Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

Surgery at Wood Green - harrowing as ever! Work at constituency office in afternoon - and get further news on the mess in Haringey education with sight of a local Labour leaflet. Labour are in real trouble as several of their council candidates have now started openly campaigning against the official Labour local schools policies.

They have attacked the official schools policy calling it "controversial" and "wrong". They have also warned how Labour's schools policy will only help "a select few". Well - it's still Labour policy and a Labour government who are trying to ram through a diabolical Education Bill at the moment.

We have been pointing out Labour's dreadful policies for a long time. The awful situation is that over 180 children find themselves without an offer of any secondary school place for September – and on top of that over 80 younger kids from Haringey without the offer of any primary school place.

Finishing up day at the office as we break for recess. No - it's not time off! I wish it were - but there is a constituency to look after and articles to write and preparation for the next term - and in all my spare time 'cos there is so much - it's the local elections.

In the evening I join a women's business networking group in Crouch End for a drink. I really enjoyed it - and thought all the women there were absolutely great and doing all sorts of interesting things. What is so wonderful is how many of them just work around having children - starting their own thing and operating from home if necessary. I should know - I did it too!

Also talk to colleagues about our local education plans. You may have seen the latest figures on school class sizes in Haringey – primary class sizes in Haringey are now higher than they were when Blair came to power in 1997. So much for Labour’s promises on education!

It's a busy, busy day. All days are busy - but this is ridiculous. At the Lib Dem Home Affairs Team meeting I give a presentation on police mergers. We have quite a lively discussion. The problem is that the Government is steaming ahead with this lousy, rushed, costly and inappropriate merger program.

Straight into Deputy Prime Minister's Questions. John Prescott stumbled and bumbled his way through (as the boss is in Australia admitting he had made a mistake to pre-announce that he would go - but not when he would go. Gissa date Tony). I admire him in a way. He gave one good answer to the Tories - that he would rather get his words wrong than his policies - unlike them.

And then the ID card debate came back to the floor of the Commons from where it had pinged in the Lords. The Lords Amendment was rejected by the Commons - and was sent immediately back to the Lords. I could see the way this ping-pong was shaping up - that my tightly timed evening commitments were going to be out the window. I was to speak at Policy Exchange on Police Mergers and then rush to Highgate to the Highgate Society to be on a panel speaking on ways to solve the problems of Highgate Village where there are something like 17 estate agents and a Tescos - and our diverse village is in danger. Save our shops! I say.

Anyway - the way the timing goes I can make the Policy Exchange (because it is only two minutes walk from parliament - so can get back if vote is called) but have to pull out of Highgate as the ID cards debate will come back to the Commons around 9pm. I phone my apologies - but was quite annoyed as very much wanted to put in my two pennies worth. I heard from my sister who went that it was very well attended and that Cllr Bob Hare (councillor for Highgate and a LibDem colleague) had put forward lots of fresh ideas and had been very well received.

I had wanted to take on the estate agents. Seems to me that they all want to say they have an office in Highgate (for prestige). And indeed virtually everyone who lives in Highgate will have bought their house through one of them. At present, there is nothing in planning law that allows control of which types of usage (within a range) can be restricted. So there is work to do at the Parliamentary level to get the law changed. We have an EDM about Business Conservation Areas aimed at this type of thing - but I think we need to find another way.

Anyway - legislation takes forever - so whilst we put our thinking caps on about that - I think the estate agents should get together to share premises. I know - shock horror! But the truth is that most punters visit all the estate agents to register with them - so they wouldn't care if they were all in one building (in fact it would make it easier). But even if it were only two to a shop - that would half the number of agents in the village. They could still refer to their 'Highgate Office' and they would half their running costs and overheads - not to mention rent! Of course they won't want to even consider it - but they should. I may write to them to see whether they are willing to all come to a discussion about what can be done.

So - the Police Merger event at Policy Exchange went well - but we were all on the same side. Simon Jenkins was there - always good value. This is one that is going to really hit labour at the elections. It is such a dreadful proposal in its current form. Anyway - finish and run back to parliament for the last ID card debate as it comes back from the Lords once more.

This time the new amendment by the Tories suggests that up until December 2009 you will be able to opt out of having an ID card when you get your new passport. Labour in the Lords have agreed - and now if this passes in the Commons - the Tories having completely caved in, flip-flopped, whatever you want to call their disgraceful u-turn yet again on ID cards - that will be that.

And this is a dreadful amendment - no wonder Labour agreed. All it does is mean that when you get a new passport - until December 2009 - you will be able to opt out of the ID card. But you won’t be able to opt-out of the National Database Register - and that is where the real sinister part is; the card is nothing compared to the register.

And the date - December 2009, does not take you past the last possible date for the next general election. Yet the whole point of the new date being set is to take it beyond the next general election so that the parties can go to the country with their promises, clear in their manifestos, of their policy on ID cards.

So wrong date and the National Register now goes ahead. It really is Big Brother and then some.

Labels: bob hare, id cards, john prescott

Police and Justice Bill - two sessions! Apart from the usual rant about Labour centralising power unto the Home Secretary, the danger of abuse to prisoners by the Government's proposed merger of inspectorates and the appallingly unequal deal we have with America on extradition - the highlight of the day was that little Clause 35 on computer hacking.

