Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

The indefatigable Dan Hardie has an update on his blog on the shameful way our government has failed to stand by Iraqis who worked with our armed forces. For all Gordon Brown's fine words in October last year - Dan hasn't been able to find any Iraqis who have actually been evacuated from Iraq since then.

As to why this matters - here's what one of the people fearing for their lives says:

They (the militia) keep asking my relatives and my family’s neighbors about me and they keep moving in my family’s street and keep their eyes on our home… they told them: anyone know anything about A__ he should tell us immediately and also they said: we will never give up until we catch A__ .

So - do go read Dan's post - and then lobby your MP (and, yes, it's worth doing the lobbying even if your MP is someone like myself who is already supporting the cause - because the more contacts MPs get in total, the more pressure Government Ministers will feel under).

Labels: dan hardie, iraq

Well - happy new year everyone, and without further ado - here's what keeping you reading on this blog over the last three months.

10. Low Copy Number DNA - a recap of my concerns about Labour's plans for our DNA records, back in the news after this controversial new technique was criticised by the judge in the Omagh bomb case. I suspect I got a lot of traffic to this post as lots of people went searching for information on the topic after the news of the judge's comments broke.

9. Crimestoppers caught advertising on illegal radio station - still going strong much to my surprise as the story is quite old now (see also the update if you're new to the story).

8. Ian Blair should go - London's top cop keeps making mistakes, and the time's come for him to take direct personal responsibility for this record. As it turned out, only one Blair went in '07.

7. Shadow Cabinet reshuffle - not really a blog posting because - as the news came out on my birthday - I just bunged up the news release - but nice to know so many people wanted to know quickly what post I'd got!

4. Wikipedia and its limitations - a slightly different posting from me this time; lesson noted that you dear reader like this sort of stuff!

3. Britain turns its back on more than half our Iraqi interpreters - the ongoing scandal of Labour's refusal to protect those who worked for our armed forces in Iraq.

And of course the Lib Dem leadership contest featured - coming in at six, five, two and first in the list - no surprises there!

(Click here to see the previous top tens).

Labels: dna, ian blair, iraq, lib dem leadership contest, most popular blog postings, wikipedia

It completely buggered up my going to Pond Square carols on Thursday - which is one of my fav of the year events - but having been trying to get a meeting with Minister Kim Howells about the Iraqi interpreters issue for some time - then when only the day before I was told that a 5.30pm meeting was arranged, that took precedence.

I think it was the powers of persuasion of Chris Bryant (MP for Rhondda, Labour) rather than my that achieved this - but also Ed Vaizey Conservative MP and Dan Hardie - my local constituent who first brought the issue to me and who is at the forefront of this campaign.

The Minister would only see MPs and Ed was unable to come - so myself and Chris put the issues to him. I have abbreviated substantially and just give the essential gist below. The answers are those given in the meeting by Kim Howells - rather than my own view of what the answers should be!

Q. Why had the Government decided that only those Iraqis who had worked for more than 12 months for the British armed forces could qualify for the asylum or resettlement grants?
A. Difficult to draw the line - but must be drawn somewhere otherwise Britain would be open to thousands coming here; 12 months seemed to accommodate most of those at risk.

Q. But why not make a decision based on a risk assessment of an individual's circumstances rather than impose an arbitrary cut-off date?
A. Too difficult a process in the situation.

Q. Why can't people who worked for the British armed forces before 1 January 2005 qualify for asylum or resettlement grants?
A. It wasn't dangerous before then.

Q. Why is the process of helping those who have worked for our armed forces so slow? Time is of the essence when people are in fear of their lives.
A. Because it takes time to do checks before a person is got out of the country, and when they are got out to a third party country there is another delay there whilst their status etc. is sorted.

