Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

What with party conference and now general election preparation - not to mention the normal day-to-day work for my constituents - I've not previously got to blogging about the Alisher Usmanov affair.

If you don't know - he is an Uzbek billionaire (and then some) and owns a large chunk of Arsenal football club. Craig Murray - former British ambassador to Uzbekistan - made various allegations about him in his book. No libel writ. But he then repeated them on his website. Result?

Threatening legal letters to the firm hosting his website. Firm then decided to pull the computer on which his website was hosted - removing from the internet both Craig Murray's site, but also a host of other sites from people who had never even mentioned Alisher Usmanov. Also caught in this was Tim Ireland (of Bloggerheads website, and who had also mentioned the allegations) - his site was pulled by the firm too.

I've not actually read Murray's book or blog - so I don't know whether the allegations are true or not - but that's not the point. There are two free speech problems here.

First - I'm all for people who publish things online being held accountable for what they say - but people who publish online should also have reasonable protection. It is possible to get an injunction against a book, newspaper etc before going ahead with a full action for libel - but there are hurdles you have to meet and in the end you have to make your case in court and win if you want to stop the allegations being distributed. That's not what has happened here as far as I can see - instead it was a case of threatening legal letters and - bing! - the site went.

Second - those innocent sites caught in the crossfire - including Tory MP and London Mayor wannabe Boris Johnson and Labour councillor Bob Piper. These and others do seem to be back online - but they shouldn't have gone in the first place.

In many ways the internet - and blogging community - has shown its resilience through this, with widespread support online for the principle of free speech (and far more publicity about the allegations I suspect than if the lawyers had never sent those letters!) There's an impressive list of blogging supporters at Tim Ireland's new/temporary site.

Now - libel law isn't my area of speciality, but clearly what's happened here leads to the conclusion that there's something wrong with our laws.

There's much that is wrong with our libel laws overall (basically - too much power given to the rich who are willing to gamble on the libel lottery), but it may also be there are some smaller, more immediate changes that would be feasible to pursue in Parliament, even though I'm sceptical of the odds of getting a major libel law overhaul in the near future. Something to ponder - and I'm open to suggestions.

(Update: I've corrected the text above as more than one legal letter was sent - I originally wrote about "one" letter)

Labels: alisher usmanov, boris johnson, craig murray, tim ireland

That's the topic of my latest column for the local Muswell Hill and Highgate magazines.

As to what the vice is?

Well, you'll have to read on...

Our secret vice
But it’s a wonderful vice – it’s growing things! Having attended a number of horticultural shows this summer, including the Highgate, Muswell Hill and Hornsey Horticultural Societies - I have been staggered not only by the produce and exhibits – but the commitment and participation by so very many local people to this raging passion.

Now a veteran of a number of local shows – I am wise to the fact that most of the First in Show honours are collected either by Gary Sycamore or Eric Gurman – who basically clean up on each occasion. However, as one woman who kept coming second to Eric said to me at the Muswell Hill show – that when she does get a First Prize and beats him – it really means something to beat such a master. And there are so many categories – that others do get their chance to shine.

A tremendous amount of effort goes into organising and arranging these shows – and they are all incredibly well attended and very much enjoyed by everyone. Personally, I love them. I cannot grow things myself – for two reasons: a) incapable and b) time poor! But one day, when I have time – it’s on my list – because it is such a joyous thing to do.

I am always amazed at how such beautiful flowers and vegetables come into being – despite last summer with no rain and this summer with nothing but rain. Over my two years of shows, I am learning about what makes a perfect vegetable or bloom and that the National Horticultural Society judging has very strict, high and testing criteria.

It is also clear that there is a wonderful community that grows up around allotments and horticultural societies. This year I ‘launched’ the new ‘shed’ for the ‘Golf Course’ allotments – the result of lots and lots of work in terms of bidding for a lottery grant. Now we have a splendid shed – and a community who all know each other, where the kids can play and where actual food is grown! This isn’t just about shows – this is a real opportunity to bring people together, make people feel part of a community – and to produce wonderful vegetables which save a lot of money.