Subsequent to my amendment which was intended to have saved innocent IT people being done for hacking - when they were simply (for example) helping people remotely or checking the security and safety of their own systems, the Government realised their error and had put forward an amendment of their own.

I didn't think it was as good - but good enough according to the industry expert advising me. Even so, the whole episode wasn't very satisfactory – the Government should have consulted properly on the details of the measures before putting the Bill through Parliament – as they had been advised to do so.

Rather curiously too, given that this was an IT issue and is about putting people's liberties at risk, I've had very, very little lobbying on the issue. It's not often I wish for more emails in my inbox (!) but I think the online community missed a bit of a trick on this one.

Anyway, in between the sessions the new Evening Standard politico took me off to a Press Gallery lunch. This is where the members of the press invite a guest speaker - today Geoff Hoon, Labour MP and Leader of the House - to speak and answer questions. Each press person invites one MP as their guest - but only the press are allowed to ask questions. Geoff Hoon was very dull. He sort of said he was going to be as he didn't want to find himself or his answers in the media. So I guess he probably achieved his goal.

Labels: geoff hoon

Met with the new Chief Executive of Haringey Council - Ita O'Donovan. I had met her in recent weeks twice at 'events' but this was my first official meeting. She seems very competent and I used the first meeting, as did she, to just iron out the relationship between the Council and myself, have a general chat and raise a couple of serious constituency issues, including my concerns over Hornsey Town Hall.

It's a workday Sunday starting with a Campaign Team meeting and taking of lots of photos for the elections on May 4th. Someone has picked up a Labour leaflet from Hornsey and from Stroud Green. Labour just lie in their leaflets now. I read with interest that we voted against the policing budget. Just complete rubbish. In fact we specifically voted for the police budget. But hey - let's not let truth get in the way of Labour's sleaze. They cheat, lie and take dodgy loans. People on the doorstep are pretty fed up with Labour's duplicity - and lying in their leaflets will just confirm Labour supporters worst fears. Add this to the millions they have thrown away and tried to cover up over their Tech Refresh project - and hopefully Lib Dems will make really substantial gains on May 4 - even to taking the Council!

Work all day on a number of speeches for next week, prep for committee and then out canvassing in Stroud Green with the team there. Seems to be going very well here. Despite the rain - it's really a pleasure to be out and about meeting people and discussing what matters to them.

Lunchtime canvassing in Noel Park. Seems pretty friendly to me. Can't help but notice that the grass has been cut and tended in Vincent Square. Funnily enough - has been overgrown for ever - but just before local elections nicely spruced up!

Am popping into the West Indian Centre to speak at 7pm on the achievements of British Caribbeans - this all working towards next year’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of freedom from slavery. No on is there yet when I arrive except the steel band - who are practising and really good. I stay for about half an hour - but as I have to be at the next engagement at 8pm, I chat to all who are there - but have to leave without giving my speech.

So - Labour are backing away from setting any green targets for business. Surprise, surprise. We will see on Tuesday when their much vaunted Climate Change Review is published just how genuine their green credentials really are.

Surgery as usual in the morning. (If you are a new reader and wondering – no, I’m not a doctor in my spare time! This is when I have a series of meetings with residents who raise their individual issues with me. Normally it’s a particular problem they need help with, but also too there are people who want to meet me to raise a wider issue or concern).

This is followed by meeting with the Chief Executive of the Whittington, David Sloman. I am dreading hearing that the ruthless job-letting next door at the Royal Free is to be repeated at the Whittington. But so far so good...

I rush on to open World Tuberculosis event - which is a really good event. TB used to stalk our communities before the war. In fact my mother's fiancé died of it. Nowadays it is curable and treatable - but back then it was touch and go. Clearly, as I exist, my mother met and married someone else - and as time went on TB became a thing of the past.

But now it is rearing its ugly head again, particularly in London - and particularly among communities where deprivation is high and among vulnerable people who have HIV/AIDS, cancer, alcoholism, etc. I remember when I was on the Health Committee at the London Assembly we looked into the rise of TB in London. The main findings then were that people, once they felt better and were back out in the community, stopped taking their medication before they should have. Anyway - the good news in Haringey and Enfield, is that treatment is free and that there are really good and committed teams working in the hospitals and the communities together to tackle this rising problem.

I have had to give my speech to the TB event in evening dress as I have to literally run off as soon as I finish speaking to what is one of my most favourite events of the year. This is the Annual Haringey Amateur Boxing Match where the Haringey Boxers fight an invited club or organisation at a proper charity dinner where funds are raised to continue funding the boxing club. It was originally set up by Stephen James (two police commanders of Haringey ago). He is still involved and the two commanders since, Stephen Bloomfield and now Simon O'Brien are also carrying on the enthusiasm and commitment.

I know- boxing has a bad name. But this is not about two men slugging it out in 15 rounds without head protection. This is well trained, well-monitored, well-refereed young people who fight three 3 minute rounds with proper head gear and so on. And the work done with kids from the most deprived areas gives a great pathway out of street life.

Before the dinner kicks off - Simon O'Brien and I go through to the boxers dressing rooms for photographs - and they give me boxing gloves to put on and pose as if I am fighting. Not sure about political correctness! But I am a fan of this type of boxing. I enjoy it. I think it does a lot of good in the communities that have the most challenges. The police have done a fantastic job with this initiative - and I understand that there are around five other boroughs starting or looking to start similar activities.

