Lynne Featherstone

Fabulous piece on Chris Huhne in The Guardian. Just wish every member of the party will see it.

I am going to the launch of Chris’s manifesto today at Greenworks – a fantastic social enterprise business near Hanger Lane where they get the old furniture off of big corporations like Barclays and then sell it really cheaply to deserving others (charities, schools, etc). They recycle everything and refashion it into new furniture. Moreover – they employ the deeply underprivileged and long-term unemployed – giving them new skill sets etc. And moreover – they make a profit, so this is a real long-term and sustainable operation.

It is so heartening to see a company like this as so often you get the feeling that companies that do good are worthy – but unprofitable. Greenworks proves that there are jobs and profit and right-on thinking all combined.

On route – get phone call from the press adviser to the campaign that Chris is fogbound at Aberystwyth where he had gone for Question Time. Now in car – but not likely to make the 11am start. Will arrive at around 1pm. The plan therefore is for me to do the tour of Greenworks and then David Howarth and I will conduct a ‘seminar’ on the manifesto until Chris comes. And thus it was. Actually we had a really interesting discussion about the manifesto issues and all really enjoyed it – despite the freezing temperature in a room with virtually no heating (saving energy)! I had to leave just before Chris arrived as I had surgery back in Wood Green Library – but I hear it went well.