Category Archives: Blog

How not to make legislation

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Went to the gardens next door to Parliament to be photographed with a sheep (not real) for an RSPCA promotion of their ‘mark’ which will would signify food that has their approval ofr how the animals are treated. Realised after photographer had finished that I had stood at sheep’s rear end!

During questions today in Parliament I was desperate to get in on a question (somebody else’s) on British Transport Police. I wanted to ask the Minister what action he had taken since the controversy in summer over the use of stop and search powers on the rail network and the hugely disproportionate number of ethnic minority members being stopped.

Then statement in the House on Turkey’s accession to the EU. I was particularly interested in this as there’s a substantial Turkish community in Haringey and the issue of Cyprus very important to both the Turkish and Greek community here. From the statement, it became clear that there will be around 10 – 15 years while Turkey now tries to bring a whole raft of things in line with EU policy. There is no question that the Cyprus issue would have to be resolved and that its record on human rights would have to be vastly improved. It was equally clear that this must be the way forward – as Turkey’s desire to join the Union is the strongest motivator for improvement and resolution.

The bit of the debate I was less keen on was the constant reference by Straw to the EU being seen as a Christian club if a Muslim country such as Turkey (albeit pretty secular) was not admitted. I would have much preferred the debate to remain on the secular side as the EU should have no truck with using religion as a deciding factor on how to treat people or countries.

Later, Mr Speaker (Michael Martin) had invited new MPs to the Speaker’s House for a drink. Magnificent apartments! I talked to his chief of office for a while – and now understand better how I need to jump up and down to be called during question sessions. But it means jumping up and down all the time – even if it’s not really the question you want to be called on – so you end up risking getting called to speak on something you don’t want to talk about or staying sitting most of the time and not getting called at all.

It’s one of the macho things about the house I already can’t stand. Another is that the longer you talk, regardless of value of content of what you say, the better man you are. I had noticed in debates where speeches are limited to ten minutes that MPs nearly all talk for the entire ten minutes regardless – but not me! No doubt I am wrong to only say what I need to say; but call me old-fashioned – burbling endlessly is not a skill I intend to acquire.

Another bugbear is the way that legislation is brought forward and amended. You would not believe how archaic this is or that the age of technology had arrived.

Take the In Violent Crime Reduction Bill which is starting its committee stage starting on Thursday, You have the Bill, the Lib Dem amendments, the Tory amendments, the Government amendments, explanatory notes, selection order papers and so on – all which have to be to hand on each amendment. It would be SO SIMPLE to have an electronic version of the Bill with all the different amendments and information marked up on it in different colours. But no – another macho game is to make it much more complicated than it needs to be. Of course it does result – as we see all the time – in badly written legislation.

I whipped in to see the Labour whip on the committee to ask him about the programming motion (a 15 minute meeting on Wednesday to decide what and how long each bit should take). And he agrees with me about the presentation of bills and amendments – so cross party – perhaps … in the next century …

Concrecte factory – planning verdict

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Parliament started sitting again today. It felt just like it did on the first day of term, going back to school!

Much of this week will be preparation for the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which goes into Committee on Thursday morning and on which I am leading for the Lib Dems. This means that I have (and more accurately my researcher has even more) been pouring over the bill and working out the amendments which we tabled last Friday. We will be probing the Government’s proposals line by line. And boy does this bill need close scrutiny. The general idea is right – to tackle the twin evils of weapons and alcohol abuse – but the devil is definitely in the detail.

At lunchtime I meet with an activist from Camden who wants to talk to me about why the party does not work the way he thinks it should work. He is an interesting guy, but for all of us in the party the way to get an idea through the hierarchy into being is to demonstrate that it works.

My own success in winning Hornsey & Wood Green from 26,000 votes behind in 1997 is now a training model in the party. But I had (with my magnificent team) to prove the case – not simply have the idea. And quite frankly much of it is common sense and already the bread and butter of our campaign techniques – no miracles. But there are a few specialities – and now hopefully best practise will be spread to the 104 seats where we are second to Labour for the next general election. So hopefully, I sent him off to prove his points to the party.

Then into the chamber for Home Office Questions – terror, terror, terror. It is quite clear that this Parliamentary session up to Christmas will be totally dominated by the terror proposals and other home affairs bills. Great for me as a shadow home affairs minister – but one heck of a schedule.

