Yesterday David Cameron held the second event at 10 Downing Street (the first was this time last year) to demonstrate the coalition’s commitment to LGB&T equality.

The particular focus of this event was the Sports Charter which the government is asking sporting bodies and individuals to sign up to – to kick homophobia and transphobia out of sport and I have written about this very important campaign before on this blog several times.

Many sporting bodies were represented at the event – and are signed up to the charter. To show your support you can sign up here.

Just on a personal note – I used to be in my school’s tennis team (many decades ago) and in those days the ball boys (and girls) for Queens Tournament the week before Wimbledon came from London schools and I was one such for about three years running. So it was a real honour and pleasure to meet Billie Jean King at the event – for whom I did indeed ball girl all those years ago!

Huge congratulations to All Walks – the fantastic team of Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor who are driving forward their campaign to bring diversity to fashion.

The latest triumpth in the All Walks mission is the Centre for Diversity. The new centre, headed by Mal Burkinshaw (Head of Fashion at Edinburgh College of Art) will teach students to embrace diversity. Whilst part of this is about learning to cut to sizes other than double zero and to shapes other than model-shaped – Caryn Franklin said that it would teach students a whole lot more than just learning to cut patterns.

The launch was held at Earl’s Court 2 – during Graduate Fashion Week – and many, many educators from right across the country came to hear what Caryn, Debra and Mal were doing with this new centre – and although the Centre for Diversity is based in Edinburgh – this is a nationwide mission.

I was invited and had the privilege of announcing the new Centre because the Government itself has its own campaign for Body Confidence – which forms part of our health and well-being strategy. All Walks is one of the groups on the Government Advisory panel of experts who advise us on our Body Confidence campaign – and they head the sector working with the fashion industry.

Mal Burkanshaw spoke with such conviction about the freedom that will come as students learn to create ’emotionally considerate work’ – bringing emotion into a world which has been so unforgiving to any variety of body types in our world and rejecting of those that do not fit an impossible singular image for fashion – it was just so fantastic.

I am greatly enthused by this major step forward in ending a damaging conformity – by educating those who will be the fashion industry in future decades. It is a very heartwarming to see this opening up of the challenge, the market and design to the wonders of the human form – in all its glory.

Follow All Walks mission to end conformity here!

I got a text from Kim Holt on Tuesday.

Kim Holt is the NHS whistleblower (one of the four paediatric consultants in the GOSH child health team at St Ann’s in Haringey) who spoke up to senior managers at Great Ormond Street about the danger to children because management were not listening to concerns. And it was not just her concerns – in fact – all four senior paediatricians wrote a letter to the management and co-signed it – they were so worried about the situation at St Ann’s.

It is fighting her case that brought me into this arena and seeing the huge injustice done to her. Having spoken out – Kim’s reward was to be put on special leave. Kept on full pay by GOSH at taxpayers’ expense for three years now but not allowed to work – Kim has been trying to get back to the work that she loves and work that everyone (including an Independent investigation of her case by NHS London) found her to be an exemplar paediatrician.

The investigation found that she should be re-instated by GOSH after mediation. She never has been.

Back to the text. The text from Kim to me this Tuesday said:

‘Lynne I have today been given an open apology from GOSH. Can you believe it? Kim’

What interesting timing after three years of being treated as a pariah. Did GOSH sense that when the Sibert Report was finally released under FOI to the BBC that they might be in the spotlight?

UPDATE: the actual wording of the apology has now come through:  “both Trusts accept and are sorry that you have been through a difficult time. You are a respected and valued member of staff and we look forward to you resuming your role in community paediatrics very soon’

NB Both Trusts are Great Ormond Street and Haringey PCT

Extremely shocked and upset by news this morning of the untimely death of Andrew Reeves from a heart attack. Was rung first thing this morning and told the tragic news. Andrew was so young – and just recently married his long term partner.

Andrew came to be my Head of Office when I was elected to Parliament in 2005. He was a warm, lovely guy – a very kind person and great character. Liberal Democrats will all be very sad to hear of his death.

