Category Archives: Blog

Meeting Ken Livingstone again

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Ring Peter Hendy to congratulate him. He has been chosen as the one (out of the two applying) for the job as Transport Commissioner for London, taking over from wiley Kiley. Peter was bus supremo – and we have argued across the transport spectrum for years now. And I still want a full time service on the hard fought for 603! What I always really like about Peter is his hands-on approach.

Whenever I put out a press release that he didn’t like – be it about the ‘free’ bendy buses or the ‘bursting into flames’ bendy buses – or whatever – he would phone me on my mobile and give me hell. Despite our opposite positions – we always got on well and I think he will be a great Commissioner. Look forward to seeing his negotiating style with the government. And – on the occasions when he was wrong – eventually he would admit I was right.

My favourite was over AVL – the system of countdown which tells passenger when the bus will be along and is plotted on a computer. Terrible system – never worked properly. I always told Peter that it was pointless finishing implementing an outmoded useless system across the rest of London (it was half in). Have to say – gave me great pleasure the day he told me I had been right all along. Anyway – he is a good thing and I hope to see London improve under his stewardship.

Sonia from the LSE is shadowing me today as part of ‘LSE Women in Westminster’. She and Mette, my researcher, come to Home Affairs Team meeting. We always run through all the Home Affairs Bills with each of the team responsible for that Bill – both Lords and Commons. Mark Oaten (Shadow Home Secretary) heads the team. Updates on Religious Hatred Bill – coming back for another row I think to the Commons soon; ID cards in trouble for the Government – as may be the Terror Laws soon. The Government seem to be having a go at getting back to 60 days on detention without charge. I trust the Lords will stick to the 28 we conceded in the Commons.

Rush off to Prime Ministers’ Questions (PMQs) next. Will Ming pass the test? Well – his question was on the Soham murders – so the House fell silent. And he was absolutely fine – not that in my view PMQs should have any sway. It’s just a blood sport. I do wonder why jeering, leering and making rude gestures is rated so highly by the boys and the media!

I race to City Hall for a London Day event with my old sparring partner – Ken Livingstone. He gives me a double peck on the cheek and I observe that he is clearly missing me since I left. He denies this assertion and tells me what a terrible thing we have done to that nice Charles. And what’s wrong with a drink anyway? Well – this from the man who claims to get bored at parties and only drank three glasses of chardonnay! Hey, Ho.

The lunch was fine – and then Ken orated. He is a good speaker – something to do with nasal tones and trying to shock. I learned a lot from Ken during my five years as an Assembly Member (only the good bits) so have a lot to thank him for in as much as I learned to keep in mind when I speak the audience outside the room as well as those present. And to be direct!

Ken wittered on for some time about water and desalination – but his surprise announcement was his endorsement of Simon Hughes as LibDem leader. Not sure if that’s the kiss of death for Simon!

Prostitution

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Meeting in the morning at Jacksons Lane Community Centre followed by Parliament. Had long interview for Liberal Democrat News followed by one for Hansard Society – who are following a few MPs and interviewing them three times over their first year. Little huddles from the various leadership camps can be seen in every corner. Guess and hope it will all revert to normal after the competition finishes.

I’m handling prostitution today – so to speak. The Government announces its policy – no surprises there. They will crackdown on kerb crawlers (for crackdown read displace). They will allow two prostitutes to work together from premises – but not regulate or license saunas or brothels. They will educate girls that it’s not a good idea to become a sex worker. As usual with Labour – all sound-bite and no solution.

Firstly – the bit about two working girls being able to operate from a flat or whatever does nothing to separate out the prostitutes from the residents. And it’s the residents who don’t want the business on their doorstep for the nuisance, the intimidation and because if they have children it’s not nice – not to put too fine a point on it.

Secondly, their big idea is to take driving licenses away from kerb-crawling men. Hardly a convincing measure. And the insult to injury I think is whilst they talk about educating girls not to go into the business – not a dickie bird about the dicks – i.e. educating boys to behave responsibly and to respect women.

Moreover – it’s a lost opportunity. Lots of good pilots in other cities with ‘managed’ zones where away from residential areas prostitutes can ply their trade between certain hours. Keep girls safe and supervised care for the health side of the business too. That’s being tried in Liverpool. In Edinburgh – although not an official zone – for some time the ‘area’ was out at the docks. Same principle – deal with the issue, the health and safety and the nuisance to others – and regulate the saunas etc where currently the police de facto ignore well-behaved saunas and establishments.

It’s our Opposition Day today in Parliament – which means the Liberal Democrats get to chose what is debated. Our two motions are the Child Support Agency (CSA) followed by nuclear energy – both explosive! Alone in the lobbies – our motions were defeated. Still it’s good to be on the side of the angels.