Rush to Haringey Civic Centre in the evening for the Planning Committee which tonight hears the application to build a Concrete Factory in Hornsey. For those not following this story – there is an application from London Concrete to put a factory right in the heart of a residential area with narrow streets and kids schools etc. Supported (wrongly) by Livingstone on the basis that the aggregates can come in by rail (three trains per week), what seems to have passed the Mayor by is that it then goes out through the community in 56 giant HGVs that have no chance of turning out of the industrial site into the residential streets without chocking up the traffic, delaying buses and causing huge amounts of pollution, noise and so on.

As I arrive there are hundreds and hundreds of local residents with lots of children come to protest. Hurrah for people power! T-shirts and placards – we shout and chant. Ironically, we all know that the Planning Committee is going to refuse the application tonight as that is the recommendation of the officers. And whilst I put in to speak along with scores of others – there is no need to call anyone as the committee unanimously votes to reject the application on a number of planning grounds.

The real test will now come as we move towards the appeal – already lodged. The fight goes on – until we bury this one – in concrete.

Hornsey Town Hall and public transport links

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I make an informal, private visit to Red Gables. Red Gables is the wonderful, wonderful, family centre in Crouch End – organically evolved over years to provide what users want. And between the Labour Government and the Labour Council they want to close it and devolve its services to elsewhere. This comes on the back of Government funding for 18 new childrens’ centres across the borough. Sounds great – except the new centres can only be in ‘deprived’ areas – but there are lots of pockets of deprivation in the Crouch End area and it serves the whole area. ‘Deprived’ children come to this centre of absolute excellence. The services it provides are too many to list – but all manner of challenges are met and met well.

Given there are to be 18 ‘new’ centres – which in reality are not new but bits of other services cobbled together – you would think the logical answer would be to make Red Gables one of them, solving at a stroke the whole business.

Anyway – I meet the staff (who are obviously desperate for the place to stay open). They clearly love their work, the place and its achievements. There is a ‘consultation’ going on by Haringey Council with the users as a result of the huge protest and campaign to save Red Gables. The consultation is with users, and when completed next week we are told that the officers will analyse the data and then advise the Council Executive (all Labour) what to do.

I spend a little time with the children and mums just arriving for the drop in playgroup and then off I go.

At 4pm CNN come to my house to do an interview on terrorism and the Government’s continual curbing of our civil liberties are being raided. Now you can’t even say that Jack Straw is talking nonsense without being forcibly removed and then the police using Section 44 of the terrorism Act to stop you re-entering a building. Free speech – certainly not under Blair!

In the evening, there’s a Buffet, tour and presentation by the Community Partnership Board for the proposals (thus far) for the Hornsey Town Hall. It’s certainly moving in the right direction and the people involved in the panel are completely committed to the project’s success – but as ever – the proof of the pudding will come when we learn where the funding will come from (i.e. how much from development and how much from public funds) and whether the Council is willing at the end of this process for the whole caboodle to be handed over to an independent community trust – which is the Lib Dem position (along with that of many other people).

Sadly and ironically, I get to talk to people for an hour and then have to leave after only seeing a short bit of the actual presentation (I have the written version to take home) as I have a meeting with Peter Hendy (Director of Surface Transport at Transport for London) at which the top item on my agenda is transport for the Hornsey Town Hall site.

I am asking him to agree in principle to three main things. As nothing is agreed for the site as yet specifics are out of the question. However, the nagging is for: agreement in principle to supply extra public transport to serve the site; agreement in principle to a process of engagement by Transport for London with the Community Partnership Board on the transport issues for the site; and agreement in principle to look at free transport for those going to an event on the site on production of ticket to that event.

As we are also having dinner I get the business out the way at the front end. I have written out my longer list which includes bus links for Crouch End to both Highgate Tube (especially now that it has a CPZ and so more people need public transport to get there) and to the top of Highgate Village. I nag about the crossing for Archway Road opposite the tube entrance where the steps are where a woman got killed recently, the extension of the 603 Muswell Hill to Hampstead and Swiss Cottage bus route and various other issues. Peter thinks the Town Hall stuff will be fine and will respond to me in writing point by point down my list. So business over – time to eat and gossip…

Learning how Parliament works

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I’d asked one of the Commons Committee Clerks to come and brief me on the rules for Standing Committee as I will be leading for the Lib Dems on the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which goes into committee next Thursday.

