Catching up on the week – on Friday I visited Highgate School. Now this was a repeat visit – obviously wowed Year 9 boys last year – so that I’m back by popular request. Always enjoyable to make politics live for young people. The questions were more serious than the ones I had to field last year – which seemed to concentrate on the shenanigans by certain grown up men in my party. This year it was very much about politics itself. I also met the new Headmaster who seemed very enthusiastic about working with other schools in the Haringey community to see where Highgate (independent) could perhaps offer other schools extra things that were available at Highgate but not at some other schools. All seems very exciting as a prospect. Never can get over how you walk into a completely different world once you walk through the front buildings into the seclusion of the inner open spaces of the school.
Category Archives: Blog
Robert Zoellick set to head up the World Bank
Still no change in the world order I see. Once again the United States has simply nominated their political appointee to the position of President of the World Bank.
No doubt when nominations close on Monday – he will simply then be appointed as the sole nominee.
Closed processes are not acceptable.
Mr Zoellick may well be the best man for the job – but we will never know -‘cos he’s the only name in the frame!
Highbury and Islington station is set to be moved
A quick update on the saga of the Finsbury Park sign that puts Highbury & Islington on the Northern Line – Tim O’Toole from Transport for London has got back in touch with me:
Dear Lynne
I refer to your email dated 5 June and addressed to Peter Hendy. I have been asked to respond.
The sign is certainly misleading and the local Group Station Manager has arranged to have it amended.
The comment [on your blog] posted by Mr Mark Valladares, is indeed correct. The line from Finsbury Park to Moorgate was, until the 1970s, a spur ofthe Northern line. This is the type of quirk one finds on such an oldsystem and that is treasured by the cognoscenti. You are right toexpect us to eliminate such items, however.
Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Yours sincerely
Tim O’Toole
Now that’s what I like – Tim O’Toole, hands on and dealing with it! Thanks Tim and all hail the power of the internet!
Litvinenko house update
Today it is the three weeks since we were told the report from the company who had gone into do a critical survey assessing the risk would be back. Now it looks like Monday. I don’t think we are expecting anything other than a diminution in the danger from the Pollonium 210 originally assessed – unless they have found new hot spots. Outside of that the report is likely to make recommendations based on the results of their findings as to what remedial work is necessary and what the specification for that work will be. So we wait…
What next for international development?
Addressing the All Party Group on Overseas Development today. In weekly succession they have had Gareth Thomas (Labour Minister), Andrew Mitchell (Tory) and obviously saving the best til last – me – today! The title of this series is ‘What next for International Development? Political Perspectives.’
Despite the Labour Deputy Leader hustings on International Development being scheduled at the same time – the room was comfortably filled. Speaking on a subject where everyone in the room is an expert is far more testing than speaking to the public!
I spoke for about 40 minutes and then took 50 minutes of questions. It was very enjoyable and you can read my speech on my website. But for an abridged version – I said the Government has no consistency about where it is going between its different arms; that corruption eats up huge amounts of the money, hindering the good work that we try to do with development and aid – and that tackling corruption would now be seen as a bit rich given our current squalid failure to see through investigations into BAE and the Al Yamamah arms deal with the Saudis. But all of this is dwarfed by the complete failure of the Department for International Development to make the coming cataclysm of climate change central to its development funding programs. Enjoy!
UPDATE: Jonathan Fryer has an account of the meeting over on his blog. Shame about the photo though!
Camden by-election
Last job of the day is campaigning with Matt Sanders door-knocking in Camden in the by-election. Matt is a great candidate – and so enthusiastic – great to see. We were in a street not far from Camden Market and much of the angst of the street is crime. The (Lib Dem led) Council is paying for night Police Community Support Officers who will come on stream shortly – so that should be part of the answer. This clearly used to be a Labour street – but equally clearly there has been a swing to Liberal Democrats last year in the local elections. So – go Matt!
Prime Minister's Questions
Tony Blair, clearly demob happy, made mincemeat of Cameron at PMQs today – as has been his wont recently. I don’t know who is writing Cameron’s stuff – but it is well bad! He chose to go at Reid on the paedophile issue – but Blair just turned it right round by quoting back votes in Parliament. Of course – you can argue over the meaning of such votes sometimes. But the point is – that Cameron’s team should have seen this elephant trap – and they didn’t. And yet again Cameron’s blushes (literally) were not spared.
International Questions: Darfur
International Questions today before PMQs – and I go in on Darfur:
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey and Wood Green) (LD): The Secretary of State has just said that pressure was important. Bashir’s agreement for the deployment of the force does not come into effect until 2008, so has the Secretary of State considered using the international spotlight on China, owing to the Olympics, as leverage to encourage China to use its influence with Khartoum to end the genocide and stop Darfuris being killed between now and when Bashir may or may not allow troops to be deployed in 2008?
Hilary Benn: We certainly have encouraged China and all members of the Security Council and other nations to play their part in encouraging the Government of Sudan to do the right thing. I welcome the fact that the Chinese have now appointed a special envoy, Liu Guijin. That, plus the effort made by China in November when we had the meeting in Addis Ababa, chaired by Kofi Annan, which came up with the proposals for the hybrid force that have now been agreed by the Government of Sudan, demonstrates that China has taken a greater interest in trying to play a part. But the truth is that every single country has a responsibility to do more and to use all the influence that it has, including, if required, the threat of sanctions, to ensure that fine words are turned into action, because action is what is needed.
So – he didn’t really answer the key point – whether the Government has the guts to apply the screws to get China to help focus Bashir’s mind on delivering on his promises – and earlier than he wants.
Bebo
Bebo event! Bebo – who are a social network outfit and on a promotional drive – and today took part in an event in Parliament about the impact of the internet and social networking on politics. Also there was Joe Trippi, but I was really there for the Bebo launch of the Be Cause scheme.
They have asked three MPs (one from each main party) to take part – using Bebo to promote a particular cause. In my case – it’s a litter pick in Parkland Walk on the 30th June. You can see the Bebo event here.
This is a very good example of how the net can be a socially cohesive tool informing and bringing communities together over a local concern. In this case – people are concenred about the future of Parkland Walk, so I’ve used the internet to run an online survey to gather in people’s views, emails to let people know what is happening on the issue and now – Bebo to bring people together (I hope!) to make a difference directly. And that’s engagement.
Extending freedom of information
I am sponsoring my Lib Dem colleague Tom Brake’s 10 Minute Rule Bill today which extends the Freedom of Information Act to stop ministers having the final say and putting that say instead in the hands of the Information Commissioner and Tribunal. It also brings in laws about delay – as prevarication is often the game and non-supply – let alone timely supply. It would also brings private contractors who do public sector contract work into the remit of freedom of information legislation. So – a good thing to be sponsoring!
Lynne Featherstone 