The dinner is served - and then it is on with the show. They sure come out fighting and the energy and the talent and skill are extraordinary. The fifth contest does make my jaw drop open as it is two girls fighting. I know - it's an equal world - but it was the first time I had seen girls fight (outside of Million Dollar Baby - and that hardly had a happy ending!). They were as energetic and tough as the boys - and it really is an equality that I hadn't expected.

I presented two of the winners with there trophies. Up close after a bout - you can see the exertion in the buckets of sweat and depth of chest heaving. Quite an extraordinary sport.

Labels: david sloman, stephen bloomfield

Police and Justice Bill committee in the morning. Bill committee all afternoon. I tried to get some oversight (i.e. safeguards) into the latest extension of the surveillance society. The Bill would mean air flight passenger lists being given to the police even with no crime committed - but Hazel was stony ground as per usual. Ms Blears rarely gives an inch - and even when we score - the Government won't admit it. They simply table their own version of our or the Tory amendments.

But a small victory. Clause 35 is about computer hacking. The way it was written, it would mean that IT companies couldn’t carry out their own hacking tests on their own computers, because that would be hacking. And other such silly things! (More details on The Register).

We’d tabled an amendment to deal with this. I now notice that we have a new Government amendment which does the same thing. Imitation is the best form of flattery!

Labels: crime, hazel blears

Trolling into work and looking forward to the day's entertainment - the Budget - a phone call shattered my plans. The Press Office asked if I would cover the BBC panels at 11.30 and again at 2.00 on the Budget.

So - arriving at work - I give apologies to Home Affairs team meeting and study for about an hour before going over to Millbank. My co-panellists are Alan Milburn and Michael Gove. David Dimbleby is the master of ceremonies and as they usher Bill Morris out, we are ushered in and miked up. You get very little time to make your points thought the second session was a bit longer.

The key issues for me are that Brown ducked taking action to tackle the ever-growing inequality in our society - which is bad for all of us. (Much more detail in my conference speech of a few weeks ago).

No action either for pensioners, and worse – he took away the £200 rebate they got last year on Council Tax. ‘Scuse my cynicism - but last year’s rebate was just before a General Election. And now it is over, the money is cut! This year fuel costs are rocketing and pensioners on fixed incomes unable to cope with all the rises - including Council Tax – yet the £200 was cut.

Alan Milburn went first - then Michael Gove - and they both were trying to out-green each other. Which really got my goat - because quite frankly they haven't got much of a genuine green credential to rub together. David Cameron's green clothes are a bit like the emperor - riding a bike does not make up for voting against things like the climate-change levy or talking out the new climate change private members' bill every Friday. And Brown's green bits of the budget are peanuts in terms of what is needed. Welcome the rise in car vehicle license for worst polluting cars - but please - nothing at all on air travel. All the good I (or you) do in a whole year by turning off lights, or computers on standby, using less heat and so on and so on - are all nothing compared to a single air flight!

In the evening I go to what will probably be my last Race Equality Joint Consultative Committee at Haringey Council. (I step down as a councillor on May 4th). I worry about the Council's commitment to what should be one of the most important forums for Haringey. This committee only meets about twice a year and although they are meant to meet in other forms - the feeling I got was that there was no leadership from the (Labour) Council Leader on this at all.

Labels: the budget

Lobbied today by Rozie and Sam - two 16-year-olds from Highgate Wood School. They are taking up the ActionAid campaign to make businesses behave more ethically - I agree! Will take further to ActionAid about what I can do in Parliament on the issue.

In committee today on the Police and Justice Bill. We fought hard to stop the Home Secretary being able to intervene directly on police forces or police authorities without so much as a by your leave or any objective criteria. But Ms Blears (Labour minister) batted all away. Labour want power for the Home Secretary to dive into anything that takes his fancy police wise regardless of anyone else. Hardly the new localism, saying all power to the Home Secretary!

When I dared to suggest that Labour didn't like bad headlines about crime - and obviously wanted these powers so they could posture and claim they were acting swiftly when things went wrong - Ms Blears savaged me and the Lib Dems. Unwarranted attacks and untrue as usual - it's a Labour mantra - but sadly for them we also support tackling anti-social behaviour despite their wish that we didn't. Anyway - stung by the multi-attack aspersions on our record - I pointed out to Hazel that a recent example of Labour's sensitivity to a bad headline was this very week when a bad headline about Labour sleazy loans had meant the very next day the Minister came to the House and said they were going to put through legislation in a current in process Electoral Bill to make loans declarable! Well - to a man and woman- they were audibly very cross. Their problem - probably one that comes with power - is they can dish it but they can't take it

Stumble out of committee at 7pm and go straight into chairing an education debate on Labour’s Education Bill. There's a lawyer from Matrix Chambers (yes - of Cherie Booth fame) who gives an absolutely riveting insight into what lies beneath many of the Academies that we are all having to have. It's quite sinister really. They are exempt from virtually all the checks, criteria and balances applied to other schools. That is why you are seeing some being 'bought' for religious proletysing. Really, really scary.