The protocols of what you say, in what order you speak, when you stand, when you table amendments, at what point you can argue what and so on is much of a mystery to me at the moment as I’ve not yet done such a bill. So I have invited an expert to walk me through the procedure – which he does.

Lots to learn and lots of pitfalls for me to descend into! He then takes me and Mette (my Parliamentary Researcher) over to the Bills Office to introduce me so that I can ‘introduce’ Mette. This is a formal procedure without which they will not accept amendments from Mette (as opposed to me personally going over there). Doncha just love those quaint customs! Actually – this one probably has a point – i.e. no one can masquerade as me or Mette to put down amendments to the bill. Can’t imagine there would be a queue of fraudsters – but best to err on the safe side.

Then I have a meeting with a woman who has come at my request to brief me further on mental health issues. She, herself, suffers from schizophrenia. She obviously knows both from being a campaigner in this area as well as a user of the services all about where to go and how to get help. Invaluable.

Followed by a meeting with the Beer and Pub Association who want to discuss the Violent Crime Reduction Bill with me. Half of the bill is about how to deal with alcohol disorder – both by banning individuals from areas and also making areas with lots of disorder ‘Alcohol Disorder Zones’. This is a real legislative mess and so broadly drawn as to leave almost every decision up to the Home Secretary. Controlling or what? I agree with much of their lobbying – but not all.

Then off to my surgery in Hornsey Vale Community centre where – as always – I am constantly amazed by the range of problems that present. Finish at 7pm and go to my constituency office to sign things.

Get home about 9pm to watch the news on the Tory beauty parade – a misnomer if ever there was one. As my daughter said to me – if you had to sleep with one of them who would you choose?

Seriously though – I think David Davis must have given a sweetener to party organisers to put Cameron and Clarke on the same day. Both gave a good show – but Cameron made Clark look old and Clark made Cameron look wet behind the ears. Never-the-less DD has a bit of a show to put on when he speaks – or else.

More school places in Crouch End

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Flashed over to St Ann’s for a road show and meeting on the “restructuring” of mental health services in Haringey. If this is more care in the community then it had better be better resourced – given that so many people with mental health challenges come to my surgery as the support for them in the community is not adequate. The police, doctors, CAB, politicians who hold surgeries – and ultimately prisons – are all paying the price for inadequate care in the community. Don’t get me wrong – the more someone can stay in the community the better – but the services and the support just is not there in enough quantity to support the number of people who need it.

In fact – and interestingly – Haringey is the one of the ‘worst’ health authorities because they have mental health inpatients for longer than most anywhere else. However, their return rate is one of the lowest. Methinks someone should be looking at that as perhaps an indicator that shoving people out too early (much like in general health) can mean lots of return visits.

I asked for a comparative figure for the budget for drug therapies used versus budget for talking therapies. It wasn’t a question the Chair and Chief Exec could answer on the spot – but they acknowledged it was a good question and that they had no means of collecting such data. Behind my questions lies the fear that the Government is willing – as are health trusts – to fund drug therapies but not talking therapies to the same extent. I suspect this is partly because of cost – though drugs can be very expensive – but mostly because they can’t measure outcomes so easily in this target driven world we live in. Patients like talking therapies – they find it therapeutic – and possibly therein lies the point.

The other question – even better than mine – was from a user who was asking what choice the patient had in their treatment. If the patient feels better and more secure with a particular method of treatment their recovery would be better. So why should the patient have no say at all? The Chair and Chief Exec agreed that there was no choice!

The scooted over to a public meeting on the proposed expansion of Coleridge Primary School in Crouch End. Lord knows – residents, colleagues and I all campaigned and worked to get Haringey Council to buy the old TUC building to provide desperately needed school places. Crouch End parents, not surprisingly, have been going mad over the last few years over the shortage of places for their little ones.

Anyway – the building was purchased. The issue now is that the site is directly opposite an existing school – Coleridge – with a busy road between the two. So, should Coleridge be expanded, using the new site, to be a four-form entry? This would make it one of only twelve schools in the country to be that big at primary level.

The Head, the Council and the architects had obviously done a huge amount of work on designing a structure and form that would make the children still feel like it was a small family atmosphere school. However, all the work in the world could not offset the anxieties of the existing parents that their children would be ‘swamped’ in such a vastly expanded school.

