I just came back from buying Sunday croissant at my local corner shop. The owner and two of the guys who work there were discussing whether or not the Bin Laden “confession” video was genuine. Their view seemed to be not. Drawing me into the discussion, there appeared to be two theories as to why it could not be genuine.

The first was Bin Laden’s profile – which apparently is straight on the video but according to one of the guys is quite different in reality. The other theorist proposed that there was a multi-million pound deal being offered to Afghanistan for mini-bourkhas following the predicted change in regime and that was the rational for the American involvement in the region. A faked video was being used as a cover for American commercial self-interest.

I have no pukka information that could guide me as to whether or not the video is genuine. I am from the West and therefore my presumption is that it is genuine – even though there is a tiny thought at the back of my brain that says: ‘it’s a bit convenient having a video showing Bin Laden admitting guilt’. But, for the most part it is swept away because I, like most of the West and regardless of the validity or otherwise of the video, believe that Bin Laden is responsible for September 11 and therefore justice must be sought.

Anyway, the point of relating this is – given that we are in that wonderful pocket of time between Xmas and New year, stomachs are full, the hangovers are receding, the children (if we have them) are preoccupied with the outrageous amount of money we have all spent on them, whether we can afford it or no – there is, for once, time to think a bit.

And I am a great believer in thinking, albeit pondering the great imponderables doesn’t appear very fashionable these days. This conversation with my mates in the corner shop simply brought sharply into focus for me how clearly we are all products of our upbringing – both personal and national. If we are ever to resolve issues, be they personal, local, national or international, the only real solutions come from allowing us all positions that are tenable given our own starting point and this means we have to be able to think beyond our initial preconceptions.

So where does this mean for my day job? What has Bin Laden got to do with London government? Only this. People often ask me what is the point of the Assembly? (There are days when this question seems more valid than others!) What is its role?

For me the answer is simple. If a policy, be it from the Mayor or the Government or whoever, is examined by the Assembly, and then all parties on the Assembly can agree a response, this response will not only benefit London because of what it says, but also because the very act of having to come up with cross-party agreement means the result is robust and tenable to all.

This is the value in the work the Assembly does. It isn’t always headline catching. It isn’t always sexy, but it produces work that stands full square for London across its entire people because it is forged through debate, crossfire and heat to reach a position of agreement.

So as the New Year approaches I suppose my own resolution for 2002 will be to try even harder to understand others perspective on issues which come to me on the Assembly and to remember that just ‘cos I believe I am right, so others believe they are right – and we need to reach across the differences to find a way through for us all.

Happy New Year!