Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

Virtually no sleep last night. Worked very late to finish everything for Chris Huhne's launch today. At the launch a barrage of cameras greeted us as we came down the stairs in pre-arranged grouping. I introduced Chris - but forgot a bit (a Friday 13th moment)! C'est la vie.

Chris was damned impressive. Absolutely spot on, authoritative and driving. Obvious lines of attack in questions like - 'as a new MP you don't have the experience'. Chris blew that one out of the water with 'six years in parliament in Europe – making two more in total than the new Tory Leader'. Personally I think it is a plus if someone hasn’t been completely immersed in the customs and practises of Westminster. Time the real world entered the doors. And there is plenty of experience around him - the launch was liberally sprinkled with members of the other place.

So hopefully we are off to a flying start - with Chris's betting odds dropping from an original 300-1 to around 7-1 at close of play today.

After stopping for a breather with my co-chair of the Campaign, Sandra Gidley MP, I zoomed back to Haringey Civic Centre for the second of two scrutiny meetings on mobile phone masts. God knows how many hours residents, parents, councillors, officers, government staff and the mobile phone company public relations officers have spent in the last few years running round in circles.

The Government guidelines to councils are not worth the paper they are written on and the '10 commitments' by the phone companies deliver nothing as far as I can see but an industry of spin. I hope Haringey Council's scrutiny recommends proper legislative action from Government. Can't help but remember though that the Government did get a windfall payment of many billions from licensing. Still suspect they feel that makes it impossible to move into any serious restriction of masts or their sitting.

Grab post as fly past my constituency office as have to get home to a landline to do a 20 minute live radio show - Premier Radio - which is a Christian radio broadcaster. There was me, the show's host and the Chair of the LibDem Christian forum, Martin. We roamed across all four leadership candidates - and it was a very positive discussion.

Labels: chris huhne