made sure that I threw my arms across the doorway so the doors couldn't close. If the train had moved out I would have been a goner. The guard hauled me out in a flash. (There is one stationed by that gap permanently) and sat me down, gave me water, took my details, etc. Then I went home. Much bruised and battered - but fine.

In telling Tim about this incident he confided in me that a similar thing had happened to him in Chicago. It was an outside train sitting in the station on an icy winter day. The platform was extremely icy and he slipped and slid over the edge of the platform, just by a set of the trains wheels. Half his torso was thus on the platform and the other hanging over the edge. The whistle blew and the train was just moving off when passengers walking by on the platform dragged him clear.

Stays with you a bit - an experience like that.

Labels: tim o'toole

Debriefing and campaign meeting following Stroud Green by-election success. Lessons to be learned - buy mountain climbing shoes for next time we have a by-election on a day (the only day) where ward is covered in ice and snow and on nothing but hills!