Great debate is clearly still alive and well! We had the liveliest of discussions at a vibrant Liberal Youth pizza and politics in Haringey on Friday night. Well done to Sophie Erskine for organising such a great evening. Sarah Ludford MEP and I were certainly grilled in the best possible way!
Here is my column for the Ham & High that was published on Thursday and written before the reshuffle.
Wow! I have screamed, shouted, cheered, laughed and cried through the Olympics and Paralympics. And like everyone, I am just so proud of what we have achieved – and the friendly, cheerful way we have achieved it.
With my work on equalities issue, it is the increasing parity between male and female sports and sports stars and between the Olympics and Paralympics which has particular caught my eye. I would simply call the 2012 Games the Equality Games.
Rules and regulations can only go so far in bringing about equality for real. Long-term equality comes from inside us, from changes in our hearts and minds. And my goodness – anyone watching these Games must be changed.
Congratulations to the organising committee who from day one said this would be the most equality friendly games ever – making sure that the Paralympics was integrated from the start and equality was not left in a corner as a rarely mentioned after-thought.
As a result, the International Olympic Committee hailed the London 2012 Games as “an historic step towards gender equality”. This is the first Olympics where women competed in all events.
London 2012 is the first time that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei have sent female sportswomen to the Games. In countries with a better tradition of female participation there were good signs too of the growing importance and interest in female sports. Nearly half of athletes that made Team GB for London 2012 were female and for the first time there were more women than men on the US team.
And boxing finally became open to women in an Olympic Context – with, of course, Britain’s Nicola Adams becoming the first woman to win an Olympic Gold in Boxing.
Then there has been the fantastic interest in the Paralympics – rightly recognising the fantastic sporting achievements from brilliant participants which light up those games just as stunning acts light up the Olympics.
Ellie Simmonds’ magnificent race saw her beaming from many a Sunday front page – so much inspiration for us all. The coverage in the media for the Paralympics for the first time feels so similar to the coverage of the Olympics. We’ve not quite got the same level of TV interest and audiences so far, but my goodness – what a huge step forward 2012 has been from 2008, and the future course is clear. And, I suspect, many of us our actually experience a bit of blade-envy engendered as we watch the amazing blade runners!
And although less visible – LOCOG also were determined that this would be the most friendly LGBT games ever .
All of the equality ambitions and mission were embedded in every meeting, every contract and everyone. That is why this has been the Equality Games.
And as for race – well the Games themselves could be no better example of equality. If you have been to Disney and been through the ‘it’s a small world’ ride – that physical demonstration of different races, cultures, ethnicity is the very essence of the Games.
Of course – there is still a way to go. There are reports that Japanese and Australian female athletes were flown economy class, while the male athletes got business class (http://www.channel4.com/news/olympics-sexism-row-men-fly-business-women-fly-economy) and female dominated sports such as netball are still not included.
However, I am sure that London 2012 has raised the game of the Games and set a benchmark on equality for Games to come.
I am just so happy and proud that the London Olympics really were an ‘Olympics for everyone’.
Reshuffle days are always a bit tense and there were so many rumours flying about on Monday night and Tuesday early morning about where I was going that someone said to me that I had (according to the rumour mills) been linked with almost every department.
Fortunately, I was summoned relatively early in the morning on Tuesday to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office. He told me that changes had to be made and that meant, clearly, that some colleagues would have to step aside. So I steeled myself for bad news. ‘But you are not one of them’. What you might call a Simon Cowell moment!
So – an a busy and exciting week as I start my new ministerial job as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development!
I’ve absolutely loved doing equalities work for so many years – and now it’s great to be returning to International Development, which I used to shadow in opposition and which is a department I worked closely with on much of my overseas equalities work, promoting human rights and equal treatment not just in the UK but also in other countries.
So I want to say a huge thank you to everyone I have worked with in this field – and best wishes to my successor with this incredibly important and precious portfolio.
This is a piece that I posted on Liberal Democrat Voice originally.
In recent days, on both sides of the Atlantic, there have been not one, but two expressions of the kind of attitudes on rape you had hoped died with the Dark Ages.
First, a US Republican Senate Candidate, Todd Akin, suggested that most women do not become pregnant after being raped as their body can, and I quote, ‘shut that whole thing down’.
Then Britain’s own George Galloway, while offering his opinions on the Julian Assange case, took it upon himself to assert that certain acts of sexual violence are nothing more than ‘bad manners’, and that having sex with a woman who is asleep, and therefore unable to give her consent, could not be considered rape ‘by anyone with any sense’.
On one level, these comments are so self evidently ridiculous we could reasonably roll our eyes, whisper to ourselves ‘what an idiot’ and click on the next ‘most read’ story on our news website of choice.
The wall of disgust which has blown up online and in the media points to how unacceptable and marginalised comments like these have thankfully become.
But as marginal and unacceptable as they are, they have an effect.
The backward, misinformed myths propelled by comments like these do real damage.
They matter because these men hold, or might hold, public office which means they are not just expressing an opinion but are attempting to convince others of their views. These men seek to be law makers, and yet they proclaim as truth factual, legal and biological inaccuracies about rape.
They matter because of the chilling effect it has on vulnerable, often shell-shocked victims of sexual violence, who fail to report rape because they are scared they will be mocked, smeared or dismissed by people such as Mr Galloway.