I was given a basket of vegetables to take home from the Muswell Hill show – and the vegetables just tasted heavenly – completely different from the ones I buy. It makes you think! And it is not just the taste that appeals – it is knowing that there is a vibrant community behind the growing of the fruit and veg that appeals too – because so often, especially in our urban areas, community ties are so weak and hardly anyone knows anyone else.

Anyway, this is just one of the best of local community activities and individual pastimes that you can get. I ran into one of my Liberal Democrat colleagues at the Hornsey show, Cllr Errol Reid (Hornsey) who is now campaigning to expand horticultural horizons. Errol wants to get the National Horticultural Society to extend its judging categories to window flower boxes and stuff grown inside – so that not lucky enough to have access to an allotment or garden can join in the fun!

Yesterday my pub - well I say my pub because my constituency office is upstairs - had a coffee morning this morning to support Macmillan Nurses. It was part of a national thing today - and I love The Three Compasses because they really are a community pub and do community things such as this - and have Fairtrade products and care about all of it.

Seemed to go pretty well with a steady, if small, flow of people coming in to support the campaign.

It's funny, you know, for all of us who have been supported by Macmillan nurses when our loved ones have been dying - we all turn to each other and say 'they are angels'. For those who are lucky enough not to have had to come into contact with them personally - these are the most wonderful beings who come into your home and do the things for the dying that make them comfortable - as comfortable as possible - as their ending comes. And it is also the comfort they bring to the family tending the dying person.

I know when my mother was dying - those last couple of days (and more importantly nights) were gruelling and the weeks before had been gruelling - but when the Macmillans came, some of the lonliness and anguish was reduced. It's really hard to explain.

So as I say - for those of us who have experience of Macmillan nurses - we can't sing their praises high enough. I am pictured with Ellen on my left and Kerry on my right. Ellen and I briefly shared the fact that both of us had had parents where Macmillans had come in - and agreed - they are definitely angels.

Advice surgery for constituents this morning followed by wrestling match with stuffing machine in office. Machine 2 Lynne 0!

Anyway - still waiting for Gordon's decision ... Buggers up the weekend though!

Collect more signatures for my Fairer Funding for Haringey Schools - outside Rokesly School today. The basic issue is straightforward - Haringey schools don't receive as much money per pupil as schools in neighbouring boroughs - hence my petition (click here to sign it online).

From the reply from Ed Balls so far - he acknowledges there is a problem and that a simpler formula is needed, is carrying out a review and hopefully in 2011 (!) will introduce an improved funding formula.

So - pressure to be applied, because our children and teachers shouldn't have to wait until possible changes four years hence - though the good news from his response is that it suggests pressure may yet succeed as there's a chink of light there already.

Labels: ed balls, haringey schools, rokesly school

I had my hopes up when lovely Nick appeared on the TV this evening ... but alas, they were dashed.

Another BBC news reports about Gordon Brown, general election date and all the will he won't he dithering.

On to screen strides Nick Robinson - he whose balls I wish to see - and we see him confront the Home Secretary about general election date - but what then happens? Soft question, easily batted away.

None of the tough questions about why in a democracy the PM should be able to pick the election date that most suits the PM's electoral prospects. None of the tough questions about the hypocrisy of Brown saying he wants to get on with governing - whilst at the same time happily stoking up election date speculation.

Now - I know Nick Robinson can be a tough interviewer when he wishes - indeed, I still remember him clearly chasing Sir Ian Blair (London policeman) down the stairs, along a corridor and through to the outside, thrusting microphone in his face and asking tough, aggressive questions.

So come on Nick how about it next time - how about addressing the tough questions to Labour?

Labels: gordon brown, ian blair, nick robinson

I have been astonished at the lack of Blair at Labour's party conference. Obviously not in person - but it is as if the collective guilt of those he left behind has painted him out of their history. Hate to point it out guys - but you all (with honourable exceptions) voted for the war, kept quiet or in Gordon's case - signed the cheques.