The argument from the panel against creating a second school across the road, rather than expanding the existing one, was that it would split the community. But they really didn’t seem to have spent much time on an alternative – and the proposal to expand was clearly what they all regarded as the only viable option. I suppose there is some truth in that if there was a second school parents who put Coleridge as their first preference but ended up at the second school might feel that they got second best.

When asked if this was a genuine consultation and that if enough people were against the expansion would that change the outcome, Ian Bailey (Deputy Director of Education) said yes. But it did feel like the only game in town from the way it was presented.

It is now vital that they consult even better – as many people at the meeting had only just about heard about the plans. The main thing, however, whichever way this goes forward is that there will be more school places available in the area for local children – which is brilliant.

London's best residents' association

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Off to the residents’ association for Tivoli, Montenotte and Glasslyn Roads. I turn up for the AGM itself so I can hear the discussion before my allotted speech and so get a better idea of their concerns. I arrive at 11am and am offered wine – this is good news – but I decline until after the meeting. I like a glass of wine – but they have asked me to speak for 40 minutes and take 20 minutes of questions – so wits and brain need to be intact!

They are clearly a top-notch residents’ association who are organised, active and hands on. Cllr Dave Winskill (Lib Dem, Crouch End) has been working closely with them over some time on issues around planning and anti-social behaviour. The roads are right next to Highgate Wood School which brings its challenges in the form of young people sometimes causing agro and damage. They, the school and other key partners meet and have had a fair bit of success. John, the guy who looks after the schools issue, makes a good point that when there is someone out in the street on a Friday night the kids don’t do the destructive stuff. One was heard saying ‘better not – there’s people about’. If only people were out and about more – it would deal with quite a lot of it as well as giving more confidence to others to go out.

Winskill arrives at midday and I tell him that his ears should have been burning from the very complimentary remarks several members have made about him and how helpful and active he is. Dave doesn’t blush – but tells me that they are the best residents’ association in London. So clearly mutual admiration!

I give quite a long speech, trying to interweave the local issues around Hornsey Town Hall, planning, anti-social behaviour and phone masts – together with the how they fit into the national picture. I also go into quite a lot of detail about the Government’s impending proposals for new legislation on terrorism and why we are supporting three of the proposals but not the other two.

The country wants and needs its political parties to try and work consensually at such times as these – and we are doing our best to do so. However, we mustn’t abdicate our responsibility to scrutinise proposed legislation in Parliament. It is very easy under the stress we are feeling to bring in draconian legislation which removes our freedoms in the name of protecting us from terrorists – and is a terribly difficult line to walk. But bad, rushed legislation does harm.

There are three proposals from the Government that we totally support. These are the ones to make it an offence to train to be a terrorist, carry out acts preparatory to terrorism and inciting terrorism.

However, we are not supporting the Government on two new proposals in their current form. The first – ‘glorification of terrorism ‘ – has far too broad a definition. Such looseness will mean a feast for lawyers interpreting what constitutes ‘glorification’. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. I can understand where the Government is coming from on this. My blood boiled when I watched one of the suicide bombers broadcast video on Al Jazira praising the act. However, legislation has to be effective or it is worse than no legislation. A smart lawyer will run rings around this one.

The second proposal we have problems with is the one to allow three months detention without trial. This strikes at the heart of the British principles of justice that there is not detention without trial. We understand the need that the police have to get evidence which is not always obtainable within the 14-day period currently allowed, but allowing detention for three months without trial is basically internment.

I am hoping that the Government is genuine about consensus with us and therefore will be willing to discuss these two proposals. If they simply bowl along and say they are going to legislate on those two without trying to find a way through – then we will be forced to oppose.

We had a good discussion post my speech – and then I succumbed to a glass of wine.

Airplane noise

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Have been running a very useful email poll on whether people think noise from airplanes (or aircraft as English purists point out!) is a problem in my constituency.

Lots of very strongly expressed views, though also noticeable areas where hardly anyone says “yes” – and a few people who are baffled by my asking at all. I guess if it isn’t an issue that directly affects you, it is easy to overlook that there may be many other people nearby for whom it’s a big issue.

It’ll be interesting to plot all the results on a map (that’s why I’m asking people for their postcode).

If you’d like to take part in the poll yourself, here it is:

Do you think there is a problem with the amount of noise from planes over-flying the area where you live?

