Lib Dem Manifesto p.22 “We will break up the banks, to ensure taxpayers are never again expected to underwrite high-risk banking. We will introduce a Banking Levy, so that banks pay for their tax-payer guarantee, until the break-up is complete.”

We have set up an independent commission on separating investment and retail banking, reporting by September 2011, and introduced a banking levy that will raise £2.5bn a year.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.26 “Support public investment in the roll-out of superfast broadband, targeted first at those areas which are least likely to be provided for by the market.”

The Government has published an action plan, “Britain’s Superfast Broadband Future”, announcing an £830 million strategy to put a digital hub in every community, making sure the UK has the best broadband in Europe by 2015.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.28 “Give both Royal Mail and post offices a long-term future, by separating Post Office Ltd from the Royal Mail and retaining Post Office Ltd in full public ownership.”

The Postal Services Bill is currently passing through Parliament. It allows for the restructuring of Royal Mail, including the introduction of private sector capital and expertise from the sale of part of it, an employee
share scheme, and provisions for Post Office Ltd to continue to be owned by the Crown or a mutual ownership structure.

I am hopeful that a bit further down the track – we will be able to get back or open new sub-post offices – to replace the ones that Labour closed in our local communities.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.30 “We will extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.”

We have put in place secondary legislation to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children up to age 18 already and are consulting with business on shared parental leave and extension of
flexible working to all employees , and introduced a banking levy that will raise £2.5bn a year.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.18 “We will increase the income tax threshold to £10,000”

In June’s emergency budget, we raised the tax threshold by £1,000, lifting 880,000 low earners out of tax completely. This will increase each year of the coalition government until it reaches £10,000, which will lift
an additional 3 million people out of tax altogether.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.14 “We will tackle tax avoidance and evasion, with new powers for HMRC”

In September, Danny Alexander announced a £900m crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion, expected to raise billions each year by 2014/15 from those who currently avoid paying their fair share of tax.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.14 “We will tax capital gains at the same rates as income, so that all the money you make is taxed in the same way.”

In June’s emergency budget we increased the rate of Capital Gains Tax to 28% for higher rate taxpayers while keeping it at 18% for basic rate taxpayers. This will raise an extra £1bn and end the disgraceful situation of bankers paying a lower rate of tax than their cleaners.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.18 “We will immediately restore the link between the basic state pension and earnings. We will uprate the state pension annually by whichever is the higher of growth in earnings or 2.5%”

The link between pensions and earnings, scrapped by Margaret Thatcher, was restored in the Coalition’s first budget. The annual increase in the state pension will be protected by a ‘triple lock’ -the rise will be in line with earnings, prices or a 2.5% increase, whichever is the greater.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.17 “We will pay down the deficit by saying no to the like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system.”

There will be no like-for-like replacement of Trident this Parliament.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.16 “We will scrap ID cards”

We have scrapped the ID card programme.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.18 “We will give people control over their pension by scrapping the rule that compels you to buy an annuity when you reach age 75”

The Government announced in the Emergency Budget that it will end the effective requirement to purchase an annuity by age 75 from April 2011.

Lib Dem Manifesto p.18 “Meeting the government’s obligations towards Equitable Life policyholders who have suffered loss. We will set up a swift, simple, transparent and fair payment scheme”

We have agreed a deal on Equitable Life which is fair to policy owners and the tax payer. This will finally bring an end to a terrible saga which Labour wouldn’t resolve.

The Identity Documents Bill received Royal Assent yesterday.

All ID cards will be cancelled within one month of Royal Assent and the National Identity Register, the database which contains the biographic information and biometric fingerprint data of card holders, will be physically destroyed within two months.

The Identity Card Scheme represented the worst of government. It was intrusive, bullying, ineffective and expensive.

The coalition Government is committed to scaling back the power of the state and restoring civil liberties. This is just the first step in the process of restoring and maintaining our freedoms.

The Identity Documents Bill invalidates the identity card, meaning that within one month, holders will no longer be able to use them to prove their identity or as a travel document in Europe. Following Royal Assent, a counter will be placed on the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) website counting down the time until cards become invalid.

The Identity Card Scheme and associated work around biometrics has already cost the taxpayer £292 million. It will stop planned future investment in the scheme of £835 million.

All existing cardholders will be notified in writing and the Identity and Passport Service will now inform international border agencies, travel operators and customers of the change in law.

I went to the launch last night of ParliOut – a new group formed to support LGB&T people in the Houses of Parliament – both Members and staff.

This group will be an invaluable source of support to all LGB&T people in the Palace of Westminster and hopefully, it will also encourage other employers to follow this example.

It is very important that Parliament has out LGB&T members and  also sends out the important message that being LGB&T is not a bar to participating in civil society and public life.

The Government also needs to do more to encourage more LGB&T citizens to particpate and this week we will be publishing the findings of research we have carried out into the ‘Experiences of and Barriers to Participation in public and political life for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people’.