You can't lay it all on Tony - you were all there, cheering and voting him on. New Gordon? Doesn't wash with me!

Labels: gordon brown

Having complained before about how easy a ride the media are giving Gordon Brown over his rather arrogant attitudes towards election dates, treating our democracy as if it is his own personal plaything - full credit to Jonathan Freedland for writing:

The absurdity that the timing of our elections is in the hands of the prime minister has to end. It doesn't just destabilise our politics; it is grotesquely unfair. British elections are running races in which one of the contestants gets to fire the starting gun. So when Gordon Brown finally names the date, let him also vow to be the last prime minister to exercise that privilege. Let's give our parliaments fixed terms - and end this guessing game once and for all.

Well said!

UPDATE: And also good pieces over on Paul Linford's blog and The Herald.

Labels: gordon brown, jonathan freedland

Well, well, well! So Health Secretary Alan Johnson has outlined plans which aim to make the NHS more user-friendly for patients in his speech to the Labour conference. He said patients should be treated close to home and GP surgeries should open "at times and in locations that suit the patient, not the practice".

I will be quoting this incessantly at Haringey PCT if they try and move our GP practises into the polyclinics! That's the point I keep making. We need to be treated close to home.

As for this shenanigans with Brown and the election - a real man, a real Prime Minister - would put the country first! I rest my case!

Labels: alan johnson, gordon brown, nhs, polyclinics

Back to blogging some more on my brief trip to South Africa the week before last - on my last day we were taken to the mines - open cast coal mines - by Anglo-American. (Click here for photos from the trip).

Brian Brink of Anglo American, who is a doctor whose energy and commitment to tackling AIDS seemed limitless and who had pioneered their program over years, had been with us throughout the tour. Today was to see the actual work going on - on site.

Not going detail by detail - but to capture the picture - the landscape as we approached the mining area was stark beyond belief - punctuated by the machinery of mining, sticking up and dominating the horizon with little oases where head offices, hospital facilities or clinics occasionally were to be found.

I confess I thought it a god-forsaken place to live - and the truth is that it is a pretty harsh life out there for the miners in a hard industry. But what struck me most throughout the day was that the workforce and their well-being was at the heart of this business - not in a touchy feely sort of way - but because decent treatment meant a healthy work force and a healthy work force meant productivity.

As we arrived at the first Head Office - we were greeted by John Standish White - and what a character he was. He put me in mind of a commanding officer - fair but firm, loved by his men and unafraid of tackling whatever issues came forth. In the room were all representatives from the three unions, the medical staff and the key managers. Briefed as to the prevalence of AIDS and the programs Anglo-American (AA) had put in place - we set off to see it all for ourselves.

The first group we met were 'peer educators' - a group of women (all volunteers) whose role it was to go amongst the workforce explaining what AIDS was and HIV - and that coming for voluntary testing and counselling was good because now (as opposed to only a few years ago) there was treatment - the anti-retrovirals - that meant you could live with AIDS.

We went onto to see the skills training area where women were being taught how to sew, embroider etc and were making gorgeous tableware. Next door there was restaurant / cook training. Those learning were generally the family of the miners. With relatively little possible employment in the area - skills training is vital. Likewise we met trainee metal workers and visited a youth centre.

All the while we are on Anglo American territory and all of these schemes are Anglo American programs. And we visited a clinic where the workers go for voluntary testing and counselling. We meet Peter - one of the very, very few miners who have 'disclosed' their HIV positive status and who are invaluable in trying to encourage and educate others to come forward. The stigma is still severe and fidelity not a local strong point.

At Kleinkopje colliery they are (now) having remarkably high numbers come forward in most of the departments - with the hardcore miners remaining the most difficult nut to crack in terms of persuading them to get testing. But the new incidence rate is still too high - albeit the trend is downwards. And ultimately to beat the disease they want to see no new infections.