Sky leadership debate

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Monday night was the live Sky TV hustings for the Lib Dem leadership contest. So I went up to Martin Horwood and David Howarth’s office to watch. I was somewhat surprised to see myself doing a sort of Big Brother walk on, sit down, speak to camera and off as one of three little pieces preceding the main event. I had simply forgotten that I had run into Sky the week before and done it – not realising it was for the live hustings.

Anyway – irrelevant! Chris Huhne did good. I have to say – he came over really well: determined, passionate, eloquent and convincing. And I really enjoyed seeing the other three already adopting the issues and ideas he had raised on the first hustings on green taxes, commitment to black and ethnic minority MPs, localism and so on. Imitation being the best form of flattery etc

Afterwards they went to a random grouping they had set up in a pub in Carshalton to see how the four candidates had gone down. The one I really liked was a floating voter who had thought that she would like Ming or Simon – but said that although she had not heard of him previously – Chris came over the best. Way to go!

Coleridge School

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Surgery all morning. So many people just sort of on the edge of society with such tremendous battles on their hands to even get through the day. Obviously the details are confidential – but today was full of people who have truly fallen by the wayside with no one to pick them up. What do you do when you are so ill and receiving severe medical treatment that you are too ill to deal with letters which you receive? That leads to unpaid bills or unattended issues – which leads to family breakdown, utilities cutting you off and then ultimately homelessness. All because for some the right intervention just isn’t available at the right time.

After surgery rush to meet parents at Coleridge School gates. Despite the rain – quite a large turn out. This is just a dreadful situation. Coleridge two form entry school with fab reputation is lined up for expansion to four form – making it the biggest primary school in the country. Local would-be parents are desperate for their children to go to Coleridge because over the last few years there has been a vast shortage of local places for local children. However, existing parents fear the expansion will ruin the family atmosphere of the school; that the disruption of building works will be detrimental over quite a long period for their children; that the dangerous road that divides the proposed second site from the first will mean injured or worse to their children at some point; that the need for places is in a different part of the local area.

This all heads towards decision at the Schools Organisation Committee on Wednesday. The really awful part is that the parents I met simply hadn’t had a real opportunity to talk to the necessary people. Their input has been limited and their concerns not addressed directly with them. Moreover, this is an occasion when the committee really should make a site visit before deciding.

No doubt this is a difficult judgement. However, it has to be made on real facts and proper proposals. Concerns have to be addressed satisfactorily. The issues around the road have to have safe solutions before proceeding. The planning of school places and their locations must be sound and based on proper research. All avenues need to have been explored so that the resultant recommendations deliver the best possible solution for both existing and future parents.

First Lib Dem leadership hustings

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The Liberal Democrats have a conference titled ‘Meeting the Challenge’ which was always scheduled for today. It was to find the party’s ‘narrative’ following a general election where we did really well – but perhaps didn’t reach the hoped for heights. One of the reasons seemed to be that while our individual policies, such as free care for the elderly, our stance on Iraq, scrapping Council Tax in favour of local income tax and ending top up fees were very popular, overall people didn’t automatically know what Lib Dem meant.

Of course, events of the last few weeks meant that the environment in which this conference found itself was somewhat changed and the ‘challenge’ has become all the more pointed.

So – four candidates in the ring so far. The man who many people initially thought would almost certainly take over and who started as favourite – Sir Menzies Campbell; Simon Hughes (Party President), who has replaced Ming as the bookies’ favourite; Mark Oaten, Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary (and my boss in the Home Affairs Team); and my boy – Chris Huhne, who started as a rank outsider at 300-1 with odds now closing at 7-1.

I am supporting Chris because it’s not the office of leader he is interested in for its own sake. He wants to get the Lib Dems into power. And he knows what he wants to do with that power and where he wants to take the party. For me – I am looking at who can take the fight to Gordon Brown and beat him on his own territory. Chris can do it. I want to know that the man (and sadly there are no women standing) who wins this contest could handle running the country and the fight to get to that position.

And, he answered the big questions for me. One of them is the question the media keep on putting to us (and so we have to have an answer to) about whether the party should go left or right. The stock answer we give in our party to this – is ‘neither left nor right but straight on’ – or equivalent such phrases. Chris answered the question as how a party of conscience and reform progresses into the next era. It’s really about using taxation to discourage behaviour which damages our environment, whilst using the money raised that way to take those who are poorest out of taxation all together. So – overall, no increase in taxation, but a fairer society and a better environment for all. Redistribution and responsible consumption in one – that’s the combination that is both liberal and effective. That’s the unique combination that Liberal Democrats need now.

