Category Archives: Blog

Equal Marriage – beware opponents bearing gifts

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Often when I am giving a speech or attending an event, a young man or woman will sidle up to me and thank me shyly for having got equal marriage legislation put before Parliament, telling me just how much it means to him or her. The stories of how much it matters to them, their loved ones and their families often makes me cry.

The symbolism of marriage for them is so important – and changing the rules to let people of the same gender who love each other get married is also an important way of showing that as a society we wish to treat people equally, regardless of their sexuality.

That is why this is so important. Equal marriage is totemic in its meaning and in its reality. It’s no wonder that the polls this weekend show people backing same-sex marriage by nearly 2-to-1.

With the legislation coming back to Parliament this coming week, I’ve been reading through some of the many amendments which will be debated. Many of them are fundamentally from those who disagree with same sex marriage and I trust and hope they will fail.

However, there are two that I would normally not hesitate to support. I am in favour of humanist weddings and opposite-sex Civil Partnerships. However, in the case of the opposite sex Civil Partnership proposals it’s a matter of beware opponents bearing gifts – for the people pushing this change are not those with records of supporting equality and marriage rules that accommodate a diversity of couples.

No, instead the proposals are coming from the likes of Tim Loughton and others who are avowed and determined opponents of equal marriage.

Have Tim and his colleagues suddenly become converts to the cause of equality? Given their public statements I fear what is at work here is rather darker and more cynical – a deliberate attempt to wreck the legislation by introducing extra issues to it that will make it easier for opponents of equal marriage in Parliament to then filibuster, delay and block the legislation.

I have just got back from a ministerial trip Nigeria and so will find out more tomorrow. If this is simply a cynical trap by opponents of equal marriage to block it, then we need to be careful not to fall into it – no matter how temptingly attractive the amendments are that are being used to lay the trap.

 

Women in Nigeria

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I’m currently in Nigeria on an international ministerial visit. Below is a blog post about the Women I have met here. 

Throughout my trip in Nigeria so far, I have met several inspiring women leaders. But they have beaten the odds.  It is a disadvantage to be a woman in Nigeria.

I met with around 15 state government commissioners during my time in Kano in Northern Nigeria. All were men. Nationally, only 4% of local commissioners are women.

In a classroom of 50 girls learning the basics of writing, I was told that 80% of women cannot read in eight northern states.

One of DFIDs partners joined me for dinner on Tuesday. Funded by DFID, her organisation is training 7,000 health-workers and midwives in Northern states. Nigeria has 2% of the worlds population but 10% of global maternal deaths.

And one in three of all girls and women between 15-24 has been a victim of violence at some time

It is this final group, Nigerian adolescent women and girls, who are the focus of the DFID project I launched yesterday, the £38m Voices for Change (V4C) programme. Over five years it will support 120,000 girls improve their skills and confidence in Safe Spaces. And importantly, it will work with 12,000 men and boys, 4,000 traditional and religious leaders and their communities to begin to shift attitudes and behaviours to support these girls.

This is important because women’s disadvantage in Nigeria is a problem for all it’s citizens. Economic growth, and any poverty reduction, will never achieve its full potential  unless Nigeria’s women help drive the county forward. Nigeria’s women, and the female leaders I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, will lead. I hope that through V4C and our other programmes, DFID can stand beside them.

A great community street party – caught on camera!

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The Sunday before last I had the great pleasure of going to Hillfield Park’s May Day street party! It was an action and fun packed day – featuring a tug of war, hulahoopathon and maypole dancing!

I was there to present the prizes for the best pet competition. The runners up included dogs and a hamster (who sat on the rosette to pose for the photo!) I had to present the winning rosette to the pet owner – as the winning cat, Boris, had disappeared!

It was great to see the community come together and I can’t give enough praise the residents who organise the event. This year, there is another added bonus – video footage!

International visit to Nigeria

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Here’s a blog post from Nigeria. Yesterday, I was in Kano, launching a a two year teacher support programme alongside a significant contribution from the Kano state government, which will reach all 5,335 public primary schools in the state. 

School means different things to different people.

For Adamu, it means his family sending him from their rural village to live and learn in a small room in the Fagge area of Kano in Northern Nigeria.

His family want him to receive a traditional Koranic education. Previously, this would mean a syllabus focused on rote learning of the Koran. Far from his family, without numeracy or literacy skills, Adamu may not have had access to important opportunities to fufil his potential.

For Fatima, school means a class of 50 in a school teaching 13,000 children. Fatima is in the morning shift when I arrive at Gobirawa special state primary school. Surveys in 2010 suggested as many as around 80% of Nigerian state teachers would struggle to pass the country’s tests set for 10 year olds.