We were then put into protective clothing to visit one of the open cast mines. We heard the blasting loud and clear before we leave the office block - and we bumped along a road constructed solely to reach the mines. What is particularly interesting in this stark, empty terrain of deep pits where coal has been mined is that there now is in place a program of refilling the mines and putting the earth back to how it was before it was mined. The scars of extraction removed and the landscape reinstated.

At the pit itself, we posed for photos with the excavating digger behind us. Massive piece of machinery with a cradle which could hold a London bus. I asked John about Anglo American's views on moving into renewables etc - and it would seem that they are already planning in that direction. As I would hope.

Anyway - I want to get onto the last stop of the day - which was to Anglo American's piece de resistance. Their hospital - brand spanking new and for all their employees. We had a presentation from Dr Pienar who runs the hospital - but the main event was to meet the local community.

We were told that it is possible that some members of the community may 'disclose' their status during this meeting. We entered the room where around I guess eighty or so people were seated - some are miners, their families, health workers from the hospital and so on. We sat - and there was another presentation about the work Anglo American are doing with AIDS and HIV - and then they ask a young guy, one of the health team, to come to the front and they announced that this brave young guy is willing to stand there, publicly and say he is HIV positive. And he did - and then asked if anyone else in the room who is HIV positive wants to come down and join him and disclose their status.

There was no movement at first. And then a guy in the front row stood up and moved towards the front - and then another and another and another. A whole torrent of people come down and faced the room. All HIV positive. All 'disclosing' for the very first time. This had never happened before.

Dr Brink said that this was the day they had waited for for many years. And then each of those who had come forward told their story. I was weeping. It was the most extraordinary occasion. And I would like to think that whilst there were many reasons and good things that came out of us three MPs visiting South Africa - this 'event' had partly happened because just by us being there we provided a catalyst for the occasion.

It was so moving. They were so brave. And I guess that from this will grow a support group for people living with AIDS and HIV for the first time.

It was quite something!

Labels: international development

Well, well - another day yesterday of Gordon Brown playing "will he, won't he" on the general election date.

It's typical boys and toys stuff - as if the whole electoral system is just his personal plaything to bounce around as he likes.

For all his talk about New Gordon, Open Gordon, Democratic Gordon - it's still the same old control freak Gordon, treating our democracy - OUR democracy - with contempt. Why should the date of elections be up to him and him alone to pick - and only on the basis of what suits his own vote winning desires the best?

(My own view? Fixed term Parliaments, save for automatic general election on change of PM, vote of no confidence in the Commons or cross-party agreement).

And yet whilst he brazenly displays this contempt for democracy - where are the likes of the BBC's Nick Robinson? Just meekly playing along as if having a democracy where the Prime Minister gets to fiddle the electoral system to suit his own ends is the only possible imaginable
game.

Sorry Nick - not impressed!

Show us your balls - and start asking Gordon Brown the tough questions - like why should the date of a general election be picked just to suit Labour? Or why Gordon Brown wants to face both ways saying he wants to get on with governing - but doesn't kill of the date speculation one way or another?

The occasional lobbed soft question to Gordon does the media's reputation no favours at all. So come on Nick - put Gordon on the spot, ask the tough questions - and keep on until you get an answer.

Labels: gordon brown, nick robinson

As Ryan Cullen points out over on his blog, today is the third birthday of Liberal Democrat Blogs. So happy birthday and thank you to Ryan for running this site - a useful one for me to find out what other people are saying and also to bring more traffic to this site. Win win!

Slightly scary to see from his post how few of us blogging then are still blogging now. Will it turn out like an Agatha Christie novel with us all dropping out one by one until there's only one nervous blogger left hunched over their keyboard...?

Labels: ryan cullen

Lovely summer party by CASCH (a Crouch End residents' association). Lots of anger about Haringey Council's failure to move swiftly to help local residents affected detrimentally by the knock on from a CPZ nearby. Haringey Labour are saying no funds until next year - but these schemes are self-funding so if there was the will there would be the way.