So the hustings began. Ming had the misfortune of a ropey microphone for the first few minutes – but overcame the technical difficulties and delivered a really excellent speech – particularly the second half and the parts on our internationalist commitment. Simon Hughes gave a really good speech too. He rings the buzzers for the party faithful with his challenge to inequalities in society. At the same time, Simon ditched the party’s commitment to a 50p rate on earnings over £100,000. Mark Oaten gave a really vigorous and energetic speech about moving us into the 21st century.

And of course Chris. I thought the boy did brilliant. He was confident, competent and credible. What I really liked (as did others judging from the vox pops afterwards where activists who hadn’t really known much about him were so impressed – plus the verdict on Radio 4’s PM program that it was Chris who made converts) was that he started with the real challenges we face in the world – globalisation and global warming – and quite frankly, unless we ‘meet the challenge’ of the world as it is – we won’t be addressing the real issues facing us. And he delivered ideas. The others all said that we need new ideas – Chris actually gave some. The most radical and challenging is the beginning of the switch away from personal taxation to eco-taxes – a tax system that really is based on responsible consumption and the use of this tax to redistribute to those at the bottom of the income scale to take them out of tax.

You can see his speech in full on the Chris Huhne campaign website (or watch it on the BBC’s website – RealPlayer or Windows Media Player required) but two other key issues he raised for me were firstly – a head-on personal commitment from him as leader to use his personal influence to ensure that we ethnic minority MPs elected at the next General Election. And whilst he is pleased that we have such a talented influx of new women MPs (I blush) we need more. No one else put this at the top of their agenda.

The other key issue he raised was the organisation of the party machine. Chris showed understanding that we need to have a fearsome campaigning machine – which means tools and money for the Campaigns Department – to compete in this ferocious world of political contest.

So – needless to say – he ticked my boxes!

Taser guns

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Things move on at a staggering pace when politics is in full flow – and it is. Chris Huhne – who I am backing for the Lib Dem leadership – came in this morning and – having ‘slept on it’ – decided it is now all systems go. To me – this shows he has the balls for leadership – because that’s what it takes

Of course, there is risk, but nothing ventured nothing gained – and this party needs a leader that will take it forward with radical thinking and exceptional skill.

All the candidates (including Chris) answered my seven questions that I posted up here for all the candidates. I will not publicise their answers, but on the one that the media so fastened on – the issue around what part was played by each in Kennedy’s downfall and what had they done in the preceding five years to address the problem – what I will say is that I was satisfied that they all acted in what they thought was the best interest of a wounded colleague and the party.

Retrospectively, we can all say how could this have been allowed to drag on for so long – but good intentions were at the heart of the matter. And for me – the inquest is ended. As to who briefed the press before Christmas – I don’t think we will ever know. The journalists involved know – but they will never reveal who done it. So – we will move on. Pick ourselves up – dust ourselves off – and concentrate on electing our new leader and making real gains at the local elections in May.

I’m backing Chris because he’s the real deal and I think he has the big idea. He may have started out as the dark horse of this race – but hey – life’s for living, and the bookies have already been slashing the odds on him. Some will say that he’s cheeky (or worse) to run when he’s only been an MP for 8 months. Personally I think that’s a positive advantage – as he hasn’t yet been seduced by the Westminster bubble and his memory still retains the imprint of the real world which is where it all matters. Chris will bring the outside world into parliament – and that’s what it needs!

There is a lot of enthusiasm out there as word leaks out that Chris will run. Messages of support and financial pledges – and so much work to be done.

Meanwhile, life goes on and I meet with the makers of the taser gun. Tasers shoot darts on a wire into the victim – where they then deliver an electric charge less than those slimming toning things that are used as a beauty treatment (!). Given these guys seem to be cleaning up and already supply something like 9,000 police forces – and their shares have gone up 4,000% – they are clearly commercially successful. Ditto – they seem to be going down a storm with police forces. I voiced a concern that as it can be shot from 25 foot – meaning the police can avoid close contact – it might encourage police to be ‘trigger-happy’ if using it is seen as (for them) the easier option. The counter argument from the makers was that they are totally accountable as they record through camera, etc, all the data and evidence of each usage. Very impressive.

More leadership and drugs on the street

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It was back to Parliament on Monday! Of course – the whole place is a tinderbox of gossip. My own colleagues taking comfort from being back together again – and Labour and Tory colleagues privately very sympathetic on the whole about the hideous situation that everyone has been dealing with. The House of Commons is surprisingly kind in many ways when there is real tragedy. Not replicated on the floor of the chamber, however, whenever a LibDem spoke at Work and Pensions questions. Cat calls and jeers – so much for the ‘new’ politics.

