When Nick Clegg gave me the Youth portfolio – we agreed that Liberal Democrats would be relentlessly pro-youth – not anti-youth!

Young people often get a raw deal. When they work hard and pass their exams – all they hear is that they only did well because tests are getting easier these days.

And although young people are more likely to be a victim of crime than any other group in society – politicians – Labour and Tory obviously - and the media often treat them as though they are all criminals.

And when there is nothing to do after school, because youth services have been decimated over the last two decades – then they are blamed for hanging around the streets.

The pressure comes at young people from so many angles:

• from the medial who are happy to report on the kids who do cause trouble but never seem to give those same column inches to all the volunteering and good things that young people do; and
• from the fashion, beauty and diet industry – who bombard young people with fake images and we know that  issues of low self esteem, anxiety and eating disorders are on the rise – directly correlated to this unremitting diet of over-perfected stereo types.

There are huge challenges ahead, particularly as we climb out of a recession that threatens young hopes and aspirations. If we don’t want a lost generation – then we have to make sure that we deliver a worthwhile future for our young people.

We Liberal Democrats are committed to creating a country where our young people can be free to be themselves, enabling them to be the very best they can be – and enjoy equal life chances with everyone else.

We want our policies to be effective – not vindictive.

That is why our youth policy paper, Free to be Young,  sets out what Liberal Democrats would do differently to provide a fresh start for young people in the UK today.

Families and relationships are so important – but we know that sometimes things don’t work out – and children see little of their fathers.

It’s not a tax break for married couples that are needed – it is about engaging both parents with their children regardless of who the child lives with.

We propose a program called Dads and Doughnuts.

And if both parents are not involved – we have to make an effort to facitlitate that involvement. We know that if fathers read with their sons at an early age – that child does much better. Dads and Doughnuts is about encouraging schools to involve both parents in their children’s lives – separately if necessary.

In employment – what message does it send to young people when they do the same job, the same hours – but receive a lower minimum wage?

That isn’t about fairness - that’s about doing it on the cheap.

And young people can get married and have children at sixteen, serve in the armed forces – pay tax. What was that about no taxation without representation? So we believe that young people should be able to vote at 16.

And as I said – the recession focuses our proposals on ensuring that we don’t have a lost generation.

We need to ensure that every young person has a pathway – whether that is work experience, training or education.

We will fund 15,000 more college based foundation degree places in the first year.

Introducing a new ‘paid internship scheme for the first year after the election paying a training allowance of £55 (£5 more than jobseekers) per week.

Because how do you persuade an employer that you can do the job if you have no work experience in that field – and how do you get that experience if you cannot get a job.

And freedom – what freedom is there on being on the DNA database when you are innocent?

I remember a young black mother coming to my surgery almost hysterical with worry because her young son, 11, had been playing hide and seek in the grounds of a local hospital.

A policeman stopped him and asked what he was doing (his mates ran off) and from that his DNA was taken and despite the fact he did nothing really wrong – he was just playing – that DNA record was held.

His mother was hysterical because she knows that one day an employer may ask if he is on the DNA database – and that record albeit for nothing – may add to the already difficult challenge in getting a job. Moreover – it is just wrong to hold records on innocent children.

We would remove them from the DNA database unless there is a conviction for violent or sexual offence.

Homophobic bullying is rife in our schools – we know that 6 out of 10 children are homophobically bullied.

Nick Clegg has spoken out about the need for teachers to talk about being gay – so that young people understand that it is just another way of being – another normal way of being. We will ensure better training and guidance for teachers and youth workers.

Lastly – because I believe there may be a call for a separate vote on the statutory duty – I urge you to support the motion as is. Liberal Democrats are not natural allies of statutory duties –– so whilst we might very well want to remove a whole raft of statutory duties if we could - but we are where we are – and because youth services in many authorities have been decimated over the last two decades we will make Youth Services a statutory responsibility.

We desperately need an army of youth workers with the commitment, energy and experience to work with our young people – and when the media charge young people with hanging around with nothing to do – much of that is to do with their budgets being raided by a cash-strapped authority.

We have to throw a protective ring around them if we are serious about investing in young people.

So – there isn’t time to cover all that is in the motion – let alone the policy paper.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the young people who took part in the consultation stages of this paper – bright, caring, and passionate and involved – nothing like the picture the media paints.

I would also like to thank Laura Willoughby who chaired the initial stages, and the members of the policy working group who were enthusiastic and determined that this would be a paper that enabled young people to breathe again.