Q. How long is it between contact by an Iraqi in danger and getting him/her out of the country
A. Three months.

At this point the Minister had to attend the Commons Chamber and the meeting terminated. Kim Howells seemed genuinely committed to trying to get those at risk to safety - but in erring on the side of caution so much it did seem to me that he was getting it wrong.

There would be people whose cases did not neatly fit the guidlines, and the whole process can be terribly slow. When people's lives are at risk, it is better - far, far better - to err on the side of of saving someone's life. We live in a world that at times seems obsessed with avoiding any risk - hence all the warnings that packets of nuts may contain nuts, that hot drinks might be hot, and on and on. And yet then when we have lives at risk in this case - suddenly erring on the side of safety doesn't apply. A mad, mad world!

To be continued...

But in the meantime, there are two things you can do:

1. There's an EDM (a sort of Parliamentary petition) you can ask your MP to sign. It's EDM 401 and you can read it here and see who has signed it.
2. You can sign the petition at ourcampaign.org.uk/interpreters

(If you'd like some more background on the issue, you can read my recent article on the subject).

Labels: dan hardie, iraq

That's the title of the latest blog posting from Dan Hardie, the indefatigable blogger on the shameful way in which the British government is turning its back on those Iraqis who work as interpreters for our armed forces over there. As Dan writes:

This comes down to one simple principle: the Iraqis whom our Government should help first are those who are at risk of being murdered for having worked for the British. It is still not too late for the Government to implement this principle. It is administratively possible. It is morally imperative.

And from the Government’s viewpoint, it is now politically advisable: a continued policy of literally niggling people to death, putting bureaucratic obstacles in the way of men and women in fear of their lives for having worked for British troops, will attract nothing but contempt, from the press and the public.

There's an Early Day Motion in Parliament on this topic; please do ask your MP to sign. It's EDM 401 and you can read it here and see who has signed it. To contact your MP, just visit www.writetothem.com and pop in your postcode.

Labels: dan hardie, iraq

The Times today really says it all:

More than half the Iraqi interpreters who applied to come to live in Britain have had their applications rejected, drawing accusations that the Government is “wriggling out” of its promise to help former Iraqi employees.

The Times has learnt that 125 of the 200 interpreters who took up the offer to resettle in Britain have failed to meet the strict criteria laid down for eligibility...

In three cases seen by The Times, former Iraqi employees were told that they were ineligible because of “absenteeism”.

The interpreters claim that they risked their lives to serve the British and are living in constant danger of reprisal from Shia militias. If they did not show up for work, it was because they were fleeing for their lives. They said that they now felt betrayed by the Government...

Lynne Featherstone, a Liberal Democrat MP who has championed the cause of the Iraqi interpreters, said that the Government needed to use its imagination in a difficult case.

“If those Iraqis who have helped us are now being told that they can't come here because their absence was regarded as a resignation, this is the world gone mad,” she said.

If you're as angry about this as I am - there are two things you can do:

1. There's an EDM (a sort of Parliamentary petition) you can ask your MP to sign. It's EDM 401 and you can read it here and see who has signed it.
2. You can sign the petition at ourcampaign.org.uk/interpreters

(If you'd like some more background on the issue, you can read my recent article on the subject).

Labels: iraq

I have retabled my EDM calling on the British Government to move further and faster in its help for the Iraqi interpreters - those who helped us and are helping us in Iraq but for whom the consequence of doing so is to be hunted by death squads in Basra.

All EDMs fall at the end of a parliamentary session - which is why I have retabled it for the new session and it is now open for MPs to sign it (whether or not they signed the previous one). Encourage your MP to sign!

It's EDM 401 and you can read it here and see who has signed it.

If you are not familiar with this issue - here's what I wrote recently:

Many Iraqis employed by the British are tortured when found by the Iraqi death-squads. Like Haidr al-Mtury, a translator for the British, who had holes drilled into his hands and knees before both legs were broken and acid was poured over his face. Only then did a bullet to the head put an end to his suffering.

You can read the full article here.