Please email “yes” or “no” to planenoise AT lynnefeatherstone.org with your postcode

Care in the community

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Today’s surgery was full of really difficult people. “Care in the community” often just means that the care isn’t adequate and people can’t cope in the community.

Often what is considered anti-social behaviour is then ASBO’d, which is then broken, which then means a custodial sentence when really this is just a vulnerable person with mental health challenges – not someone who the police or prison is left to deal with.

I am extremely worried about the restructuring of Haringey’s mental health services which are being launched on Monday – because I bet you my bottom dollar it will be all about getting them out of residential care back into the community. And it will be sold as better for the individual – but it won’t be. It will just mean that they can downsize the residential care, save money, and parcel of the land round St Ann’s for development. You watch!

Violent Crime Reduction Bill

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Spend a good part of the day going through the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, for which I will be leading for the Lib Dems when it goes through its committee stage in Parliament.

Committee is where legislation is scrutinised line by line. It’s a bit like being a lawyer having to argue the case for each point. Well many of them are lawyers in the Commons – but not me, so am preparing carefully. (The Parliament website has an explanation of how bills go through Parliament and what the stages are).

Then to the Tottenham Law Centre to address their AGM. Interestingly enough they have a motion to change the name to ‘Haringey Law Centre’ as it does serve a much wider catchment than just Tottenham, including serving people in my own constituency. Really good to talk to everyone as so much of the angst that walks through my surgery door is about housing or immigration. Once an individual falls foul of the system in either of these areas (which is easy to do) it isn’t long before it is a legal matter over eviction or deportation. And that’s when I send them onto the CAB or the Tottenham Law Centre. Legal advice is so vital and so expensive, and there has been such a cut back to legal aid, that law centres and citizens’ advice bureaus are absolutely vital!

Holloway Prison

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Off to jail – Holloway Prison!

I hadn’t been to a prison before – so slightly wondering what it will be like. My views were probably coloured by the Green Mile and Jailhouse Rock! Holloway was much more akin to an old National Health Hospital. It’s not built in that galleried style that you see so often in films – with cells with bars onto long galleried corridors.

I spent an hour or so with the Governor – who well impressed me. I think he has embraced the sort of attitude that I have towards crime and punishment and showed a real understanding of the issues around rehabilitation, deprivation, and punishment.

A senior officer took me around the various areas for a couple of hours thereafter. They had just opened a first-night reception centre. When women first arrive – there is not only the shock to deal with – but also the worry of what is happening at home, who is looking after the children etc. This centre is set up so that within 24 hours your caseworker deals with all the people or departments you need around housing, childcare, etc. And then you are taken into the main prison. I also went to the mother and baby unit, the lifers section, the segregation section, the resettlement section and I also met with the ‘listeners’. These are about 6 women prisoners who have been trained by the Samaritans to ‘listen’ to their peers who come to them. Suicide is not rare – and these women know what it is like. They don’t offer advice but are there literally to listen.

Talking to them, they were all training or studying so that when their sentences are spent they can get jobs or continue in university or whatever. I was much taken with what can be done to help people change their lives.

At party conference the other week, Mark Oaten (Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary) was floating the idea of all 16 year olds having to do a gap month of community service. This isn’t the misbehaving ones – this is all of them. The idea is to give youngsters a sense of service and a sense of doing something good for the benefit of someone else. Not a bad idea I thought. In an argument with Nick Ferrari (LBC) about this area he was saying he didn’t see why his sons should have to go and “paint old lady’s fences”. But as I said to him, even his wonderful sons might learn a thing or two. Lots of people (who can afford to) send their kids to summer camps and that does the same thing to a degree – but not everyone can afford to or chooses to. We’ll see where Mark gets to with that one.

Then dash to Tottenham football ground to give out Community Chest cheques to the HARCEN annual Conference Community Chest Awards. They had been there all day having their conference. Not a bad job. These are awards as part of a Government funded initiative to empower communities and a bit of dosh always helps.

In fact lots of great groups there doing good, small works in the community. However, there were loads and loads of awards. I had thought there would be about three or something – but the administrator came in with a pile of folders and cheques and I must have given out about 30 cheques and folders to the various recipients – and smiled for a photo with each one. I was really surprised when I asked how much the awards were – as I thought they would be about 50 each given how many there were – but she said they were between one and two thousand pounds! Fun it was.