Melian Mansfield, Chair of CASE and organiser of the event, also spoke. She was clearly absolutely resolute in her determination that we should understand why it was so important to try and defeat the Bill (not much hope with the Tories supporting it - but thank goodness am on the side of the angels in this one - the Bill stinks).

She put a good case and introduced seven people who all gave very short - but my goodness interesting and informed points of view - on the Bill. They ranged from the concerns over 'sponsors' such as Nestle - and how undue influence would inevitably be brought to bear – through to the lack of parent voice in the new structures and yet - from another contributor - how much was to be landed on parents’ shoulders in terms of responsibility and punishment. There was a wealth of ammunition here to fight the Bill and put amendments down at committee stage. So I invited them all to send short briefs and potential amendments to Sarah Teather who leads for us on education.

As far as my own views go - the Bill is all about structures and will do nothing to raise standards. When, when, when will the Government learn that resource needs to go into the processes to add quality? We still have 180 kids without a secondary place in Haringey. So much for choice. As for his Bill - it's not a great reforming Bill as Blair would have it. It simply reforms ownership.

Labels: hazel blears

Speech to Haringey Community Empowerment Network (HARCEN) this lunchtime. HARCEN is a Government-funded and last time I was here was to hand out money awarded to various voluntary and other community groups to help them develop in a variety of ways. This time I am there to speak about ‘building a local enterprise economy’. Given the needs in Haringey, there is no better empowerment than employment - and self-employment is a pretty good pathway.

Straight into Parliament for Home Office questions - where Nick Clegg, the new Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary, tackles the Government proposals to go back to the voucher system for asylum seekers all over again. It caused a big stink last time they tried devaluing human beings this way - and we are there to make sure that they are exposed again. They were livid - and of course they said we were wrong - these vouchers weren't like those vouchers. Yeah right!

Spent rest of day preparing for committee stage of a bill tomorrow.

Local major issue is the looming sell off of Ally Pally. And as ever - democracy in Haringey is done Labour style!

Imagine the scene. A group of residents want to lobby Haringey Council about the plans to hand over Alexandra Palace to the Firoka group.

What does Labour do? They say, no - you can't lobby the full council meeting, you must go to the Palace Board meeting. And when is the next Board meeting they can go to ... not until after the decision will have been made about whether to give Firoka the site!

You can have your say, but only when it's too late with Haringey Labour!

Labels: alexandra palace, nick clegg

Off to the Stop the War march today. Meet my troops at Highgate Station and link up with Muswell Hill group there. We get to Charing Cross and walk down together to the assembly point at which we part company to join the march and wait, corralled in line for the march to begin. There is a good turn-out - around 15,000 I hear later on the news - to mark the third anniversary of going to war.

In Iraq the British and American troops are like a red rag to a bull. We are seen by a section of the population as an occupying force. We are part of the problem not the solution. Let's listen to the people and sort out a date and am exit strategy. If there is no date and no plan - it won't happen.

Labels: iraq

Early meeting with the head of the local CAB. The Citizens Advice Bureau is such a vital resource for this borough and I learn that Haringey Council wants to squeeze them down to two outlets - Tottenham and Wood Green. Must fight to retain the one in the west. Two to one is probably the right ratio in placement - but to take away the CAB entirely from the west of the borough would be wrong as there is so much need there too. The CAB are committed to staying in the west as well- but they are so overloaded with work and under-funded in terms of human resource. We exchange views on a whole range of issues - as people come to my surgery and to them - and often we refer to each other. The queue outside is already as long as you can imagine - and people often have to wait hours and hours. So - how to attract more resource for the CAB?

Onto Hornsey High School for girls. What a treat this was. To spend a couple of hours talking to the senior girls - the Head Girl and her deputies and four from the elected school council. Bright and interesting and interested. We range over the whole gamut from lack of facilities for young people (who are just thought of as trouble if they hang around - but they have nowhere to go), to behaviour out of school, to what they think of politics and so on and so on. I invite all of them and any other pupil of sixth form who is interested to come up to Parliament and to come for work experience.

Hornsey High is a very interesting school because it does not take from a catchment around the school itself - it takes from the whole borough and consequently only a few girls come from nearby. The school's ethnic mix is striking - 92% black and ethnic minorities and 8% white. We have an interesting conversation in which I am told that drink and drugs problems happen much more at the parties that the white girls have/go to than those the black girls go to or have. So much for stereotypes!

It is clear that the Education Bill, which passed its second reading, finds no favour. Firstly the girls are angry that they were not consulted - nor the staff - and I suggest that I put down a Parliamentary Question to find out who was consulted. It is an important issue as the Bill will mean the school taking on extra burdens currently borne by the Local Education Authority.

The Bill is all about structures rather than resourcing quality processes - which is my new mantra as to why everything has gone wrong everywhere. Anyway - a really interesting time and enjoyable.

Then it is off to surgery at Hornsey Library followed by session at my constituency office. Also today - latest newspaper column is out, about the future of police stations.

First day in committee leading on the Police and Justice Bill - or the 'I'm Charles Clark - I'm in charge Bill' as much of it takes powers away from local bodies and puts it straight in the Home Sec's hands. The first part of the Bill is about the merging of two central functions agencies into one new one - the National Police Improvement Agency. We don't have too much trouble with that - however the next section (Schedule 2) is a real humdinger.