Meanwhile - Dan Hardie has a harrowing account of the day-to-day fears for their safety of Iraqis who worked for Britain.

Labels: dan hardie, iraq

That's the subject of my recent article for Liberal Democrat News:

Many Iraqis employed by the British are tortured when found by the Iraqi death-squads. Like Haidr al-Mtury, a translator for the British, who had holes drilled into his hands and knees before both legs were broken and acid was poured over his face. Only then did a bullet to the head put an end to his suffering. These Iraqis are people whose intelligence and work the British Forces lives have been dependant upon. Yet the fact is that the British government is treating these people as if they are applying for means tested benefit - not like people who are fleeing for their lives.

The British treatment of Iraqi employees stands in stark contrast to the employees of the Danes. When the Danish government pulled their troops out of Iraq at the beginning of August, they foresaw the perils facing their staff and immediately acted, chartering a flight that took all 60 of their Iraqi staff, and their families, straight to Copenhagen and a new life without fear...

The government's protracted review has brought us a remarkably poorly thought out policy that is practically unsustainable and morally unforgivable. The death squads won't wait and neither should we; the government must act immediately or it will have the blood of Iraqi employees on its hands.

You can read the full piece here and sign the petition here.

Labels: iraq

It felt just like going back to school - but only for a moment. Then it was back into the familiar routines when Parliament is sitting and as if the summer recess had never happened.

The big one yesterday was Gordon (I used to be taken seriously) Brown - coming to the House to give a statement on Iraq. I was trying to think: if he hadn't made such a pig's ear of the last few weeks - would this have been well received? Partially - is the answer.

His news on reductions in troop numbers - albeit not enough - and half-hearted help for the Iraqis whose work for us in the war now means the Basra death squads are hunting them down and killing them - was typical Brown, picking up on the big issues but only making partial and unsatisfying moves on them.

As I am sponsoring tonight's meeting on the fate of the Iraqi interpreters who worked for the British armed forces, I was glad the the pressure that has mounted on this issue (mostly thanks to the blogosphere who pushed it to the fore) had obviously got to Gordon.

As usual, Gordon threw his big arms around the Iraqi employees tent - not wishing to look bad publicly (which he does) for using them then throwing them to the dogs. But he didn't say what he should have said. Instead we got the mealy-mouthed Gordon version which was a financial package to help resettle somewhere - and 'under agreed circumstances' some would be allowed to come here.

A more detailed statement will follow this week. It had better!

Labels: gordon brown, iraq

Oh dear. It really isn't new Gordon at all is it? Off jets the PM to Iraq (handily clashing with Conservative conference, trying to steal some of the media coverage from them) and announces 1,000 troops are to come home - but 500 of them were coming home already. And - what happened to GB's promise to make announcements first to Parliament?

Double-counting numbers and putting spin first. It's the same old Gordon!

Labels: gordon brown, iraq

So - another chance to debate and beg for an Iraq inquiry - and another chance for the Labour Government to say no! And that is what happened. Although it has to be said it was game, set and match to the opposition parties (united now the Tories have realised how wrong they were to vote for the war) who really made mincemeat of Beckett. The Government had not a single good argument. Sadly, that didn't stop them winning the vote. For goodness sake - even the US has had an inquiry!

Before that we were subjected to King Tony in the last days of his reign coming forth to the House of Commons, returned from the glorious G8 Summit where agreements to talks were the successes of the day.

Not to be too harsh (oh why not?) whilst it is good that the G8 agreed to a UN-sponsored process on climate change - actually there already is one in the form of Kyoto protocol which involves all of the key developing countries. And while the protocol's first commitment period comes to an end in 2012 - the protocol itself doesn't.

If Bush is serious about wanting to involve the US in climate talks all he needs to do is ratify Kyoto - and Bob’s your uncle. Then he can join the next commitment period talks - no probs!

That having been said - it's at least a start to raising these issues amongst those who count - agreements etc must follow - otherwise it's all hot air.

