I am giving the keynote speech at the Haringey Carers Week Conference. It’s a pleasure and an honour as carers are unsung heroes saving billions by caring for their loved ones and often sacrificing their own lives and careers. I give my speech. Cllr Bob Harris gives his on behalf of Haringey Council Social Services. And then the carers in the audience have the opportunity to ask questions. Well – all the warm words were blown out of the water as each care-worn, exhausted carer explained just how much Haringey Council had promised and how nothing had been delivered. Carers cannot even get assessments and have to wait for months and months – without which they cannot get even a meagre allowance or be eligible for respite etc. And we heard how they cannot get respite without a major fight. And many of them are ill – so worn by the existence.

Bob gets it in the neck – which is quite right as it is Haringey Council who don’t call back and who make these carers struggle to get what should be their support – but he is only in post a few weeks. There is clearly so much going on in each individual’s world that I say after this bit of the conference I will come outside and anyone who wants to can talk to me then. When I get outside there is literally a queue – so I take names, cases and contacts and when I go back to my office I pass the details to my assistant to contact each one to make an appointment to come to see me.

Just before I leave this subject – the day started with theatre. A theatre group did a role-play of a woman carer with no English coming to an appointment with a social worker. Within minutes the social worker is shouting with frustration at the woman. It made it so vivid and all could see that this was not the engagement that carers need.

Later in the afternoon, have an interesting meeting with a guy from Hackney CAB. The issue is the behaviour of bailiffs. Now – no-one is going to be pleased when they come knocking. It’s a bit like traffic wardens – not going to be loved. But the stories mount about intimidation, no prior notification, swearing and inappropriate behaviour. So I wonder – who monitors the standards. What is the recourse a resident has? Who can advise the resident? Who regulates the code of conduct. The security industry has now, or rather is now, becoming regulated and licensed. Doormen and bouncers now have some form of accountability. So – a bit of investigation is called for methinks.

I literally run to Millbank to do a News 24 live interview on sentencing – which as it was 30 minutes before England’s kick off would have had a viewing audience of about five I reckon!

Then sadly I watch the England match against Trinidad and Tobago in my office. I would love to have been able to go home and watch with my kids – but not possible. Parliament is pretty deserted but although business in the Chamber miraculously finishes before 5pm – I am stuck because we are having a drinks with all the Home Affairs journalists at 7pm. At least England won and I go to the drinks happier than I would have been. Interesting talking to various of them. We try and talk about the great matters of principle and policy – and the journos say: sod that, give us real story!

My understanding now – over the speculation that the Government may have over-ruled the police who did not want to go in on the Forrest Gate operation – is that this was not the case. So, although it is very easy to believe the worst of this Government – that is misplaced on this occasion. However, that’s in part the legacy of the non-existent WMD that the Government used as a reason to take us into an illegal war. Your credibility suffers for a long, long time.