Category Archives: Blog

The Queen's Speech

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State opening of Parliament. I arrive about 10.15am and having been instructed fill out a prayer card and pop it in one of only two remaining seats. This is the parliamentary equivalent of towels on deckchairs – and so long as you report for prayers, you can keep your seat for the rest of the day.

Black Rod comes and does his thing – calling the Commons to go across to the Lords. We all troop through. As I am vertically challenged and standing at the back – my view is just of the top of the Queen’s crown and occasionally glimpsing her face.

Back to the Commons. We adjourn and then reconvene at 2.30pm for the opening debate on the Queen’s Speech.

This debate is traditionally opened (what isn’t traditional here) by an old backbencher and a new backbencher. They’re meant to give funny speeches. They were ok – but not that funny … then Michael Howard had his go – followed by Tony ‘I’ve listened and learned’ Blair.

Clearly he hadn’t as the 45 bills were the same program he waned last time – so the old game is back in town and it’s ID cards, removal of civil liberties and so on.

It is all pretty interesting for me at this stage. All the characters who have peppered my TV screen for years are live in the room. And the proceedings are all novel and certainly antiquated. I would love to think it could change – but the boys school is in evidence and better people than I have tried in the past – so the key will be learning how to use Parliament to deliver the things I need to fight for in Hornsey & Wood Green.

Swearing in

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We queue up to take our oath of allegiance etc (I affirm) in the chamber. I am introduced to Mr Speaker and then that’s it. Off to a Parliamentary Party meeting to discuss the Queen’s Speech for the next day. We run through what is in the Government’s program and each spokesperson says what they think about each proposed bill. The Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet has been published and it seems pretty good to me – lots of talent and go getting members.

Tidying up at the GLA

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Crack of dawn off to ITN for what turned out to be a grilling by the newscaster. He was very shocked when he asked what people hadn’t liked about the LibDems – and I said I thought since we finally had some exposure in the election of our policies – they liked them all.

I know he wanted me to say one policy or another – but it is true – overall it was just the best prospectus to stand on – very comfortable.

Straight on to Sky with Adam Boulton. This time there is a Tory and a Labour new MP too. In fact, the Labour MP and I keep meeting on these ‘new MP’ programs. This interview is great fun. Of course, given I have spent an inordinate amount of time in TV studios – I know my way round them better than the House of Commons.

Later in day work on Parking Enforcement Report. This is my swan-song project at the GLA. I have spent the last year firstly trying to get the investigation to happen despite great opposition from boroughs particularly sensitive to having their parking policies looked at and who think the London Assembly should keep their nose out.

Then the actual investigation – and now am just working on the final draft report to go out Monday to the committee for comments. Hopefully, we will get the final version shortly and my intention is to see this report launched and agreed at Transport Committee. And then I can leave. This is one loose end I must tie up before cutting the umbilical.

Retail therapy

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Day off! Shock horror – first since the New Year barring two days away beginning of February. What’s a girl to do? Retail therapy – off I go to buy some work suits. It was great. Then took my youngest daughter out to lunch in Highgate Village – had a glass of wine – fell asleep all afternoon. Off to a party (parents of daughter’s school friend) for a couple of hours – but too tired and come hope and sleep rest of evening. Followed by sleeping all night – no problem with sleeping as you can tell.

Thank you party

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Love Friday the 13th! Used to live at number 13 Woodstock Road – was a really happy house – so a good day for my ‘thank you’ party for all those who helped in the election.

Over a thousand people were sent invites – yes – that’s how many people helped with delivering, stuffing, addressing, donating, poster sites, printing, etc, etc, etc. If they had all turned up – we would have been in big trouble!

I arrived at Hornsey Community Centre about 7.40pm and it was already packed – and everyone, all evening, came up to wish me well. It was absolutely fantastic – such a genuine grass roots campaign. Heart warming!

Monica (Hornsey organiser) and Ed (Stroud Green ward) stood on chairs to address everyone and say special thank yous to those who had done above the call of duty – particularly Mark (my campaign manager) and Neil (my agent and Leader of the Lib Dems on Haringey Council).

Now Mark usually checks my blog writings for legal matters – i.e. I don’t want to get sued. And no doubt he will try and remove this posting as it mentions him by name – but I will be checking!

Both Neil and Mark are remarkable – both in ability and commitment. We have all been together in this for about eight years – and what happened on polling day wasn’t just the four week campaign, wasn’t just the war – but was the sum of years of work by a fantastic team of about thirty key activists who have worked unstintingly over these years.