The first part of this is where the Home Secretary takes powers to decide how many members there are, what qualifications or disqualifications they have, what work is done and who chairs and vice chairs local Police Authorities. Centralisation or what? And they have gotten rid of magistrate members. I suspect magistrates know too much and give the Home Sec too much trouble. Ms Blears, Minister for Police etc, swears blind that this is all for our own good – saying the Government has a responsibility to make sure that everything is done properly and if things go wrong to go straight in and sort it out - without the hassle of any democratic processes or checks and balances in the way.

In the evening I go to Haringey City Growth Business Awards. It is a really delightful evening. I have been sent my little bit of script, a bit of blurb, for presenting on of the award. So I go up - and after I have said 'and the winner is' as I open the envelope (I can't help myself admitting that I've always wanted to do that bit!) – I read out that the winner is Tracey Proudlock of Proudlock Associates. Tracey is a fabulous local woman - in a wheelchair - who really gets on with it. I am really glad she won the category.

Labels: charles clarke

Education Bill day today! And we fail to defeat the Government - but only because the Tories decide to prop them up. What kills me is the amount of time and effort spent on moving the deck-chairs - this Bill is all about structures not education and we have over 180 children who don't even have a place at secondary school in Haringey. What a load of nonsense!

Rush back to Haringey where the Haringey Lib Dems are selecting prospective candidates for the local elections. I don't get there until around 9pm as they are just finishing. All went well - and we now have our prospective candidates for the wards. Looking forward to the campaign - it will be a real contest with Labour’s decades long grip on the council under real threat at last!

I received an email from a local resident who had experienced a con-man attempt and who asked that I publicise it in case anyone else might be caught by it. So thank you to my constituent and this is his tale.

The gentleman received a knock on the door from a woman purporting to be a neighbour who had just got home by taxi and did not have the £18.00 fare. She didn't convince him and she left empty handed. At the time he couldn't decide if it was genuine or a con. He thought about contacting the police but did not in case it was a genuine plea for help. Of course that is what the con men and women are preying on.

On Tuesday this gentleman had a visit by the local uniformed officers who asked if he had been approached in the manner above and, therefore, confirming that it was a confidence trick. He felt that they will obviously move on to different area of the borough so it might be worth warning people through my means of communications.
You have been warned!

Today is the debate on animal welfare and finally I get to vote against tail-docking of dogs. I have no hesitation - despite arguments about working dogs needing to be exempt. It's fashion for the most part - and cruel!

Another phone call from Ming's office - and I am now also London Spokesperson!

Labels: crime

In the evening I am sponsoring and speaking in a panel debate on the clash between journalists/photographers and the police. The panel is meant to be an MP from each of the main parties - Boris Johnson, Austin Mitchell and myself – plus Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Paddick. However, the chair informs me as I arrive that both Boris and Austin have pulled out - leaving me and Brian. Well - it was quite a 'feisty' evening! Brian has rewritten the guidelines for police handling of media - because of the clashes, confiscations of equipment and altercations. The rewriting has some good points, but several journos gave personal accounts of mistreatment by the police - thus putting Brian on the spot. In the end, he accepted that officers do not always walk the talk on such things. Of course, guidelines, as I pointed out, are all very well - it's ensuring that officers at the sharp end observe them. I still think there is a long way to go - and the bad news is that Brian is retiring in the near future.

And when I think of my time seeing the Met up close when I served on the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) for five year - Brian is the one officer I met who I believe really understands and gives weight to some of the problems that are contentious. From his avant garde approach to cannabis when he was commander in Lambeth, to his evidence to the stop and search scrutiny and subsequent work on that within the Met and the guidelines as above. I don't know who will be defender of these things in the Met when he goes.

Labels: boris johnson, brian paddick, mpa

In the early evening, I get a message on my phone from Ming to say that he would like me to stay in the Home Affairs team as I had requested and would like me to be No2 (that's one up from before!) - Deputy Shadow Home Secretary. Plus I get to keep the policing portfolio – so am delighted.

The business of the day is the ID cards debate on the Lords amendments. Starting for parliamentary procedure I don't understand at 10pm which is when we usually finish on a Monday. The argument now is over the Government's ridiculous assertion that the requirement to have a passport (with which you have to have an identity card) is voluntary. I should take Charles Clarke to a border and make him cross it without a passport. I'd love to see him arguing with the border guard that it is 'voluntary' as to whether you have a passport or not. Labour have gone completely mad. It was Nick Clegg's debut proper speech as our Shadow Home Secretary - and he did really well. Nevertheless - the Government won by around 33 votes. The argument now goes back to the Lords where I hope they sling it out again. Of course - what will finally put a nail in the coffin will be the cost and how unpopular that it nearing an election. Bastards!

I also have to write an article on Education for the Ham & High Education Supplement - despite getting home very late - it's not over 'til it's over!

And my emails tell me that I have been nominated for the New Statesman New Media Awards for my website.

Good night!

Labels: charles clarke, id cards, ming campbell

Oh Sir Ian! Our police chief never ceases to have to apologise for putting his foot in it. On today's news - the recording secretly of private conversations - you have to think that he is doing it for a reason. It may be, given the vulnerability of his position, he feels he needs back-up in case briefings against him begin (or continue). I think he is in trouble. And I think if the IPCC report looking at communications - subtext Ian Blair's role and actions post Stockwell - find him wanting, then he's probably a gonner.