And lastly Linda Jack – who chaired the Policy Working Group with experience, energy and commitment and a resolute determination that this paper should be positive and encouraging - and the title ‘Free to be Young’ is a reflection of the Liberal Democrat belief that every young person should feel that there is a decent, happy and fulfilling life ahead of them.

Thank you.

My four year old son caught his finger in the door of some public toilets in Highgate last summer. It was a very bad cut and looked as if the bone had been crushed. Naturally, he was in agony and great distress and the finger was bleeding profusely. I was with our two other small children and we ran to the A and E at the Whittington and were soon reassured that no bone had been broken, there was no sign of likely infection and that the cut just needed gluing.  The thought of driving all three children to the Royal Free Hospital in the afternoon traffic (a journey that can easily take half an hour or more) makes me go cold.
I would probably have felt I had no choice but to call an ambulance. Such an action would put further strain on the ambulance/ emergency service surely?  I shudder to think of what could happen if any of my children (or indeed their mummy or daddy) needed prompt emergency attention to save their life....The Royal Free Hospital is too far; it is a disgrace for London residents to have to travel such a distance. We are living in a densely populated area, not in the Outer Hebrides....

They do things really well. Well thought out. Well arranged. Well chaired. I think all the candidates did well and set out their stall - and the debate was interesting and the questions wide-ranging.

Chris Bryant represented Labour, Nick Herbert represented the Tories, Chris Smith the Greens - and obviously I was there for the LibDems.

The basic LibDem stall is that the clue is in our name - Liberal - through and through - and not just for elections. I started the campaign for the ban on gay men giving blood donations to be lifted. At first both Terence Higgins Trust and Stonewall declined to join me. However, Stonewall changed their position and have been campaigning too for this. The safety of the blood supply is paramount - but whether or not donations are given should be based on the risk from an individual's behaviour - not a blanket ban. Neither the Tories nor Labour supported my amendment.

Then, I raised the issue of the Government's intransigence during the Equality Bill and their refusal to change the protected characteristic of 'gender reassignment' to 'gender identity'.  Trans issues are very different to gay issues in substance - but the discrimination and harassment they suffer is of the order of the early days of gay liberation. Sometimes the gay community can be a bit cross and feel that trans get lumped in with gay issues - but the suffering and quest for equality and freedom from discrimination and harassment is the same.

Anyway - in the Bill, the Government displayed complete ignorance of transgender issues. They showed relentless and ill-informed determination to keep it as ‘gender reassignment. They seemingly did not understand or even wish to understand the complexities of the range of the spectrum of gender identity. They had no awareness that many, many trans people never change sex nor even ultimately pass for the other gender nor even go on that journey nor that some people are just intersex in some form and that those who have gender identity issues will experience discrimination and need protection because they don’t fit gender stereotypes at all.

Over the years of campaigning for LGBT equality, Liberal Democrats have always led the field. We were first to civil partnerships, first to fight for gays in the armed forces, now gay marriage and the introduction and duty for schools, all schools, to talk about sexual orientation openly and as just part of life.

And what a furore it caused when Nick Clegg said that there should be a duty to talk about homosexuality openly at school. But of course it should – as just another normal way of being. It is absolutely crucial.

Homophobic bullying is rife as am sure you know with 6 out 10 children homophobically bullied. Burgeoning sexuality can be pretty confusing at the best of times, but to suffer any bullying let alone homophobic bullying is cruel beyond belief. This is one of the areas where this Labour government has really failed the LGBT community. In the equality Bill homophobic bullying has a different level of protection to any of the other strands. There is a lower bar of harassment for example – for race, gender and religion. Only sexual orientation is left to the more difficult protection of simple direct discrimination. Homophobic bullying should have exactly the same protection as all other protected characteristics. End of.

I could go on - but suffice to say was a very good event and a very important agenda and a very enjoyable evening.

I wanted to use this opportunity to really put the case to the Minister that the sweeping changes being proposed have no clinical evidence base and no business case. I demonstrated (for about half an hour) how there is no evidence of where or how 45,000 A&E patients who could not be handled by an alternative means would be cared for, nor any existing services in the community to deal with the 38,000 shoved from the A&E to Primary Care. Out of hours GPs are already a worse service in Haringey than the rest of London and there is no statistical data on polyclinics or urgent care centres to show that they could cope. There has been no work on access and up until now - no proper extensive quantative consultation.

The Minister in his wind-up was pretty clear that he did not think the case for the Whittington A&E to close had been made. I think the fact that this is Labour policy that is driving this - together with the benefit of the pressure from the coming election - has helped the Minister into this position - at least for now!

As soon as Hansard is published - I will paste up or link to the actual debate - as many Members made very good and robust arguments from all sides of the political divide.

