Sustainable Communities Bill in Parliament today. Not a sexy name – but it may go some way to meet that dreadful sense of powerlessness we all get sometimes when the Government runs roughshod over local wishes. It’s about giving local communities much more power over their issues in their own patch. It is a Private Members’ Bill with all party support – and though it is usually quite difficult to get MPs to Parliament on a Friday (those with constituencies outside London are normally travelling back to a long weekend packed full of local meetings and events) – today there were enough to see it through to the next stage. Julia Goldsworthy has been doing much of the running for the Liberal Democrats on the issue – and you can watch her talk about it on her website.

Debate was followed by a very harrowing surgery – and then followed by a weekend off(ish)!