It's odd really. Knowing him from five years on the Met Police Authority when he was Deputy Commissioner - he so wanted this job. It must be like a nightmare for him for it all to go so off track so soon. It's about trying to manage business and media - that's his problem. And he has never been viewed as a 'coppers' copper' the way Sir John Stevens was. And he is extremely political.

However, more to the local point, he has promised to come and discuss the future of police stations in Haringey - and that's an important discussion. Not just for Haringey - but for the future of policing more generally. They have a natural tendency to centralise - and we the people know that we need police amongst us to be successful.

During the day I visit a group of residents in Dukes Avenue, who before humps were introduced in their street, were already desperate to stop lorries racing down their narrow residential street as a cut through. Since the humps have come - the noise and vibration is unbearable. I have already met with the senior traffic officers at Haringey to beg for action against the lorries - and although they say they agree, they want to wait for works on the North Circular etc before taking any action. However, with the humps, the problem is exacerbated. So this time, am taking another tack, and asking the Council what they need in way of evidence to take action. Is it number of trucks? Is it levels of noise? Is it damage to cars? Is it number of people in which roads supporting pinch points in two locations to simply stop the through lorries? We will see what the response is.

Labels: ian blair

Big annual social at my house. There is a huge turnout because our guest speaker is Shami Chakrabarti from Liberty. She is a complete star - comes early - stays late and entirely captivates the audience who are natural territory for Liberty. Many of my members are her members - and I think she recruits quite a few more by the end of play. Why does Shami work so well? I think it is because she hasn't sold out to anyone. She really does fight for right and justice - and in a non-partisan way. And it’s interesting hearing her talk about the difference between coming to this event and similar ones organised by other parties!She can reach beyond the TV screen or radio direct into people's lives because the language she uses and the pictures she paints with her words pull on people's instincts and conscience.In the current climate of authoritarian governance there is a pressing need for all voices of freedom and human rights to rise up together as Labour continues its juggernaut assault on our civil liberties. Every Bill that I come across removes our rights and increases the power of the state. These are frightening times.    

Labels: shami chakrabarti

Rather a coincidence - after Friday's launch of a new scheme involving Neighbourhood Watches, today I am giving a speech to the Haringey Borough Neighbourhood Watch AGM. I am talking about anti-social behaviour etc - but use the opportunity to have a rant about 'care in the community' or lack of it.

Part of my speech is about the importance of us all working to tackle crime:

"I would like to pay tribute to Neighbourhood Watches and all those who serve on them. The work they do is invaluable and beneficial and they create and forge a strong sense of community and looking out for each other, working with the police safer neighbourhood team, the Council’s anti-social behaviour teams and health partners is the way to go.

"Robert Peel, the founder of the Met once stated that: 'the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give fulltime attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interest of community welfare.'

"Fighting crime isn’t just something you can pay for through your taxes and can then ignore. It’s something that the whole of society has to do."

I also talk about how it is both crime levels and fear of crime we need to concern ourselves with:

"Haringey Council’s own research indicates that crime is the number one concern of just under half (49%) of Haringey residents. However, crime levels, measured by the number of total notifiable offences is dropping - 19% down (5,346 fewer) than the same period last year.

"Even with this drop the figures are still high, but also it is often fear of crime and the experience of small misdemeanours as well as major crimes themselves that worries local residents and that most people contact me about. Far too often fear of crime is treated as if it isn't really a proper problem to acknowledge - 'oh the problem isn't actual crime, it's just people's whipped up fears' etc. But fear is real, it affects people, it hurts lives and it hinders freedom."

Although crime is a much debated issue, I feel that one key aspect is talked about too little.

Part of anti-social behaviour that arises from people with mental health issues. Many of the cases I see of neighbour disputes are caused by mental health problems – not youths, not petty vandals – but people living in the community who have mental health issues and for whom the ‘care in the community’ package cannot be enough to watch over them 24 hours a day. There is a gap that people are falling through. More love and attention needs to be focused in this direction.

I am not talking about the major headline cases that burst, only occasionally but totally unacceptably, into our papers, when someone who should be in residential care is released and murders their next door neighbour – those are tragic cases which we all gasp at and wonder how such a person could be thought to be safely let amongst us. I am instead talking about the far less obvious cases.

It's a difficult issue. But this gap in care – despite best efforts of those who work so tirelessly in this area – does lead to a chain of events or experiences – both for the person themselves and for those around them.

The person themselves can be shunned by their neighbours and feels depressed, upset and socially excluded and isolated – which helps not their situation.

Neighbours feel aggrieved that they live close to someone who behaves oddly, or aggressively and sometimes feel or are genuinely at risk of assault, or verbal abuse, or fear of arson or whatever. And the police cannot intervene before such an offence has been committed. This all means that such situations can get out of kilter and ratchet up the behaviour scale. In the end it is the police and the prisons that end up dealing with what is not - and should not be - their job. This is a health issue.

Think of it this way.

If you imagine a person with mental health issues lying in bed in hospital to be treated – you wouldn’t imagine a policeman being called on to intervene if such a patient starts shouting out and swearing at a nurse.

And yet – that is pretty much what is happening when such a person is out on our streets – the police are having to deal with what is reported as anti-social behaviour but which is an area of care or behaviour exhibiting as anti-social but in reality mental illness.

