Busy day today. First off – accompany Alistair Carmichael (our Shadow Home Secretary) to the Home Office for a meeting with Minister Tony McNaulty. Basically it was to run through his thinking on immigration and asylum. He wasn’t as bad close up as I had feared given to my knowledge he has never smiled. This is probably an exaggeration – and it may well be that he has simply never smiled at me!

Rush back for Home Affairs team meeting followed by Prime Minister’s Questions where Tony Blair made absolute mincemeat of Cameron – and very enjoyable it was too. I am not partial to blood sports – but it would be disingenuous if I denied the pleasure I got from his mauling.

Firstly Blair was well on song – albeit Cameron handed him a real gift by saying that Labour had flip-flopped. Coming from the flippiest flopper in town – it was then open season. I am particularly incensed over Cameron’s rubbish at the moment because of his latest conversion to getting rid of the Royal Prerogative – i.e. Tony Blair’s ability to take this country to war – and wants parliament to have the authority in this. Only a few months ago Clare Short brought in a Private Members Bill for the armed forces which would have done exactly that. Friday morning when such Bills are debated is quite difficult to get MPs to stay for – however lots of Lib Dems and Labour did – because it was so important. But only 6 Tories were in evidence and voted – and guess what – David Cameron was nowhere to be seen! The rank hypocrisy is striking – so his come-uppance was richly deserved.

Then I dashed over to Methodist Central Hall for a lobby by the local Defend Council Housing group – who are up in arms about ALMOs. Their complaint is that the goalposts are moving on what was voted on by leaseholders and tenants. I raise it with my Council Group in the evening and our housing spokesperson, Dave Beacham is going to make sure that the motions they passed in their forum are discussed by the Board.

Then I rush (late) to Environmental Audit Committee where we take evidence on why the government is too lily livered to actually stick to its targets or deal with taxing consumption. Then I rush to a meeting to thrash our the line on DNA (more to come another day). which is one of my passions (a bit nerdy) and then rush back to Haringey to Council Group.