Labels: iraq, margaret beckett

Just got back from the Westminster Hour. Ed Vaizey (Conservative MP), now clearly desperate to put me off my stride on our weekly Sunday tryst, has taken to wearing strange outfits. Tonight’s little number was a bright yellow phosphorescent jacket and shorts. That boy will try anything! So if I seemed distracted ... perhaps next time I should bring a camera!

First up was the Opposition Day motion on an Iraq enquiry coming up this week in Parliament. The Scot Nats had a debate asking for an enquiry not that long ago - and whilst we Lib Dems voted for an inquiry – the Government (just) won the vote.

This time however, the interesting issue for me is the timing. With Gordon about to ascend the throne - if I was he and trying to put a bit of distance between myself and TB - I might very well in my first hundred days announce an Iraq inquiry. So let's spoil it for Gordy and vote for one before he gets the chance to spin his involvement in taking us to war.

In fact, listening to a package before I went on tonight, several of the would be deputy leaders of the Labour party were - at one of their hustings in Oxford that the Westminster Hour's Carolyn Quinn had been to - wringing their hands in grief over how misled they had been over the war (even though most were in the cabinet) and how wrong the intelligence must have been. Spare me the tears. We, the Lib Dems, were the only party asking the hard questions and we were reviled in the House for our stance. Those Labour MPs can’t get away with saying “we were misled”. The truth is – they not only failed to answer the right questions, they reviled those who did ask questions.

And those Tories are being very cheeky (if not somewhat opportunistic) having a debate for an Iraq inquiry as they were very much cheerleaders for the war (though boy David has flipped and flopped back and forth on the issue – saying he was for it, then saying he agreed with the Lib Dems, then changing his mind again, and now – I presume! – will be voting for an inquiry).

Anyway - we also had a chat about my colleague Tom Brake's 10 minute rule bill on Freedom of Information – coming up on Tuesday. It really extends the original powers to request material under the Freedom of Information Act so that when the Government tries shenanigans to avoid giving up information the ultimate decision will be in the hands of the Information Tribunal or Commissioner - and not in the hands of ministers.

Interestingly, the Bill would also bring private contractors who work for public bodies into the realm of FoI. Quite right! Now virtually everything is outsourced - the companies to whom previously public sector contracts are now awarded should be subject to proper scrutiny and come under the FoI banner.

Labels: carolyn quinn, ed vaizey, iraq, the westminster hour

This just about sums up my views very well!

Labels: gordon brown, iraq

Did the first session of the Stop the War Coalition's Peoples' Assembly marking four years since the day we visited the illegal war on Iraq.

Many speakers in first session and chaired by Tony Benn. We are all on the same side here today.

My speech was really about how we need to build, or rather help Iraqis rebuild, the infrastructure of Iraq. And of course, to mention, that Tony Blair's war to save Iraq from Saddam has precipitated a humanitarian disaster.

Labels: iraq, tony benn

A footnote to my posting about yesterday's debate in Parliament: there's much more detail on the Liberal Democrat proposals for withdrawing British troops on the Liberal Democrat website.

Labels: iraq

The afternoon's debate was 'Iraq and the wider Middle East'. Blair didn't lead on this and wasn’t even in Parliament for the debate. He should have been there and should have spoken. The first debate in government time for four years - and a Prime Minister who was only too keen to come to the Chamber when he wanted to persuade us into war (it worked on the Tories, but not on the Liberal Democrats) suddenly doesn’t have time to debate after all.

Ming was genuinely awewome. I haven't seen him give such a bravura speech since I came to Parliament. It is his strong suit - so it was so impressive. This was acknowledged by all sides.

The Liberal Democrats put forward a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Yes - withdrawal with outline dates. Our premise is that without a deadline (based on what might be realised and pragmatic) there will never be a 'right' moment and now we have undoubtedly become part of the problem not the solution. We are making things worse now - not better.