I completely support the campaign to keep the A&E service going at the Whittington and have had three experiences:- 1. About 18 months ago I cut my foot badly at home (I live in Crouch End). My wife drove me to the Whittington, where I had a rapid first examination and assessment, before taking my place in the queue while more serious injuries were dealt with. Had the Whittington not been available, (and because of the amount of blood!), I would have had to call for an ambulance.
2. I have a stepbrother with Aspergers syndrome. About 2 1/2 years ago, at a time when he was self medicating, he became very concerned, and disturbed that he had taken too much medicine. He was able to take himself to the Whittington, who discussed the matter with him, to discover that in fact he had failed to take one particular set of medication. (When I went to pick him up, I was informed, tongue in cheek, that A&E was not the place for people who had underdosed!)

3. My 80 year old mother in law had a fall at home about 4 years ago, leaving her very bruised, shaken and distressed. We took her to the Whittington where she had a rapid first assessment, and was then kept for observation for about 4 hours. A more distant hospital would have need the services of an ambulance, and would have been considerably more distressing for her.

Incidentally, I have had various treatments at the Whittington over nearly four decades, and I have been thoroughly satisfied with them all.

Conference notes with concern amendment 120a to the Digital Economy Bill which facilitates website-blocking for alleged copyright infringement and which was passed on 3 March 2010.

3.The creation of a level playing field between the traditional, copyright-based business model and alternative business models which may rely on personal copying and legal filesharing.

Many, many times have I been grateful for the quick and safe reactions of the staff of the Whittington A&E.

Just one story?

I run a group for mothers and babies nearby. One afternoon, a toddler knocked over a mug of very hot tea. His mother tried to comfort him, but he was obviously in pain. I suggested she hurry to the Whittington A&E, and said I'd come and meet her there after the meeting. When I got there, she was in a separate room with her son. A doctor arrived and dealt with the burn with an excellent cream and bandage. The toddler relaxed immediately she started to treat him. Small though he was, he could tell he was in good hands. The doctor explained exactly how the mother should dress the wound at home. She was efficient but human too. The mother is now applying to do voluntary work at the Whittington, and I have just been asked to give a reference for her.

In 2005 I became unwell and developed a high temperature. I wasn't well enough to go to the doctor and was prescribed antibiotics on a home visit from our local doctor on a Friday. Unfortunately I was extremely allergic to the drugs and was told on Saturday by Camidoc (phone call) to stop taking them if they were making me vomit. On Sunday I felt considerably worse and a Camidoc doctor visited and immediately called an ambulance. One of the side effects of my illness was that I remained rational and quite convincing that I was not as sick as I was. The ambulance arrived at A&E and they - without absolute proof but based on symptoms - began treating me for bacterial meningitis and pneumonia. Had they given me a lumbar puncture which is one way to prove the diagnosis, I would probably have died.

The pressure in my spinal column was dangerously high. Their swift action undoubtedly saved my life. I was in hospital for 2 months and all the specialists thought I was a walking miracle when I left. The credit was given by all the medical team to that first Doctor in A&E who saw me within 10 minutes of my arrival.

I would also write to say how critical the A&E has been to my elderly neighbour. Sheila W lived in Priory Gardens for over 50 years. Her husband was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, her son was epileptic and she herself had severe arthritis. During their lifetime, the Whittington were on hand for every emergency - and there were many. In recent years Sheila fell down a flight of stairs and broke her arm in three places. She phoned me for help and on arrival at A&E the staff were outstanding. She was fragile, old and very afraid. Her fear of painkillers was great because her stomach had been made vulnerable from other medications. They set up an intravenous drip of paracetamol for her which was wonderful - the salient point is that they did not need to resort to morphine or other high dependency drugs. The pain clinic work at the Whittington is outstanding and their policies are used in the A&E to enormous benefit.

In October 2009, I became very ill at home because I was hemorrhaging from ulcers in my stomach and round the base of my windpipe. I did not know I had ulcers because I was in no pain: I simply felt extremely weak. My excellent GP, Dr Friedman came to see me at home and immediately sent me to Whittington A&E. The doctors there saw me at once and, after some preliminary investigations, transferred me to a diagnostic unit .It was found that my blood count was only 6.5 when it should have been 12. I was put in a ward very quickly and given 3 units of blood. Thanks to the excellent and very prompt treatment I received, I have made a full recovery.
Without the skilled treatment I received at Whittington's A&E I could easily have died as the hemorrhaging did not stop until some time after I was admitted to hospital. I am extremely grateful for the skilled treatment I received and think it essential that Whittington A&E remains open.