Went straight on to canvassing in Crouch End - testing the water with a 'if Gordon called an election tomorrow - which way would you vote'? It was very interesting; it always is interesting meeting people - but even more so in these times of fevered political speculation.

People seemed to still be angry with Labour - and the change from Blair to Brown not making the difference perhaps Labour were hoping. The Iraq war is still a key issue. And whilst Labour keep hoping that it will fade and that anyone who swung their vote away from Labour because of Iraq will somehow swing back - that didn't seem to be the case on the doorstep. Not surprisingly really - as the war is not over and even when we do get our troops out, the mess will still haunt us. That feeling of responsibility and culpability doesn't vanish with the change of face at No 10.

Anyway - seemed good to me - even though my canvassing is very stringent. I will only put someone down as Lib Dem if they are completely and unequivocally enthusiastic and always vote Lib Dem - anything else I categorise other ways. But as my opponents read my blog - not going to give away canvassing secrets here!

As to the political question of the day. Will he ? Won't he? Will he? Won't he? Brown not answering just puts me off - albeit I am already off! So to speak.

Labels: casch, gordon brown

It's there in black and white, supported 100% by Gordon Brown - "We [the Labour party] will introduce as a general rule a fixed Parliamentary term."

Oh - the date of the commitment? The 1992 Labour manifesto as supported by one G Brown. I agree with him - the 1992 vintage that is. It shouldn't be down to just one person - the Prime Minister - to decide whether or not to hold an election (and making that decision based on their own party's self-interest).

I want to see fixed-term Parliaments, with provision for early elections if (a) the government loses a vote of confidence, (b) there's a change of Prime Minister or (c) there is cross-party support (to cover unusual crises or surprises). Cross-party support is crucial for (c) as otherwise it would just once again let the PM pick whatever date they want - and then get it through with a whipped vote. Quite how this would work depends on what happens to House of Lords reform (finally!), but the basic idea is clear.

But back to Brown - I'm amazed what a soft ride the media have been giving him on this. We all know what he's up to - he wants the election to be on the date that best suits him, and wants to sow as much confusion as possible in the interim as to when it might or might not be. Where's the democracy in that? Yet the media have gone along with his game.

It's one of the odd paradoxes of modern political reporting - it's usual bathed in an instinctive cynical covering about how all politicians are liars and fools - but also is often terribly conservative in playing the traditional rules of the game rather than questioning them (when was the last time a journalist blew the whistle on an unattributable dishing of one politician by another? You see - the rules of the game are that unattributable personal attacks are ok, so they just report them time after time).

So if I was a journalist - I'd be asking Brown to justify why he's changed his mind, and why - in a democracy of all places - the PM should be able to fiddle the system by picking a date of his or her own choosing? When Mrs T used to do that, Brown opposed it - ah... perhaps that's where his new-found admiration for her comes in!

Labels: gordon brown

Given Iain Dale has tagged me to blog about my first political memory - I cannot resist. The only hesitation I have - is that it somewhat reveals my advanced years!

The first time politics impinged on my secure little childhood was when I was watching television in our lounge in the flat in Highgate that I grew up in - Highpoint. I can't remember whether they interrupted the TV or whether it was just on the news - but the newscaster in super-serious tones was talking about something to do with Cuba and nuclear war.

I can't say I truly understood the the whole scenario as I was aged 10 when the crisis began on October 15, 1962. The USA had reconnaissance photos showing Soviet missiles being built in Cuba - hence it became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The ante was upped, tensions rose and on the point of nuclear war - letters exchanged etc and Krushchev agreed to dismantle the installations on the basis that the US would not invade Cuba.

As I said, most of this passed me by - but I remember being scared by the news. I understood the danger - and I guess it was the tones of the newscaster and the muted exchanges by my parents. It was this singular event that opened my understanding that the world was not stable and that my world somehow depended on men in foreign countries not taking leave of their senses. Clearly - not a lot has changed!