But DFID programmes have made a difference here. Our ESSPIN programme has trained teacher trainers, mentored head teachers on school management, and helped write lesson plans. Today I launched a two year teacher support programme alongside a significant contribution from the Kano state government, which will reach all 5,335 public primary schools in the state.

Meanwhile, working with religious leaders and the state government, ESSPIN training and mentoring has meant Koranic schools can (and do) access the state primary curriculum.  Standing next to the chief mallam in Fagge as he smiles, watching his three young children learn multiplication, I’m told that the school hopes to send its first pupils to state secondary school later this year.

That the government is focused on education, and recognises the work that must be done, is heartening. Because school can ultimately mean opportunity. And Nigeria has that in abundance. Education is one way in which Nigeria’s stunning economic growth can be shared by all of its citizens. And DFID will stand by Nigeria to achieve its ambitions in schooling it’s children.

Banksy: The plot thickens…

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Wood Green’s Banksy has dominated the news again this week. The Standard, ITV, BBC and Sky all reported that the piece will go on sale at the Film Museum in Covent Garden on the 2nd June.

This was in response to the announcement on the Sincura Group website – which invites its members to: “view, and even purchase, some of the most important artwork in the modern era including the infamous Slave Labour piece.”

However, Sincura have now released a statement saying that the piece is NOT up for auction. They say that: “The showing of this piece was the culmination of months of hard work and we simply wish to display it in again its home city before it disappears forever…”

They go on to say that the piece will be returned to the US where it will form part of a private collection. This is totally unacceptable – the piece belongs to the public in Wood Green, not in one person’s warehouse.

Journalists, local residents and politicians have been trying to track down the piece since it mysteriously disappeared from the side of the Poundland building in Wood Green. The well-travelled piece ended up in Miami for auction, but was dramatically pulled from sale at the last minute; after the people of Wood Green let the auctioneers know what they thought about their Banksy being sold for private profit.

I held a meeting with the owners of the building – Wood Green Investments – who were adamant that the piece had been taken without their consent.

But – Sincura say they are entirely satisfied that the mural was legally salvaged. Something just doesn’t add up here, and the Banksy mystery is now more confusing than ever.

I have now contacted Sincura and asked them for answers. Is our Banksy up for sale or just being exhibited? How can they be sure that there was no criminality, when the owners didn’t give consent?

Attempts will also be made to contact the ‘owner’ of the piece and/or their representatives.

I will be sure to keep everyone updated on the mission to restore our Banksy to its rightful place – here in Wood Green.

The Banksy piece on Turnpike Lane, before its removal

The controversial piece before its removal from Turnpike Lane

Ally Pally given funds for redevelopment!

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Lynne Featherstone MP at Alexandra Palace, with the television tower in the backgroundWhat fantastic news to wake up to – Alexandra Palace has been awarded an £800k grant to get its restoration plans off the ground! This will be followed by a whopping £16.8million for construction work, once the plans have been finalised.

The team at Ally Pally want to transform the eastern wing, by bringing the Victorian theatre and BBC studios back to life and making it accessible to the public.

The local Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for 15 years for proper plans to revamp the Palace and Park. It hasn’t been an easy ride – as the Labour-run Council bungled decision after decision, trying to sell off the landmark and costing the taxpayers millions in the process. But finally, the Palace is now moving in the right direction.

Duncan Wilson, the Chief Executive of Alexandra Park and Palace has said that: “The ‘People’s Palace’ in its entirety can now become a reality and we are thrilled that the HLF have endorsed our plans for its future.”

I am so happy, and couldn’t agree more!

Here is the quote I sent to the press first thing this morning –

“Congratulations to the team at Alexandra Palace, who have successfully secured millions in funding for the historic site.

“From the start, the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund was well researched and involved local people. The proposals for the theatre and TV Studios attracted particularly strong support in the public consultation – so it’s great to see them at the centre of the restoration plans.

“After years of turmoil, the Palace is now well and truly on the right track and has taken a great step towards securing a long term future. Thank you to the Alexandra Palace team, and to the Heritage Lottery Fund. I can’t wait to see the results.”

Ps – I recently described Alexandra Palace as my favourite landmark, and made a recording as part of the ‘London Beyond Sight’ project. You can listen to it here.

Save Muswell Hill Front Counter!

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Here’s my most recent Ham and High Column on Policing in Haringey

Policing in Haringey is undergoing major changes. This all started last year, when the Conservative Mayor of London announced that changes would be made to policing in Haringey and across the city.

In the current economic climate, changes have to be made to make policing more efficient and cost effective. But from day one, the Lib Dems were clear that any changes should not have a negative impact on public access to the police.

Police front counters, for instance, are vital local services – allowing victims to go and report crimes face to face, in a safe and secure environment. We all hope that we will never have to visit one, but it is certainly reassuring to know they’re there.