Well - this proposal certainly upset the Tories (who voted for the war but are now saying they were duped by Tony; I guess they won’t be running their next election campaign based on a “you can trust our judgement” platform!). How can you name a date they asked. Supposing things aren't quiet when you get to the date? We think sometimes you have to make things happen. Lib Dems voted against the war - but once there - we felt we had to support the troops etc. But once the democratic(ish) elections were held, then there had to be a plan to withdraw. Now is the right time to set a progam of withdrawal in place - and that's what we set out today, and what Ming explained in his latest online broadcast:

Labels: iraq, ming campbell, tony blair

Howard Dean (former would-be Democrat candidate for US president) has rather surprised me this week - for the news came out that he will be helping the Labour party here in the UK.

But for most people he's know for two things: (a) being against the Iraq war, and (b) crashing to dramatic defeat. (a) isn't exactly the Labour party, and (b) isn't exactly what the Labour party wants I'm sure!

So - what's going on? Dean seemed to me to make great play of sticking to his principles on Iraq and speaking up against the war - yet now he wants to help Tony Blair's party, the great international cheerleader for George W Bush?

All very rum...

Labels: iraq

PMQs - same old, same old. Bear pit behaviour - no score draw between Blair and Cameron - but Ming was really on form. It was on Iraq - and of course this is home territory for Ming and where he is at his best. Still - despite the barrage of suggestions that our military presence might be part of the problem rather than the solution - Blair is only conceding that 'of course they want to bring the troops home as early as possible - but not until the job is done'. When is 'done'?

The debate today is the second day of Modernising Company Law Bill and I sat in to listen to the part that I have had most correspondence from local constituents on - that is the section about regulation and audit for companies with regard to their ethical behaviour in purchase, behaviour and sales.

The Labour Government dropped some rules in this regard a little while back - and the amendments today are to try and introduce a wider remit for what is now called Business Review - a requirement to report on a variety of ethical behaviour issues.

The amendments widened that remit to include reporting and revealing things like the supply chain - for who a company buys from is just as important in terms of how ethical or not that company is as its own direct behaviour.

Sadly, the so-called Labour rebels withdrew their amendment on this before the vote. Our amendment was on bringing a formal audit to the Business Review - alone in the lobbies with the moral high ground as usual - we lost the vote. The debate continues.

Big lobby on Parliament today by the sub post office masters with the largest petition ever presented - something like four million. Not surprised - as per my entry on Monday it was down to the Lib Dems to bring a debate on the Post Office to the floor of the House of Commons as the Government won't even give it debating time - let alone save the sub-post offices that remain after decimation under both Labour and Tory governments.

Labels: iraq, ming campbell, pmqs, post offices

Got an email from a very disgruntled constituent complaining about the Islam Expo being allowed on 'our' patch (at Alexandra Palace) and opening roughly at the same time as anniversary of the 7/7 bombings. I answered saying the timing could be viewed that way - but in reality that the Muslims had born the brunt of the reactions to 7/7. And indeed the Islam Expo is reaching out across communities and extending understanding in my view. That is to be welcomed.

Our foreign policy, waging an illegal war, has caused some Muslims to become radicalised and a few to commit these hideous and unjustifiable acts. Tony Blair says Muslims have to do more. My own view is that we all have to do more. The only concern I would personally voice through my own experience is that I have encountered one Muslim man in a leadership position, who when speaking to me or publicly condemns suicide bombings but who amongst certain other groupings espouses tacit approval. That is not acceptable and I think is about individuals power bases.

[UPDATE: have found out more about this person's views, and it looks like I was mistaken - so I won't be pursuing this further.]

Anyway - to my point - there was an interesting - and largely positive - poll in The Sun (!) about Muslims, extremism and terrorism. It's an internet poll - so we need to be aware of that and polling the Muslim community accurately can be very difficult in terms of who a poll reaches and what selectivity that binds into the results. So we shouldn't get too het up about the details, but overall picture is, as I say, interesting.