I do one radio interview, for the World at One. It doesn’t air Monday for reasons I don’t understand, though goes out Tuesday instead. Needless to say – out of the questions up on my blog to potential candidates – the one the World at One focuses in on – is the one about what part each candidate played in the Kennedy downfall and what they had done during the previous five years to tackle the problem? I thought I was pretty balanced – as there are two key angles: was it bungled plotting, or was Charles impossible to deal with?

I have various phone calls and meetings with would-be candidates or potential but non-declared candidates and so on and then rush back to Hornsey & Wood Green for a meeting with the Chief Exec of Jacksons Lane Community Centre. The building needs major repairs and renovations due to nothing much being done on maintenance over the years (as I understand it Haringey Council are the landlord). So – in essence – it’s about how to get the work done and funded.

Following that I rush to Haringey Civic Center for a full council meeting and then I rush back to Parliament for a vote at 10pm. Following close of play – talk to more MPs and then get home after midnight.

Which is unfortunate – as I have to be up around 5am to study my brief as the Prime Minister is launching his Respect Action Plan in the morning and I have to cover all the media bids because Mark Oaten is going to announce his candidacy.

So, this morning (Tuesday) it was up at crack of dawn. Media bids from BBC, News 24 and Sky – and various radio. So head straight for Millbank. Tony Blair always seems so enthusiastic when he launches new projects or initiatives – which is a real art when so much of what gets announced is just recycled and repackaged!

It is definitely right to tackle the falling standard of behaviour, but – as ever – Labour’s good intentions boil down to more summary justice – a sort of ‘move ’em out’ attitude. The problem with ASBOs and Banning Orders and Dispersal Zones etc is they don’t do enough to actually change behaviour.

Just in the middle of all the interviews I get a call from Ed at my constituency office. He says I have to come home immediately because my next-door neighbour but one’s builders have found two black binbags in the road outside my house filled with cannabis!

We’ve had a number of strange things left outside my little drive – but never anything this extraordinary. Funnily enough I had noticed the bags last night when I came home but assumed they were just dumped rubbish and this morning reversing out of my drive I had run over one of them.

Anyway – first, I ask my daughter (who is at home) and Ed to check this out as far as they can – and then ring the police. Ed rings me later to say that he went up to my house, rang the police who came (three cars apparently!) and who confirmed it was indeed cannabis leaves. Apparently the male part of the plant. (I confess to not knowing there were gender bits). And they took the bags away. End of episode!

Back to anti-social behaviour. I recently had to submit a piece to the HeadsUp ASBO Forum as I had not been able to attend in person which touches, albeit very briefly, on the issues around anti-social behaviour.

The only really new bit is the idea of a parenting academy. It’s not a college for parents to attend – it’s a college where social workers etc can get special training to work with parents who need support and skills. I am all for real support as societal breakdown is seemingly having a knock-on effect and creating an ‘anything goes’ and ‘no one cares’ society.

I remain convinced that the answer is sustained interest and attention on the child with lots of alternative occupations to keep them busy and aspirations and pathways to enable real behaviour change. Labour’s problem is all headlines – but little follow through. For example, if a kid breaches an ASBO s/he can go to jail – where they will undoubtedly learn more handy criminal tricks to perpetrate on release. Hardly the sort of change of behaviour that is going to bring about respect!

So – I do my stuff and then hurry back to meet a few colleagues about the leadership. Then as I drift through Portcullis House – I am tackled by Mark Oaten’s camp and then Ming goes by and says he will see me at 5pm to answer my questions. So at 5pm I go to his office. What passed between us is confidential – but what I will say is that Ming was very good and very forthright.

Read the day’s letters and sign them, make some more phone calls and then the Whip comes through as unlikely to be any vote tonight. So can head off. Message from Simon Hughes that he will see me to answer my questions tomorrow.

Who should be next Lib Dem leader?

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The phone doesn’t stop ringing at the moment.

At our campaign meeting in Haringey yesterday morning I was able to speak to about 25 key members of our local team. I had sent a position statement out by email on the Friday night so that everyone would know why I had done what I had done – but this was an opportunity to get feedback and to give time to those key local members to ask me questions.

From the time I got home at lunchtime to midnight – the phone rang off the hook. I did some phoning myself to find out what the situation was. Ming, Simon’s camp and Mark phoned me – as did the media. And my answer at this point is the same to all: ‘Boys – my vote’s up for grabs – show me what you’ve got.’

