This morning am having an hour’s interview by the Audit Commission in Haringey about the Council performance etc for the Comprehensive Assessment. Where do I start? We run through everything from political bias to planning to education to consultation to housing and so on and so on.

The problem I always find in these interviews is to find the right balance. I can only give my own experience with real life examples from my surgery or postbag to illustrate the gaps in their services. The most damning part of Labour Haringey is that they often say the right things but on the ground they don’t deliver – and I see the wreckage that they leave by promised action which never occurs.

Nick Clegg (Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary) and I meet the Chiefs of Police from a number of American cities and criminologists etc in a round-table discussion. Lots of interesting ideas and notions – although it would be fair to say that I don’t think there was much common ground on minorities and how to deal with re-offending! But a really interesting group. It is always instructive to exchange views with those in the same field but from other countries.

Then I went to Millbank where there was a screen for the England match. As one colleague said at the end – it was like watching eleven Tim Henmans – i.e. agonising. Still we are through. Hurrah.