Further details are on Anthony Wells's excellent site, but here's what I make of them.

Yes, a small minority of Muslims think our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq justify attacks on British civilians. But it's only slightly more (10% rather than 7%) than the figure in the non-Muslim population. In other words - there isn't a great swathe of the Muslim population that believes in attacks on civilians. As for the deeply wrong minority who do - well, they are nearly as frequently found amongst non-Muslims as amongst Muslims. In fact, as the non-Muslim population is much larger, the majority of people who think such attacks are right are non-Muslims.

Also, a majority of non-Muslims here think problems with Muslim extremism have got worse in the last year. But amongst Muslims themselves - who are of course much closer to what is actually happening in their own communities - the figures are much lower at just under a quarter. And a fifth of Muslims meanwhile think problems with extremism have actually decreased in the past year.

One final straw in the wind: 9% of Muslims think it would be best if they didn't integrate with the rest of society, but 16% of non-Muslims think it's best if Muslims don't integrate. Food for thought there!

In fact listening to radio phone-ins this week was equally struck by number of non-Muslims phoning in to say they didn't want more integration and by a very good call from a woman who reminded us that when Brits go and live abroad, they often open an English pub, wear English clothes, speak English and set up a little England enclave!

Labels: iraq, tony blair

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

First panic of the day - the first batch of our election address needs to be bundled and got to Royal Mail. Neil (agent) phones around the 'gang' and we all flood in to finish off the last envelopes. All is well - except it takes Neil three and a half hours round trip to get it there.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (lot of western allusion today) I get my spurs on and go canvassing with Jonathan Marciano from the Ham & High. As ever, we are looking for Labour 'switchers' as I guess that will be the story of this seat. But it is hard to find anyone who is not out and out Lib Dem (of the very few people in that time of the morning).

In the end Jonathan decides he will have to make do with a photo of me on the doorstep of a Lib Dem supporter. So we talk on the step and as we are talking it turns out that he did indeed used to be a Labour supporter. It was the LibDem work locally that first brought us into the frame (cracked pavements and rubbish collection etc) - and combined with Iraq … If you can't keep a street clean - how can you run the country - I always say!

We do bits of interviews as we go. My successful campaigns for the 603 bus route and the police front counter reopening at Muswell Hill police station are touched upon but the main issue coming up on the doorsteps is Iraq. Crime, education (particularly school places) and health also feature.

When people start talking about why they are voting and switching it is about the sort of world people want. It matters how you behave. It matters if you wage an illegal war. It matters if your civil liberties are taken away. It matters if what makes our society decent and caring is trashed.

Whew - glad to get that off my chest.

Rush home to try and get my emails done. It is absolute mayhem trying to deal with everything that is coming in. I am glad that the volume of stuff has exploded in size - I think. Rush back to HQ after a few hours of inbox control and to help get our next leaflet our to deliverers in Hornsey and then off canvassing again with Alexis.

Very good canvassing here and more posters. People are very interested in talking - which means I cover less ground - but it I feel an important part of the democratic process for candidates to have to meet and talk to the public.

Actually go home quite early at around 8pm to read the Liberal Democrat manifesto properly and start to think about the hustings the first one of which is to be Churches of Muswell Hill on Sunday afternoon.

Labels: 603 bus, iraq, muswell hill police station

9am sharp the campaign team arrives at my house. Everyone in very good form and we get through the business of going through the status of our campaign in record time. Most head off for our HQ to begin the days canvassing (not before 11am as waking people on a Sunday morning does not endear them to your cause!), delivering and sticking and stuffing.

Neil, Susie and I head off to do a photo shoot at Alexandra Park Station and then I come back home to write some notes for Bill Rodgers who the following night is to chair my adoption meeting. Drop them off and head to HQ myself.