And they matter because of the signal they send to perpetrators. What signal does this send to them? That it’s not rape as long as it’s in warm bed as opposed to down a dark alleyway? That some rapes are less serious than others, and that even after the event women have coping mechanisms to get on with it?
We will rightly dismiss them both as fools, but their comments matter because they infiltrate the debate on sexual violence. They reinforce outdated prejudices. They allow the reopening of a debate that should long ago have been won: there is no difference between ‘sex without consent’ and ‘rape’ and that is that. And ultimately they give legitimacy to those who would wilfully see violence against women swept under the carpet. Talking about rape in a manner that is both casual and callous only hampers the fight against it.
Luckily, I know that Mr Galloway is in a tiny minority inside and outside parliament in this country, and that Mr Atkin’s comments will in all likelihood cost him his election.
That we must continue to fight these falsehoods in 2012 is saddening but emboldening. I am glad that the backlash is as loud and as damning as it is. Long may it continue, because the biggest risk we run is thinking it’s no longer needed.
TalkTalk have contacted me in regard to this year’s TalkTalk Digital Heroes Awards. They are asking me to nominate groups in my constituency for the Awards – a unique competition that recognises and rewards people who are using technology to help their communities.
The Digital Heroes Awards, run in partnership with the Daily Mirror and charities Citizens Online and Go ON UK, aim to recognise inspirational people who use technology to benefit their local community. Twelve winners, one from each region of the UK – voted for by the public – will each get £5,000 to enhance their digital projects, with one overall winner getting £10,000. This year there will be an additional category for children and young people, with a top prize of £4,000 for their chosen charity and an Apple MacBook Air.
The awards, now in their fifth year, have provided funding and support to 49 organisations across Britain, including various charities which have used technology to help children and youth, the homeless and people with disabilities.
If any local groups want to contact me because they think they meet the criteria and would benefit from this funding and would like to take part in the competition, please email me at featherstonel@parliament.uk
Groups are also welcome to make direct submissions themselves. The deadline for entries is 14 September 2012.
Just a reminder to everyone locally who uses Alexandra Park, Finsbury Park, Bowes Park, Harringay and Alexandra Palace stations – to complete this survey on future services. The Coalition is investing huge amounts in rail and these are the local stations affected.
Also – please share this link with anyone else you know who uses these stations.
Couldn’t help but get excited when the Torch came to Hornsey High Street where my constituency office is yesterday. The atmosphere was just brilliant. We were lucky too – as the Torch changeover happened right in front of us. As you can see my office window (above the Three Compasses Pub) gave a grandstand view. And of course – my team and I did find ourselves in the pub for a bit of a celebration as the Torch sent on its way to Alexandra Palace. Happy Olympics and Paralympics one and all.
Good news for our rail system! The coalition is making a massive investment into transport here in London and specifically up to £6billion on the Thameslink service. That is going to have a major impact on some of our local stations. Alexandra Park, Bowes Park, Hornsey, Harringay and Finsbury Park stations are the ones to be aware of locally.
I’m pleased to see that a consultation is to be sought, as it gives local residents and passengers of these services the chance to have their voices heard on the subject.
The investment is to reduce overcrowding and improve services at those stations from 2018. The idea is longer trains and more trains – and the plan could also deliver new destinations like St Pancras, Farringdon and London Bridge as well as current destinations like Kings Cross and Moorgate.
Of course – there may be a fly in the ointment for some of the stations. For example, the restructuring of the services could reduce the number of trains stopping at Hornsey & Harringay stations – which not surprisingly – is unlikely to be popular with local people using those particular stations.
This is because the proposal includes increasing the size of the trains on the service to 12 carriages, and stations like Hornsey & Harringay are only large enough for trains with up to 6 carriages. As the franchise is likely to be granted increased commercial freedom for this development contract, it may decide to reduce the number of services to Hornsey & Harringay to accommodate this.
It important to remember that the proposal is still at consultation stage and that is why I want to here your views on what should happen to train services at Bowes Park, Alexandra Palace, Hornsey, Harringay and Finsbury Park: Are the trains regular and reliable enough? Who should manage the trains and stations? Are the times of first and last trains OK?
I am in the process of arranging a meeting with Transport Ministers to make the case personally on behalf of local people so please just email me at lynne@lynnefeatherstone.org
With your help I can make sure that our local transport services are protected and ensure local passengers beenfit from the new investment.
There will be consequences for those Conservatives who voted against the Bill but that is a matter for David Cameron. Our (Liberal Democrat) response will be taken in the light of what happens further down the line.
But Labour – Labour should be ashamed of themselves. Labour believe in Lords reform (so they said). They have always believed in Lords reform (so they said). Last week they had the opportunity to make it happen. They could even have said that without them (given the size of the Tory rebellion) it would not have happened. They could have crowed about saving it. But no. They put their party interest way ahead of their principles. Real colours there on display. Next time Labour talk about being progressive………………
Anyway – on the side of the angels see this site for comment.
James Barber (from Southwark Liberal Democrats) has helped develop a test for Parkinson’s disease.
On his blog he tells you how you can help the clinical trials by ‘donating’ to the clinical trials by a voice recording down the line. It doesn’t take long – and imagine – in a couple of years there could be a reliable test.
I did it – and it only took a couple of minutes and involved saying a few sentences. Just telephone 01865 521168 and follow the instructions.
Lynne Featherstone 