Lynne Featherstone

In the evening - go to a mobile phone mast protest meeting. Barbara Roche (incumbent Labour MP) and I have both been invited to speak - and the residents are out in number. Yet another mast application - this time in Palace Gates Road – and, yet again, residents feel they are not having a fair change to have their say.

The answer is to change the law – it was under the last Conservative government that mobile phone companies were given the ability to put up many of their masts with only minimal control.

Although Labour MPs (like our one here!) like popping up and backing protests against particular masts – Labour still haven't changed the law to ensure all applications have to go through a proper application procedure. I believe local authorities should have the power to block mobile phone masts on the grounds of the "precautionary principle", where that's appropriate.

That's the only real solution – there's no point backing protesters if you're not going to back changing the law to give them a fair say. The Lib Dems proposed in Parliament changing the law – but sadly didn't get support from the other parties. Something to return to after the election!

We all agree to work with residents to fight this application - and an action committee is formed. One woman says to Barbara that she keeps seeing her at meetings but what does she actually do about it? I couldn't possibly comment!