So - not a British political awakening - but certainly an early understanding of international politics!

In turn - I will tag Will Howells (thanks for filming my conference diaries!), Stephen Tall (man in charge at this year's Lib Dem Blog of the Years awards - and winner last year), Matt Davies (Haringey colleague - councillor for Fortis Green), Martin Bright (of the New Statesman and a constituent of mine) and Paul Walter (the ultra-prolific Lib Dem blogger).

Labels: iain dale, martin bright, stephen tall

Andrew Lugovoi, the man accused of murdering Alexander Litvinenko (a constituent of mine) in the radiation poisoning case, should be coming to the UK to face trial on the charges. But instead of being extradited - he is standing for the next Russian Parliament elections for the ... Liberal Democratic Party. Needless to say - they are not the sister party of the Lib Dems here!

Labels: alexander litvinenko, andrew lugovoi

I see one of my erstwhile colleagues (loose description) at the London Assembly - Tory Brian Coleman - has employed his usual tact and sensitivity to my own local.

Brian, a Conservative London Assembly member, has described Haringey as "ghastly" writing in his blog on the New Statesman website - describing (wrongly!) Haringey as a place "where decent folk lock their car doors as they drive through".

All one can conclude is that Brian is snobbish, rude, and ill-informed as his remarks show. He is often billed as 'controversial' - presumably on account of such insults - but there is a great difference between controversial and ignorant.

My Lib Dem colleague and Leader of the Haringey Liberal Democrat Council group, Neil Williams, put it very well:

"This is exactly why the Tories are so unelectable in our borough. Haringey is a great place and a vibrant and cosmopolitan community – and that is exactly the way we locals like it.

"It's the same old nasty Tories. They have no idea what Haringey is like and should be ashamed of their comments."

Of course - the good news - is that there are no Tories at all on Haringey Council - and indeed - Tories came fourth at the last local elections and a very distant third at the General Election of 2005. Cause and effect!

Labels: brian coleman, neil williams

If you ask a woman what she likes least about herself, she will rarely say “I hate my personality”; instead she will say “I hate my teeth”, or thighs, or some other physical attribute ... and that was the theme I talked about in Brighton last week (at party conference) at the Girl Guides fringe meeting to mark the launch of their report "Under ten and under pressure" about the pressures our modern way of life and society puts on young girls:

We all have a hard time growing up. Some of it really painful. Much of it to do with will I be liked? Will boys ask me out? And even if they do –that never really assuages the self doubt. And even if it does – just wait until you next see the TV, read a newspaper or pick up a magazine. Look younger now. Be slimmer tomorrow. The pressure to be self-conscious and anxious about your image is nearly relentless – and that much harder to deal with the younger you are.

We - and by this I mean society as a whole – have a tendency to measure self-esteem through external factors. This is also reinforced in the Opinion Leader Research which shows girls’ self-esteem to be intrinsically linked with having strong and supportive friendship groups.

So what kind of identity does Western society offer to women and girls? And why does this lead to such dramatic problems of self-esteem, such as depression and eating disorders?

The rest of the speech is up on my website.

Reading through last week's newspaper articles - at last - I find that finally the cavalry is joining my campaign to stop innocent people's DNA being stored in
perpetuity by the police on the national DNA database - and even The Sun has given the story a decent write-up. Hurrah!

And if you're wondering - "but what does an innocent person have to fear?" - then the answer is "plenty!" as I wrote in an article titled What do the innocent have to fear from a DNA database? on my website.

Labels: dna

Off to Avenue Nursery to open their splendid new playground. Quite an amazing feat - given that all the concrete and building materials had to be brought in by hand by the builder. Previn seems to have decided that this would be done and done well and to time - and it was.

A lovely little ceremony. Mary - the head of the nursery - told us the story of how the work was done and then two of the classes sang a special song for the occasion and individual children from one class read out their own stories of what this new playground meant to them. They loved the surface, the space, not having to put on boots to avoid mud, the toys and so on.