There’s a Private Members Bill on climate change coming up in Parliament today for which I am going in. So many constituents care passionately about this - that I have changed surgery etc (whose normal time would have clashed with the debate) to make it in.

But, having made great efforts to be there - I might as well not have bothered. Don't get me wrong - the Bill should be supported. But the games played by the Tories to muck around by talking out, or putting stupid amendments, and threatening to keep doing so in order that we have to come every Friday to listen to rubbish being spouted is a disgrace to politics. It is a joke. And the waste of public money, Parliamentary time, Members' time - not to mention the joke it makes of Private Members Bills is appalling.

I manage one vote after several hours of debate - or farce - and then have to leave to launch a new initiative by Haringey Neighbourhood Watch. They have organised with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to put up their posters in every doctors' waiting room in Haringey - so lots and lots of residents will see it. It is a good way to prevent crime and good to see health and crime and community all working together. So with two burly policemen and two doctors I put up the first poster!

Labels: climate change

First thing over to City Hall for private briefing on Operation Minstead. It was basically the same presentation that I had had some while back - and still they haven't got their man. They are still painstakingly sifting through lists and lists of possible persons of interest. And all the DNA trawl in the world hasn't yielded up the perpetrator. Will it ever? Leave in a rush as I have my session with Ming at 11.15am.

I go in and up to the office where Ming is ensconced with Archie Kirkwood - his political adviser. We have a very good discussion I thought. There is a little awkwardness around our different sides in the leadership election, but that’s natural. More interestingly I get a chance to discuss where I might want to be in the future and also, more importantly, to bung my two pennies in on the organisation and campaigning aspects of the Liberal Democrats. Hopefully they will let me keep policing!

At lunchtime, I go to a meeting where three women (partners or parents) of someone who has died have had the most appalling and tragic experience and the most horrific mistreatment by a coroner. It seems to me from the evidence presented that there is plenty of reason for a public enquiry into the cases that appear to have been so poorly, or negligently handled. Watch this space.

And out on the campaign trail knocking on doors for a good session - which restored my soul. It was so good, and happy and people were just nice, nice, nice.

PS If you watched Question Time tonight you will have noticed that Nick Clegg who I was bumped in favour of, was not there. On Tuesday or Wednesday this week - QT had decided they wanted to change back to me. Unfortunately, by this time I had made another arrangement. So they bumped Nick in favour of Jean Lambert, Green MEP. C'est la vie!

Labels: dna, ming campbell, nick clegg

Had meeting with Sir Ian Blair to discuss a number of issues around policing. The number one for us is the possibility that our police stations in Haringey may be 'reorganised' as they are not 'fit for purpose'.

So I use the opportunity to get assurances that nothing will close (having spent so many years campaigning to get the front counter open at Muswell Hill) before equal or better alternatives are put in place.

Sir Ian said he would like to know what people think - so I am doing my best to find out for him! I suggested a survey - and he immediately suggested a meeting between myself, himself, our local Commander Simon O'Brian and someone from Met Estates to establish their 'vision' first.

Of course “equal or better alternative” can mean a lot of different things to different people; for example, if someone believes in heavily centralised services a few super-police stations, they could say that means axing the local stations is ok as the alternative is - they would say - better. Now, that’s not a view I’d agree with – policing works best when it is based in the local community. So – we need to keep the pressure up despite this assurance. “Equal or better” must mean local policing, locally delivered. So – that means a petition amongst other things. (You can get a petition form from my main website).

I also tackled him about the police kiosk in Wood Green which was a great idea putting police on the street right at the crucial spot - but it was hardly ever open. And unless it was manned, and reliable - people would never feel confident to rely on it. Now it faces being demolished. It would be much better to keep it – and put it to full use. Sir Ian didn't know about it but has promised to investigate. (More details on that on my main website too).

And some good news on another subject - I have been nominated for a New Statesman 2006 New Media Award in the “Elected representative” category.

Labels: ian blair, muswell hill police station

Monday was the second reading of the Police and Justice Bill on which I am leading. The Bill is one of those typical Labour efforts which has a number of sensible proposals combined with some hideous ones. And as ever - the overall trend is to centralise power over the police and police authorities directly into the hands of Charles Clark as Home Secretary. Bet they'd never have supported a Bill that put direct intervention in how the police did their work straight into the hands of Michael Howard!

Someone sent me a comment after the debate complaining that I read from a script during it. So - for the avoidance of confusion - all the frontbenchers from all three parties who make speeches of around half an hour or more in opening statement on the Bill worked from written speeches. The difference is - I wrote my own - whereas I am pretty sure that Charles Clark's is prepared for him - and I don't know if Nick Herbert who lead for the Tories wrote his or not. The bit that cheeses me off is the other two have a Despatch Box to lay their papers on - but I have to work in mid-air!

As frontbench spokesperson dealing with this debate - my prime duty as I see it is to get written into the record the issues of concern with the Bill and to lay down our marker for the Committee, Report and Third Reading to come - the battleground. Whilst we all add a bit of speechifying - that is the purpose. Backbench speeches vary more - in that they are generally on a particular constituency issue or particular political point - rather than having to cover the whole extent of the Bill and generally much shorter so that members who want to speak in a debate can get called within the allotted time.