My interests are in seeing how the candidates (and of course as I write there is still only Ming – but by the end of today I very much hope we have a contested election) will answer my key questions:

– how will you progress electorally in both Labour and Tory seats?
– what do you propose to do about the organisation of the party machine?
– what is your view on coalition?
– what will you do to demonstrate your commitment to equalities in terms of your own advisers, cabinet and candidates?
– what will distinguish you from Blair, Cameron and Brown?
– what part did you play in the briefings and so called plot to oust Kennedy and what did you do in the five years previous to that about the problems of his alcoholism that we now all are aware of?
– where do you intend to take the party in terms of what the media call left and right?

That’s my current check list – let’s see what the contenders – when they declare themselves – come back with!

PS Just had a phone call saying that I am listed as a Ming supporter in the Independent. Not true – yet. It may be if Ming answers the questions I have tabled above to my satisfaction. But the Independent has slipped up or someone is jumping the gun.

Kennedy's resignation – afterthoughts

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So that’s what it’s like! Political assassinations since Caesar have been ghastly affairs. I am only glad that Charles’ exit speech was him at his best – that the last memory of him as leader will be such a good one.

Before I turn to what is to come – I have been reflecting on how it all came to be such a messy and brutal affair – in a party that is so nice.

When I arrived in Parliament as a new MP in May I have to say that I was shocked by the scale of the leadership problems. I was aware that Charles was brilliant at times – but then seemed to disappear and not truly have the hunger that is needed to drive a party forward. But as a fan of his, my view then – and for a long time after – was that the best option was support, help and encouragement for him to sort things out.

I remember one time I spoke to Charles. I said that I was glad that he had made a statement to the MPs about improving performance etc. – but that I wanted specifics. I wanted to know what would be different this time to others. And finally – that it would be disingenuous of me not to mention that I had concerns about his personal habits. He didn’t address the issue – just as on other occasions he didn’t. I’m not angry with him about that – for those with a drink problem, facing up to it is perhaps the hardest thing to do. But I am saddened that the previous unsuccessful attempts to put things back on track meant that, finally, in the last few weeks so many people (including myself in the end) felt that we were left with no alternative.

Had Charles’s announcement on Thursday been the start of the road, I have no doubt we would have all rallied around – but tragically, it wasn’t – things had gone on for so long already. In the end though, he resigned with dignity and I wish him and his family all the best at what must be a very testing time.

Update on Lib Dem leadership

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Once I heard Charles’s statement on Thursday – as I said yesterday – it became clear to me that I could no longer continue my support for him to remain as leader. The hardest thing is trying to make your own mind up – to get your own thinking straight. For me, as a Charles loyalist, once my gut feelings told me that his position was untenable and that his ‘statement’ made with a gun to his head of exposure was calculated – it all got much easier.

Ed Davey had rung me around 8.45am yesterday morning to ask if I would be willing to be a signatory to the ‘statement’ by MPs and be willing to resign my front bench position unless Charles himself stepped down. I said in principle – yes – but that I would ring back later in the day. However, as soon as I put the phone down I rang Ed back immediately because I had made up my mind, and there was no point in buggering around so told him that he could count me in. At that stage there were not many yet signed up – so there was some angst as the day wore on as to whether there would be enough of us to force the issue. I spoke to Ed several times during the day as the numbers climbed ever upwards.

Of course, the phone did not stop going all yesterday or today with various media hounds after their stories. I decided that I would not go on television or radio to comment before Charles resigns. My hope is that he goes gracefully before Monday. I do not want to see him damage himself or the party further. Charles – according to the media – still believes that the wider party supports him staying and that he would therefore win a leadership contest. That support appears to ebbing away. Certainly following the statement I put on my blog yesterday (and emailed out to local members and helpers) – responses on the position I have taken are running at around 90% in agreement.

This is all very painful and uncomfortable – but I am now quite heartened by the feeling that at last the dynamic (or lack of it) that I have witnessed at Parliament will be banished. I have to say that I have been quite shocked by what I found going on at Parliament. Like the wider membership – at first I had no real idea of what the problem was. But what I found was a pretty dysfunctional Parliamentary Party, held in a limbo because of what is now clear – a lack of strategic direction from the leadership. Underwhelmed as I was by the early briefings to the media which I felt were disloyal – I have come to understand that Charles had been given every opportunity to improve performance and that a refusal to give that direction was compounding the challenges we already have to move ahead for the political life ahead.

And make no mistake – political life will move on very swiftly. Today – there will be announcements I am sure – and tomorrow – and Monday. Then we will see Charles go, hats in the ring and the political landscape shifts again. And if that happens I hope that, relieved of the burdens of leadership, Charles and his family will be able to put their lives back together again. He certainly deserves that after all the good he has done for our party.