From where I stand, this is a nursery with superb facilities but also with completely dedicated staff who make sure the childrens' early years are the best they can be; after all - what they experience in these years will be the foundation for the rest of their lives.

Congratulations to all who worked so hard to make this playgound happen!

Labels: avenue nursery

One of the main thrusts of my attack on the Government in my keynote speech at Brighton Conference was on corruption and how it provides support for extremists, comfort for terrorists and sucks away the money from the most needy in development terms.

Needless to say, I raised the spectre of BAE and the dropping of the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office. The whole business stinks - and I am proud that the Lib Dems have led on exposing Labour and Tory hypocrisy on this.

But today in the papers I see that the Labour government are now moving to block cooperation with the US enquiry into BAE. It's come to a pretty poor pass when the US is prepared to investigate and prosecute on bribery and corruption - and our Labour government is ducking and diving. Shame on Gordon Brown.

Labels: crime

So - back from the wilds of Brighton and the Liberal Democrat conference. Just a few 'tidy ups' as I was basically blogging by video diary.

I didn't understand the reference at the time that the Chair, Jon Ball, made to me a one of the four Lib Dem Sun 'lovelies' when he introduced my keynote speech on Wednesday. Coming home - some kind person (!) has emailed me the link - and there I am with Jo Swinson (27), Julia Goldsworthy (29) and Kirsty Williams (36). Sadly - they do publish my age! Still - whereas I used to just rail against the innate sexism in such articles - now (at my advanced age) I am just grateful!

More seriously, on the last morning, the speaker who summated in the Liberal Democrat Youth and Students Emergency Motion on Darfur, a Darfuri Abdo Abdullah, gave a most powerful speech.

We had had the Global Day of Action on Darfur on the Monday (blogged about by one of the organisers here). But there is nothing more powerful to advocate both the need for speed of deployment of the AU/UN hybrid force and the need for our government to stop sending Darfuris back to torture and murder - then someone standing in front of you who has seen his own family murdered.

I spoke in this debate and of course, made Darfur one of the key issues in my keynote speech the day before - but will the Government act? Brown says he wants troops deployed earlier than next year. Given he is Prime Minister, he has the power to push it - but he seems satisfied with warm words alone. Cold comfort to dying Darfuris.

You can see more of my conference photos over on Flickr.

Labels: darfur, gordon brown, jo swinson

It's Thursday - and my final conference diary webcast. Darfur is one of the big issues for debate today - and there's also Ming Campbell's big conference speech:

Running time: 68 seconds

Labels: darfur, ming campbell

This afternoon was my big set-piece speech in the main conference hall - on international development of course!

We need to recognise that one of the big problems with effective foreign aid is that the most effective development projects are the small scale and local – like solar cookers.

But these small scale projects don’t scale up well to making a difference to a whole population, to a whole country or to a whole region.

So what is to be done?

Answers in the full speech on my website.

Labels: darfur, international development, vulture funds

It's Wednesday morning - so it's time for another conference diary webcast:

Running time: 83 seconds

This morning it was corporate social responsibility at a Social Market Foundation breakfast meeting. I've put up on my website the full length version of the speech, which I slimmed down to fit the time today.

My take on the issues around how companies should behave, whether corporate social responsibility drives are welcome or cynical window-dressing, and so on, starts with the individual:

I want to look at the issue from a different angle. Because companies are made up of individual people. Those decisions – they aren’t being made by companies, they are being made by individuals in the companies.

The real questions are about how should humans behave – and what responsibilities do they bear to others, whether it is at home, at work, somewhere in between or somewhere completely different?

My starting point is that I don’t believe that those responsibilities suddenly cease when you walk through a doorway and enter your company. You can no more excuse immoral behaviour by saying “but I was only at work” than you can by saying “but I was only following orders”. Individual responsibilities stick with you always.

Click here to read the full speech on my website.