You can read the speech in Hansard.

As you can see - I call the Bill 'pernicious' and 'sneaky' because it is another one of Labour's 'abolition of Parliament' efforts. Outside of the power grab for the Home Secretary, the extension of surveillance of the innocent, the removal of protection for prisoners from Human Rights abuse and so on - it also has an extensive section on extradition.

Currently, and arising from hasty moves during the post-9/11 debates, the USA can extract one of their citizens from our shores and only have to prove that the person is the person they want. However, if we want to extract one of our citizens from their shores - we have to give prima facie evidence to prove that the person is guilty of the offence for which we are seeking extradition. To add insult to injury - whereas we brought that law into force by statute - the Americans never even ratified their end. So we are voluntarily complying with this unequal legislation. Moreover - it was brought into being for terrorism emergency use - but now the USA is using it for much else. So the Committee stage of the Bill will offer a good opportunity to properly debate this lopsided state of affairs – and ask why we’re letting the Americans do things here they won’t let us do over there.

Also today - the first wave of Ming's shadow cabinet was announced Monday - and Chris Huhne gets the Environment portfolio - which is fantastic! An eco-economist - this will really give this portfolio the strength and importance it needs. Climate change is one of the biggest dangers threatening us. Nick Clegg gets Home Affairs (and so – if I stay in the Home Affairs team - my new boss).

Labels: chris huhne, nick clegg

Ming's speech is the big event of the day.

It was, once again, motivating and uplifting and he started with a really good line. He said, “For those of you don’t expect me to be here too long, I have a worrying statistic for you. The previous Ming dynasty lasted for 276 years”!

Got back to London around 8.30pm and have to write speech for tomorrow's second reading of the Police Justice Bill - and that's a whole 'nother story.

Labels: ming campbell

Of course the big debate was the Royal Mail/Post Office debate. It passed. It had been radically altered since the last conference when it was defeated and sent back to the drawing board. I had voted against it then. But this time it was better. 51% remaining in state ownership, worker participation and shares and for me the real clincher. It safeguarded the universal postal service and allows us to reopen lots of the post offices that Labour have closed.

And I have to say - having carried out a postal service survey a little while ago which I am currently analysing the responses - we got 6,000 responses and still rising. Many of these were complaints. To be fair to Royal Mail, it has offered and is currently addressing the casework I have given them. However, it is very clear - that this service is malfunctioning and now that competition in the market place has arrived from the continent it will be do or die. This is a radical Liberal Democrat solution to save the universal postage system and reopen post offices. And yes - selling off some of it (but not the majority shares) will pay for this. (You can read the full details of the policy on the Lib Dem website).

Labour's closure of Post Offices has been absolutely disastrous for our local high streets and shopping parades - and particularly for elderly people whose visit to the PO to get their pensions is often the only outing of the week.

So the motion passes. It was never in any doubt really - as the new leader had also put his weight solidly behind this and it was much, much improved since I last saw it.

We then had our first Parliamentary Party meeting (PPM) with Ming. And he was really great.

I stop to do a Party Political Broadcast bit of filming and then after a quick sandwich am off to Betty's famous tea house to do a podcast for the Guardian. Podcasts are clearly in - as this is my second one in as many weeks (last one was with Guido Fawkes and Recess Monkey).

The queue for Betty's is very long - and after about half an hour (and Willie Rennie was meant to be here too but is running late) we get a table but have actually done the pod cast recording in the queue as I have to dash off to do a fringe meeting where I am speaking on police force mergers.

Labels: ming campbell, post offices, royal mail

Having got, finally, to Harrogate – I’m on as one of the main speaker at the evening rally.

The room was packed with probably about 400 or so delegates. I would love to think it was me they came to listen to - but I expect the attendance had more to do with the imminent speech of the new leader. I was the last speaker for the rally which was called 'Meeting the Challenge' and I was proposing a radical agenda on the inequalities that are widening under the Blair regime.

My speech goes down really well (if I say so myself)! But happily - lots of other people say so too! Then there was a couple of minutes from each of the most recent by-election winners - Mark Hunter, Willie Rennie and Sarah Teather. Duncan Brack, who is Chair of Conference Committee introduced one speaker thus:

'There is an Australian rock musician called Mark Hunter. There is an American navel officer called William Rennie. But there is only one Sarah Teather!'

I thought that was witty!

And then the grand entry of our new leader. And Ming was on good form. He has seemed very happy and confident since his win. He reiterates the crusade against poverty and that he will arm our party with the campaigning tools we need to match the other parties. He is certainly saying all the right things.

I go back to my room and find a message on my phone from the Press Office to say that Question Time have bumped me off the program next Thursday in favour of Nick Clegg - as he is on the Ming team and therefore because of the result they want a Minger!

Then I go to dinner with the World This Weekend team, who have invited me, Paul Marshall and Michael Moore. It was really very pleasant evening. However, the snow and ice was vicious outside and I had to hang onto Brian Hanrahan all the way back for dear life!

Labels: duncan brack, mark hunter, ming campbell, nick clegg

No peace for the wicked. And due to events of yesterday meaning I didn't do any work in the evening, I had to get up at 5am to write my speech (or rewrite it) for the big rally at Lib Dem conference in Harrogate tonight. I am one of three keynote speakers before the entry of our ne