Apart from Mark and Neil – each ward had its own team who soldiered on delivering the campaign in their area. Harold was in charge of printing; David in charge of telephone canvassing; Justin in charge of stakeboards – with great help from Alan and Dave, and so on and so on. The ward teams – Stroud Green (Laura, Richard and Ed), Crouch End (Ron, Peter and David), Alexandra/Bounds Green (Susan, Wayne and Dave), Muswell Hill / Fortis Green (Gail, Martin, Steve and Matt), Highgate (Neil, Bob and Melanie), Woodside (Nigel and Shantanu), Hornsey (Monica), Noel Park (Neil and Fiyaz). And the team who ran HQ – Valerie, Susanne and Monica. My sister – who organised my diary, visits to sheltered housing, leaflets at stations and telling for three wards. Duncan, Mette and Thuranie were my home team helping deal with election enquiries, sending out posters, etc. The Rea family and Bjorn were at HQ constantly and were the backbone of the stuffing operation. Wayne – who did such a great job as our Tottenham candidate (moving up into second with a big swing from Labour). And of course, my daughters, Jenna and Cady. Plus many, many, more!

I just wanted to publicly acknowledge the key team and the hundreds of others who were so generous with time, effort and money.

And the buggers – they presented me with a framed poster of the Hornsey Journal’s paper that they put outside newsagents. It reads in HUGE writing ‘I’ve nagged my way to victory – New MP’.

It’s so true – whenever people ask how I have got so far so fast – I always put it down to my ability to nag (politer term – lobby persistently). After all – it is a middle-aged woman’s life skill!

Doing Question Time

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Off to Leeds for Question Time on Thursday, catching the 4.35pm train from Kings X. Spot Harriet Harman and assistant in queue for train and introduce myself briefly – then revert to place in queue.

On the journey have to read all the papers and need to make some notes on key issues that might come up. They give you no idea whatsoever as to the questions.

Arrive in Leeds and all five guests are gathered together and put in a people mover to the TV studios. Banter between Borris (Johnson) and Andrew (Rawnsley); boys’ stuff – who knows more about the leadership contests etc.

Up to the Green Room where banter has disappeared and everyone is shifting nervously about. Some students who have won a competition to produce a Question Time later in the year are wheeled in to meet us – but I honestly too nervous to really talk properly with them.

And suddenly – we’re off. Down to the studio where David Dimbleby is talking to the audience and we are introduced one by one. One warm up question is put (that isn’t broadcast). It is on George Galloway and the oil vouchers. I am surprised that it is used for the warm up – but given the answers, perhaps the possibility of libel meant it was better not used for real!

The Question Time music comes up – and first up is the election results. It seems an age before David comes to me – and I manage to get out a voting reform plea. Second question on ‘hoodies’. Now I know all about hoodies as my teenage daughter a) wears them b) informs me that kids in hoods are nothing compared with the ‘Rude Boys’ (different dress code).

I write down ‘dress code’ and Boris (who I am sitting next to) peers at what I have written – probably a skill learned in school exams when he didn’t know the answer! I give my view – which essentially boils down to any establishment having the right to have a dress code but that the real issue is about how people behave not how they dress. And if their behaviour is a problem – then it needs addressing properly with due attention from teachers, parents, social services etc.

Harriet, for reasons I don’t understand, launches into New Labour speak on ‘yobs’ – but went over the top. I think she was overly defensive – but it can’t be easy being a Labour Minister and – as she had said to me earlier – last time she was on she had made a dreadful faux pas (which I had watched and thought funny) by accidentally referring to ‘Prime Minister Brown’. Funny for us watching – but probably not funny if it’s you saying it.

And so the program went on. When someone suggested Boris as the new Tory leader – Boris did his charming, ruffled, bumbling persona stuff – and he is sooooooo funny and the audience do just love him. I was glad he was there as it relaxed me and just made me laugh too.

And then it was over. I lived!

Afterwards in the Green Room there was a buffet supper and as the program is taped as live about an hour and a half before – it is played on the TV screens as it goes out, but I don’t watch it.

Chatting afterwards – it is clear that I have not stuffed up! That was my horror and my dread – to cock-up Question Time as the new LibDem MP on the first one after the election would have been mortifying.