Freedom Bill: I had hoped to blog the passage of the Bill through its committee stage – but studying for it and taking it through meant that there was no time. Suffice to say it was well debated and argued. Basically on the key points  Labour would put everything in it virtually back where it was under them: ie retaining innocent people on the DNA data base, continuing to take children’s fingerprints without parental permission, making over 9 million people be registered and monitored continually – even if they are a parent volunteering to read to children and are supervised and many other measures. Hopefully the Bill will come back for report stage in the very near future.

YMCA Hornsey Fun Run: A great pleasure as always to give the awards for the adult races. This year I was joined by Andrew Thornton of our local Crouch End Budgens. Not only did his Andrew and his team win the unaffiliated prize – but I have to say – the way our local Budgens is part of our community is fantastic – and we are very fortunate to have such a community minded business in what is a very competitive market locally for our custom. As for the event – as always – a huge thank you to the YMCA for all the effort hey put in to this great local annual event; thank you to all those who ran.

Highgate Society AGM: The Society’s AGM was held on Wednesday evening at Highgate School. It started with a talk on the Localism Bill and how that will affect (or not) everyone. In fact – members of the Highgate Society lobbied me during the course of the Bill to ask that I try and get the part that forgot about places like Highgate changed. In the Bill local people will be able to put together a neighbourhood plan. Of course – the bugbear in Highgate – is that it is split between three boroughs and it looked like these neighbourhood plans would not be allowed cross borough boundaries. At the time I met with the appropriate minister and was able to report back to the Highgate Society members who came to my advice surgery that there would be a positive outcome to their request. So – new members come onto the Council – and the very very valuable work that the Highgate Society does on behalf of all our community will go on thanks to so many people who volunteer their time to protect and fight for our area.

Mr President: Yes – I did go to hear President Obama speak. It was a fantastic occasion – the two Houses of Parliament gathered in the great Westminster Hall to listen to the American president. It was a first. American Presidents have addressed smaller groups of parliamentarians before in the Royal Gallery – but never this! What did I think? I thought the first half of his speech was what you would expect – flattering to Britain and reassuring us of our importance to America and our now better cemented relationship. The second half was more inspiring – with that magic Obama has to raise our hopes and aspirations for a better world – combined with an intellectual rigour on the world situation. It was a privilege to be there – but the serious work of sorting out both our economies, the Middle East , Afghanistan – and supporting the fluttering Arab Spring are the real work of our countries and others.

It was a real pleasure to be invited to the 40th Anniversary celebrations of the Hornsey Historical Society on Saturday.

What a huge turn out – demonstrating the high regard and affection with which the Society is held by local people. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated and committed group of people in our area ensuring that the context of our lives and our history is documented and recorded.

Long may the Society continue its hugely important work and a very Happy 40th – and many, many more.

Hornsey Historical Society - 40th Anniversary

Haringey Liberal Democrats have elected Stroud Green councillor Richard Wilson as new leader of the Council group.

On his appointment Cllr Wilson said:

“I am very proud to have the opportunity to lead a strong group of Liberal Democrat councillors in Haringey that will continue to stand up for residents against Labour’s terrible stewardship of this borough. I will help us to provide a positive alternative vision of how Haringey Council could work with residents to improve the Borough.

“It’s time that the gloves come off in the fight to protect vulnerable people from Labour’s ill-conceived cuts – to our older people’s day centres, youth service and children’s centres – and to reveal Labour’s waste and mismanagement.

“It is an honour to step into the shoes of former leaders such as Robert Gorrie, Neil Williams and Lynne Featherstone.

“I will follow in Lynne’s footsteps by standing up for residents on the issues that really matter to them, and fighting for better services and a better Council.”

Outgoing Lib Dem leader Cllr Robert Gorrie comments:

“I’m delighted that in Richard Wilson we have a new leader for the group who is a proven and experienced local campaigner with a positive vision for the borough and an eagerness to hold this Labour administration to account for its many and continued failings.”

Local Liberal Democrat MP, Lynne Featherstone adds:

“Richard will be a massive asset to the Council group as leader and I am delighted that we have a talented campaigner who will hold no punches in continuing to expose the poor decisions made by Haringey Labour.”