Budget day at the GLA. Such a rigmarole as it is quite clear where we will end up. The process is thus. The Mayor presents his budget and the level of precept he wishes to impose on London (9.9% in this case).

Each of the party groups then puts down an amendment to his budget: the Tories at 3.56% (I think), the LibDems at 4.9% and the Greens would reduce the precept by doubling the congestion charge – not taken seriously and didn’t add up anyway.

At the end, we vote on each amendment and each party supports its own amendment and votes against the others. Really stupid!

Labour didn’t put an amendment to the Mayor’s budget as they are now as one and have no opinions other than the Mayor is right about everything.

However, as the Tories and LibDems were quite close in numerical terms, we then put a joint motion asking the Mayor to make sure that the precept didn’t rise above the LibDem figures. If Labour had supported this, we could have forced the Mayor to lower the precept – but of course – Labour voted against and are therefore responsible for the cost of the precept on our Council Tax.

Guest at the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) dinner at the Science Museum.

I walk in to the reception to discover that it is me and about 300 men – whilst for a single gal these proportions might look promising, in reality it is quite daunting, even for me who is used to talking to people I don’t know.

The RAC hold this dinner annually to present their report. So we were herded up into the IMAX cinema for the presentation of their findings. Very difficult to make head or tail of the stats as the variables across the country are so wide.

One broad finding they presented was an answer to the question – if motorists were to have to pay more through some mechanism what would they prefer? The majority by a long way opted for tax to be added to the fuel cost alongside the removal of tax disks etc. Hmmmmmmmmm I am sure last time there was a rise to fuel prices we saw the car and lorry lobby picket and strike! So I am not sure what motorists say and what they do are quite at one.

The dinner was very nice and the speaker was Professor David Begg, who is the Commissioner for Integrated Transport, and at least is an amusing and relatively witty speaker. I sat next to Ann Skey who is Head of Public Affairs and really excellent at doing the sort of stuff the motor industry needs. Lots of good work with schools and education. The RAC is (as motoring organisations go) extremely responsible about its need to be committed to reduce driving, congestion and pollution. Visit its website – lots of good reports on all the motoring issues of the day.

PS Pick up news that Barbara Roche after all her media appearances to say she would vote against top-up fees, switches sides again and votes with the government. That will not go down well as was heralded as the ‘first time Hornsey & Wood Green MP had rebelled’. And she didn’t!

Meeting with some guys at City Hall from Dunlop something or other about the magic speed hump I am looking into.

This hump deflates and lies flat if you go over it at the set speed, but acts as a hump if you drive over the speed limit. So it rewards good drivers. They have made lots of improvements and I am going to go to the Transport Research Laboratory to see it tested with emergency vehicles and buses. This all feeds into my scrutiny on road humps. (You can read more about it in my column on the subject).

Campaigning in the Stroud Green by-election all weekend. A Labour resignation before Christmas has led to this and it is a battle and then some. A win from Labour for us gives us 16 to their 14 councillors in the constituency of Hornsey & Wood Green – already a target seat for the next General Election.

One small break from campaigning on Sunday night, when I am one of the guests of honour at a Burns Night celebration by Holborn & St Pancras and Camden LibDems. Scots Piper and Haggis!

I was giving the Reply for the Lassies – which is meant to be short and funny. Not easy to be funny – especially as joke-telling is kind of a boy thing. However, I was risque and hopefully amusing enough – and finished with probably the only joke I do tell:

‘What do women in politics make best for dinner?’

‘Reservations!’

It’s better with wine!

Meeting with Haringey Chief Executive, David Warwick on three issues. Firstly – the development of Fortismere School left in its wake a real mess in Burlington Road. Additional to that, a number of issues around the planning conditions which were imposed to protect the local amenity were ignored – and the residents are rightly cross and can’t get satisfactory answers.

He is not too sympathetic to this one – but agrees that if I write to him formally he will look into the issues and says he will personally visit Burlington Road.

On Muswell Hill Centre, which is this great youth centre which runs loads of really good sports, classes and houses Exposure (the magazine for young people in Haringey), I wanted to facilitate a meeting with Joy Wheeler who is the Chair of the Management Committee and a volunteer whose work and commitment have made it the success it is.

It really works for the local kids from the area who are pretty deprived and might well be on the streets otherwise.

People always assume that everyone in Muswell Hill is middle class and well off – which just isn’t the case. And actually, if you are poor in a reasonably well-to-do area – you can find it even harder as there are scant council facilities in such locations.

Anyway – sorted out the new roof and hopefully the full time employment of a brilliant youth worker. The youth service in Haringey has been a complete mess for some time – but from what the Chief Exec said – is now on the road to recovery. Lord knows it needs to be.

Arrive in Council Chamber in Haringey to Labour baying for my blood. They cannot stomach the fact that

the funding has now been found following my lobbying of the Met for the restoration of the front counter at Muswell Hill’s police station.

Typically, rather than welcome the good news Labour are trying to make out that it’s not true. Unluckily for them, I have a copy of the letter from Sir John Stevens’ office confirming the funding has been found, congratulating me on a successful campaign and asking me to notify Sir John of dates for the opening way in advance so he can come and open it with me.

I plonk the letter on the press table.

Seeing is believing…