Uneventful couple of hours canvassing and then off to the Kurdish Centre off Green Lanes where I have been invited to speak for 10 minutes on anything I like. This is the celebration of 17 years of the centre.

As I was asked what time slot I would like and had said 3.30pm I turned up and the hall was full of people. The proceedings were mainly in Kurdish (with a bit of Turkish). There was a Green MEP there and she was called to speak first. A translator translated as she went.

When I was called I just spoke about the choice they would have at the election, the war, and the importance of communities like the Kurdish community not just voting, but becoming politicians and active members of the community.

Then Barbara Roche (my Labour opponent) arrived. Didn't know she was coming. She took the stage in an absolute thundercloud - so assume that she didn't know I was going to be there either. Blasted the LibDems right, left and centre.

She also introduced herself as a Member of Parliament for a left-wing progressive government. You could have knocked me down with a feather! This from the most right-wing, privatising government we have seen. And her voting track-record? Voted for tube privatisation, for top up fees, for war in Iraq, for cutting benefits for disabled people, for Post Office closures, the list goes on …

Dash back to HQ (just love having an HQ) and grab some canvassing.

A lot of Labour supporters know about Tariq Ali's call for people to vote Lib Dem in Hornsey and Wood Green to defeat the pro-war MP. It's put a lot of people on the spot. Do you stay at home or reluctantly vote Labour – or do you take the plunge and cast a vote which will actually make a difference?

Tariq has basically challenged all those in Hornsey & Wood Green who have been so upset by the Labour Government taking us to war illegally and by the MP's unswerving support for that war - to actually do something about it - because here they can.

Take canvassing back to HQ and dash off to meeting about traffic issues in Bounds Green. As usual - a proposed traffic scheme to stop rat-running from the North Circular is dividing a community that straddles the Haringey / Enfield border. I look at all the maps with the two women who have called me in desperation to stop Enfield just doing what they plan - without Haringey sorting out their side. As ever - one road's benefit by timed closures means another road's suffering. I will pursue as it drives me mad - the sticking plaster approach to traffic problems in London.

Home to emails, paperwork etc - and lots of requests for posters! Hurrah!

Labels: iraq, post offices

Radio 4 have a piece about disgruntled Labour activists - and they pick a group of Labour members from Hornsey and Wood Green.

Some of the comments from the Labour members:

"There's so many things the Labour government does that I am in total, complete disagreement with. And it's not just Iraq, it is the rightwards drift, it's the attack on local authorities, it's the attack on social housing. It's the arrogant attitude that they have towards ordinary people."

"I know dozens, literally dozens and dozens, of people who are Labour voters who will be voting Lib Dem. Because they are the party in the area that's got some momentum behind it, and are the anti war party, and it is the war that has been the biggest issue for me."

"For a Labour government to take us to war in that way is just for me unsupportable, but there are also the attacks on civil liberties, top up fees, the privatisation, galloping privatisation, it's just more than I can bear and when they dress it up in this whole language of choice, and so on, well I'm sorry I cannot trust people who behave like that – I don’t trust them."

All this from Labour party members! You can listen again to this on the Radio 4 website for a week.

Labels: iraq

A week or so ago I got a call from a Labour member in Stroud Green ward saying that he and quite a few people around where he lived were thinking not only of voting for the Lib Dems in the coming election - but perhaps actively going out and campaigning for us when the election is called. However, they wanted to 'interview' me as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate to make sure I was - whatever.

He assured me it would not be an 'interrogation' but just that they didn't know me and wanted to check out some issues with me.

I took Laura Edge with me as she is the Lib Dem councillor in Stroud Green ward (elected with a massive swing from Labour in the January 2004 by-election – 29% swing!).

I suppose there are about ten people there when we arrive - and they certainly put me through my paces. The key issues appeared to be Iraq, Control Orders, PPP for the tube and many, many others. I just answered directly - my thoughts. My late mother's advice to me in all things was 'be yourself'. So I was.