A car takes myself and the Tory writer Jo-Anne Nadler back to London. Lots of text messages which were really great to get – and lots of phone calls. Home by 2.30am and straight to bed.

First time in the chamber

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Go to City Hall for AGM of London Assembly – my vote is necessary to see Sally Hamwee safely into the Chair of the Assembly for the coming year. Other committees are set up and later I sign my letter of resignation from the Met Police Authority. (I’ll be standing down from the GLA in a couple of weeks once I’ve tided up various loose ends). Makes me very sad as I love the work I have been able to do on policing and my hope is that I will be able to carry it on at the Commons.

Am called to see Chief Whip at Commons who asks what experience I have and how I am getting along etc. The Chief Whip is Andrew Stunnell – who I shadowed at Parliament eight years ago before I was elected to anything – so he can take due credit!

Into chamber for first time to elect the Speaker of the House (although there is only Michael Martin standing). Nevertheless – clearly an occasion for speeches. I sat in the third row – and was very squished. Too many people for too few seats – and very, very noise. No doubt it will all become familiar in a relatively short time.

Then off for a briefing for Question Time. Everyone says ‘you’ll be fine’ – but I don’t know that or think it even possible at this point. Can’t wait for it to be over! Back to Commons for Parliamentary Party weekly meeting – interesting to see everyone. At least we are now a big enough party for me not to know everyone and then home – to emails and more emails.

Red Gables meeting

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Into City Hall for an interview with LBC and also attend Ken’s press conference. Final gift for me – Ken announces a rise in penalty fines for fare dodgers (a Lib Dem campaign) and the earlier finishing of the congestions charge in the evening (a Lib Dem campaign) – so Ken’s obviously a closet Lib Dem!

Rush over to Commons (doesn’t that sound funny) to try and get a computer and understand what and where everything is.

More briefings followed by more briefings and then off to constituency for a meeting at Red Gables – a fantastic family/children facility in Crouch End that Haringey Council is trying to close.

Two Labour councillors were at the meeting to try to explain the Council’s plans. Impressive they weren’t! They want to close it to make savings and are promising to redistribute the ‘services’ to new childrens’ centres elsewhere in the borough. But they couldn’t say what, where or when. And whilst they made notes of what the packed meetings said – they batted away question after question without an answer. They didn’t seem to understand that when parents are asking what will happen to services for their children – they want clear, specific answers, not vague promises that something might be provided at a time and place unknown.

I think that the Labour duo were shocked by the depth of feeling in that room. I hope they were. And I hope when they reflect on the incredible contributions from the people in that room that they find enough understanding to change their minds.

It was a good first meeting to attend as MP as it reminded me sharply how much there is to fight for – and that fighting for residents is what comes first.

New week, new job

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Phone does not stop ringing and I am desperately trying to get out the door to get to Westminster for various inductions for new MPs. I’m not complaining though. Interview after interview – the size of the swing in Hornsey and Wood Green seems to have taken much of the media by surprise.

Anyway – finally get our of the house at about midday and off to Westminster. First stop – Portcullis House (offices next door the Commons) to get registered, pass, finance office and hundreds of other things before the first briefing for new Lib Dem MPs.

Two hours of various briefings. Having promised not to overload us new kids on the block with too much information – we were then given too much information. They really tried – but it’s hard when there is so much new to tell us about.

The clear message was – sort your office and your casework out fast – otherwise you will get a backlog to die for and everyone will be cross. So that’s what I am doing and hope to have my first surgery set up for next week and all communications given a first response.

Then phone call from our press office – Question Time have phoned to request I go on the program this week. Now I’ll feel anxious until it’s over.

Then go to meet whole Parliamentary Party and be addressed by Charles K at Local Government Association. Good address followed by photo call for new MPs with the leader. I am placed next to Charles. I have noticed that is where I am positioned a lot at the moment – so the party is clearly pleased with my result!

Then finally get home to try to conquer the thousand emails that have arrived.

Saturday

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Interestingly enough – lots of people who had voted Labour came up to me yesterday and today and said how glad they were that I had won. Funny really – the pull of a lifetime of Labour support or fears whipped up by Labour that the Tories would somehow win if they voted Lib Dem had meant some had actually stuck with Labour – but it was quite clear that they were absolutely delighted that even though they hadn’t voted for me – I had won.

A day of flowers, cards and emails (around 500) of congratulations. Of trying to thank everyone, clearing up and in the end I crash out on the sofa watching a DVD with the kids…