Labels: corporate social responsibility, social market foundation

Discontent with our modern lot - that was the theme of my speech at last night's launch of Reinventing the State: Social Liberalism for the 21st Century:

I started out on my chapter just thinking about how often friends or colleagues bound up to me and say, “Hey Lynne, I feel fabulously happy and I there’s nothing I would want different.”

Duh! Never! We appear to wander round in mild to severe discontent with our lot. It’s not actually the ‘fabulously happy’ answer that I really hope for – but I do wonder what it is that makes us feel such dissatisfaction.

It was a packed fringe meeting - and also featured speeches from Chris Huhne, Nick Clegg and Steve Webb. A good evening all round!

Click here to read the rest of my speech and click here to buy the book now.

Labels: chris huhne, nick clegg

That's one of the topics at conference today, as you can see from my latest conference webcast diary:

Running time: 91 seconds

More details about the immigration debate are on the party's website - and you can also see the other conference webcasts (from Ming Campbell and Conference Committee Chair Duncan Brack) by clicking here.

Labels: ming campbell

Today we've been debating our plans to make Britain carbon neutral by 2050:

Running time: 92 seconds

Yesterday I also spoke at the Shelter fringe meeting on housing. I started by highlighting one scandalous case from Hornsey and Wood Green:

I went to visit in their own home a constituent with a housing problem. “Housing problem” doesn’t begin to describe the situation. Nice three bedroom flat – but the flat didn’t start until the first floor. And to get to the first floor you had to mount a narrow and long staircase.

Now, the daughter – quadriplegic – had to be carried up and down that staircase. That was barely manageable when they moved in and she was five – but now she was eleven. The father worked and his work meant he wasn’t there to help. And the little brother was too small and young.

When I went in, I met the daughter – who was strapped vertically to a contraption that enabled her to be placed in front of a television to entertain her in the hours and hours that she had to spend immobile. She had no movement in any limb, couldn’t speak, but she could see and hear and her brain function and understanding were normal. I can’t even begin imagine what that is like.

For over five years since they applied to move to a ground floor – they were told – no three bedroom ground floor accommodation had become available – in the whole borough!

Five years – no progress. I mean, goodness me, the council could have gone down to the local estate agents and purchased a new house – if they’d really wanted to fix the problem. Because you see – this wasn’t a case of the council saying, “sorry, we’ve got no money” – although that often is an issue – but instead it was a case of the deadhand of bureaucracy mindlessly churning through the administrative wheels without any real desire to fix the problem.

I want on to talk about how we should change the housing system, as you can read about in the full speech.

So - last night was the Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards - bigger and better than even, as they say.

Congratulations to all the highly deserved winners - and who better to tell you who they were than the winner of the blog of the year himself?

Shame only about Georgio Armani, as you can read about in the speech I gave.

Party conference is back in Brighton, and I'm back doing a daily video diary too. Here's the first:

Running time: 69 seconds

Lovely event. Opening (or launching) a commemorative bench. Am never quite sure of the correct terminology. Anyway Liz Murchie and Maeve McAlliston were two wonderful ladies, founder members of the Hornsey Lane Residents Association who not only cared about the local community - but actively campaigned to improve things. Two of their campaigns were for the 20mph speed limit and the celebrations for Archway Road Bridge.

Families of both women came to see the bench launched and what a fine bench it is - kindly donated by Thames Water - which after five months of work on the bridge was a very welcome goodwill gesture.

Pictured here with Richard Taylor from Living Streets, are relatives and members of Hornsey Lane Residents Association.

Later dash to the launch of the Muslim Youth Forum at Wightman Road Mosque. This is a great initiative which sees Haringey Police Boxing Club and Spurs both there to tell the boys what is on offer free in terms of training. But the Muslim Youth Forum is more than that - in that is specifically aimed at ensuring that young Muslims are part of society - and showing that it is a tiny minority of extremists who damage the good name of good Muslims. Positive activities, positive debates and leadership teaching - these are the wonderful ambitions for this group. Mr Ali (Chair of the Elders), as ever, is spot on - what a lot of wisdom that man has!