I recognise that many Lib Dem policies and positions at the moment resonate with Labour members and voters. This is not because of any change in Liberal Democracy - it is because Labour has moved. I am not a socialist but much of the rest of politics has moved so far to the right, that many people now find the Liberal Democrats closest to their own views.

One issue that was causing anxiety was the possibility that if they voted Lib Dem it might let a Tory in. No chance in Hornsey & Wood Green. The Tory candidate has even said publicly that the election is a very close contest between Labour and the Lib Dems.

Moreover, there are a couple of Labour websites that have sprung up to advise disaffected Labour voters where it is safe to vote away from Labour. In Hornsey & Wood Green the sites advocate voting Lib Dem completely safely:

www.strategicvoter.org.uk says, "Vote for the best-placed candidate from an anti-war party, which in this seat means LibDem ... You are in a vital battleground constituency where you have a real chance of getting someone from an anti-war party elected."

www.sonowwhodowevotefor.net says the sitting Labour MP, having voted for the war in Iraq, tuition fees and foundation hospitals, is "part of the problem" and urges visitors to back the Lib Dems instead.

I very much enjoyed meeting this Labour group this morning. There are some differences inevitably - but I was greatly impressed by their commitment and engagement in the political process - and that they cared so passionately about a variety of issues they were prepared to be active to deliver an outcome.

After a two-hour 'grilling' (not really) I sneak a quick lunch with my friend Jenny. Don't tell my campaign manager!

Then campaigning in the afternoon followed by a campaign team meeting at my house. All the ward organisers for the campaign come and we run through the programme and update on where we all are with our various tasks. We are all trying to do so much - and getting it mostly done. It is a fantastic team of people who are determined to give it their best!

Labels: iraq, laura edge

Out canvassing in the afternoon. Positive response on the doorstep - there's clearly a very large group of disillusioned Labour voters who are thinking seriously of voting Lib Dem. It's not just about Iraq - though that has been key in breaking people's trust of Blair.

Labels: iraq

My daughter is trying to inveigle a lift to her friend's house in Primrose Hill. I avoid giving my children lifts the vast majority of the time. Firstly - I use public transport much of the time and want them to do same. Secondly - I have very little time. Thirdly - don't think it's good for them to be molly-coddled!

However, as luck would have it, I was going to speak as part of a panel to Camden Liberal Democrats at a supper / Question Time sort of fundraiser. And sod's law - it was about two minutes from where she was going - so she won! On route we saw gangs of little witches, wizards and warlocks - it was so cute. Little covens of kids knocking on doors with a grown up figure lurking not far away overseeing their trick or treating. I quite like Halloween - but still won't watch a horror film on my own!

The other panel members were Sarah Teather MP (she of Brent East by-election victory), Baroness Sally Hamwee (London Assembly and House of Lords frontbencher), Lord Tim Garden (our expert on Iraq, the military and on every TV program on the subject) and myself.

It was a lively old night with lots of questions - pretty challenging ones at that. Iraq figured very largely over the evening and with the impending American presidential election - no surprise. Of course, after Tim Garden speaks so informatively, knowledgeably and well on those key issues. It's not an easy act to follow, but we did our best.

Asked what the panel felt would be the most significant factor in the forthcoming General Election, my answer was trust. Whatever the policies, I think the fundamental problem for Labour is that no one trusts them any more.

The bloke sitting on my left at the Camden supper put his hand up to speak and made the same point about loss of trust because Tim Garden had expressed the view that trust wouldn't be the key issue - it would be policies. This chap, Alexis, then stated that he had left the Labour party for that very reason and had only joined the LibDems one week earlier. I rest my case!

The panel was asked in two words to state their bets on the result of the American elections and the date of the General. Earlier in the year, it looked to me like Bush might go. But now I go for Bush and May!

Labels: iraq