So, when the Mayor mentioned that front counters might be closed and replaced with contact points, we started expressing our concern and asking questions.

Straight away, Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon asked the Mayor for a guarantee that there would be no time gap between a front counter closing and new contact point opening.

The Mayor gave this guarantee, and went on to say that no front counter would be lost without an ‘equivalent or indeed better’ replacement – open for the same number of hours.

During the consultation period, the Haringey Lib Dems and I called on the Mayor to keep to his word.

You can imagine our disappointment and anger when the Mayor announced his final plans, which include the closure of Muswell Hill volunteer counter. This would leave a huge chunk of the borough without proper access to front counter services.

Yes – changes had to be made, but not like this.

In response, I have launched a petition, calling on the Mayor to retain a local base for the Safer Neighbourhood Team on, or near, Muswell Hill Broadway with an accessible front counter for the public to report crimes.

Hundreds have signed already, and residents can add their names here: http://bit.ly/MuswellHillPolice

After launching the petition, I met with Haringey’s new Borough Commander – Victor Olisa. I was very pleased to hear that he had contacted the volunteers and is keen to keep a police presence in Muswell Hill. But Haringey Police need help finding a new location for the service – as the Met will be selling the building it currently operates from.

So, Haringey Police are willing to keep the volunteer counter service, but only if a suitable location can be found. Please contact me if you have any ideas for a suitable location for a front counter service in or around Muswell Hill.

We also saved this very front counter once before. With enough support from residents and Haringey Police, we can do the same again.

Inspire the House competition

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This year, Parliament is hosting the ‘Kids Count Inspiration Awards.’ MPs have been asked to nominate an inspirational young person or community group that deserve to be recognised for their contribution to our communities.

We have some amazing groups and individuals in Haringey, and it will be difficult to pick which one to nominate! I have some ideas in mind, but I would like your views too.

Please don’t hesitate to email me on lynne@lynnefeatherstone.org if you would like to suggest someone to nominate.

The awards will take place on the 24th June in Parliament.  Nominations close of 15th May – so let me know asap!

Here are the two categories in more detail:

1)      Best contribution by a community group

CRITERIA. Recognising a community group who by example, track record and commitment have signalled that responsibility lies within their own community to protect and foster the well-being and development of young people.

2)      Most Inspirational Young Person

CRITERIA. Recognising an individual young person, who has inspired others by their personal dedication, personality, enthusiasm, resilience, flair and commitment to one, or a number of issues affecting the lives of young people.

Labour split on Whittington

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After months of opposing any changes at all to the Whittington Hospital, it seems some Labour members have finally realised that campaigning against any changes to the hospital will do more harm than good. See this tweet from Labour Cllr Martin Klute, for instance.

When the Whittington Board announced that it would be making changes to the hospital in January, everyone was shocked. Politicians across the Borough all agreed that the Hospital’s communications strategy had been appalling.

But then, we disagreed. A good summary of the disagreements between the Lib Dem and Labour approach can be found in the news here, with a further explanation below.

From the outset – the local Lib Dems and I knew that, despite their appalling communications, the Whittington Board members were trying to make changes to secure the long term future of the Hospital.

In order for the Whittington to be successful in their Foundation Trust application, the Board needed to make plans for change. They include selling off derelict buildings so that money can be reinvested in A&E and maternity. It also includes reducing beds in non-urgent wards, so that care can be transferred to the community.

Without making these changes, the Board would have been unsuccessful in securing Foundation Trust Status. This would have led to a takeover of the hospital, a loss of services, and loss of local control.

That’s why the Lib Dems and I did not oppose all changes out right. Unlike others, we would not oppose all changes to the Hospital for quick political gain.

Instead, we called for no loss of hospital services as a result of the changes, and for a full public consultation.

We had numerous meetings with the board and called a public meeting so residents could have their say. In response to our 2,700 signature strong petition, we received these assurances.

We continue to ask tough questions about the future of integrated care. We have continued our petition to ensure the Board engages with the public and keeps its word about services.

Labour, however, campaigned against any change or sale of land. They used the opportunity to try and blame the Government for what was happening, and score political points, despite the hospital’s plans having nothing to do with the Government.

During a separate public meeting, David Lammy MP spoke of how any changes would be the death knell for the Whittington. In fact, the opposite is true.

Some Labour politicians, such as Islington Council leader Catherine West, continue to oppose any changes, despite the growing realisation that change is necessary to protect the hospital. However, some Labour councillors have now come out against the Labour position.

I hope in time Labour will see sense and follow our example, fighting to keep local services not derelict buildings.

So, while Labour tries to get its house in order and find a coherent position – the local Lib Dems and I will stick to our original and clear position: That during this period of change, the Whittington should continue to engage with the public, and ensure that no local services are lost.