One of the key findings, is that a major barrier to particpation, is the fear of being outed by the media!

As people may have seen over the weekend, a case in point, Deputy Speaker, Nigel Evans came out at the age of 53 – to coincide with the launch of ParliOut. But for an MP in the Conservative Party – this was not always acceptable – now that has genuinely changed. In fact – the Conservative Party has moved on beyond all recognition on LGB&T matters – not just because of the thirteen out gay MPs – but in a genuine move away from the past and a very open mind in terms of moving forward on this agenda. 

Back to the do – Mr Speaker, John Bercow, kindly hosted the evening in his rooms which was great – as he has been an outstanding supporter of equal rights himself. Also – tribute was paid to Iain Corby who with others has brought ParliOut  into existence. Chris Bryant, an out Labour MP who earlier this year had the first civil partnership to be carried out in Parliament also spoke.

But the focus and speech of the evening was Deputy Speaker, Nigel Evans – who gave a most powerful and moving speech about his personal journey – through to today – when he at last can be himself.

This is great news and significant news – and not just because of the actuality for gay and lesbian military in the US which is obviously of prime importance – but for the huge message it sends out about equal rights.

When we had begun to think that Barack Obama’s mission might fail – as only last week there was no sign that this would be the result – it is just fantastic that the Bill went through (promoted by an independent Senator and a Republican) and that it passed with a healthy majority.

This is the ending of the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ rule in the US military where if you are gay or lesbian – you mustn’t ever say you are. Ludicrous – but for the last seventeen years if you did say – you were expelled from the military. Hideous!

So many steps taken – so many still to go – but very heartwarming to see another (and very major) step in the right direction.

Yesterday – Nick Clegg announced the ending of child detention for immigration purposes.

No child will ever be locked up in Yarl’s Wood again. No child is currently detained, and no child will spend this Christmas in an immigration detention centre. In an open letter to Gordon Brown in 2009, Nick Clegg wrote: “One of the best ways to judge the moral compass of a nation is how we treat children … How on earth can your government justify what is in effect state-sponsored cruelty?”

I am very proud that this government has ended this disgraceful practise.

Along with the ending of child detention for immigration purposes, the government has also announced the reform of our immigration system to make it more family friendly – creating a system that is humane, fair and effective. From March 2011 specially appointed family case workers will now work with families throughout the decision making process.

Once a family’s appeals have been exhausted they will be offered the following return options, in descending order: family conferences to discuss their return home, welfare and medical concerns; assisted return to help the family feel supported throughout their departure, with reintegration assistance to help them resettle upon their return; required returns for families who fail to take up the assisted return through the AVR programme, allowing them to remain in the community, but giving two weeks notice to board their flight home; and finally ensured return, as a last resort, if they fail to depart the UK.

This new process is one which operates end-to-end through the immigration system – a radical improvement in the way we work with families from the first time we come into contact with them through their immigration decision and where necessary their return to their home country. Working with families will be key to the success of the new process – family conferences will ensure everyone understands the process, assistance will be offered to families and the benefits clearly explained, with additional assistance to the family when back in their home country if required.

There are always going to be those who try to frustrate the process and refuse to comply with requests to leave. The creation of the independent family returns panel will mean independent provide oversight of when a family is deemed to have exhausted all options and recommend a tailored returns plan. Our aim is to support families throughout this process, helping them remain in the community for as long as possible, but to ensure families work with us on leaving the country when their right to remain in the UK has been exhausted.

(In Labour’s last 5 years in office alone the Government locked up 7075 kids, that’s an average of almost 4 children a day locked up by Labour. · Between 2005 and 2010, 7075 children were locked up for an average of just under 2 weeks each (12.74 days) · Last year alone 1065 children were locked up by Labour, 173 of whom were locked up for more than a month. )

Garden Shop High Street Hornsey

This is this month’s column in the Highgate Handbook and Muswell Hill Flyer:

You may have read in the last edition of the ‘flyer’ about when I visited Muswell Hill police station for CSV volunteering day. I met with volunteers who keep the front counter open and went on the beat with special constables – volunteering police officers who give up their free time to patrol our streets.

That was the first of many activities that I have done with my Liberal Democrat colleagues this November and December to ‘Be Local’. Our ‘Be Local’ campaign is all about meeting the amazing people in our area who give up their time to make it better, and encouraging more people to do the same.

It’s also about us doing our bit to support local shops and businesses – the beating heart of our high streets – and getting people to use our local town centres in the run up to Christmas. To support local businesses, we have launched a business survey to hear directly from businesses about what issues matter to them, and see how we can help fight their corner.

I recently surveyed Hornsey High Street with Councillor Robert Gorrie and it was great to get the chance to speak directly to traders about the problems they face. We visited the newly opened ‘Garden Shop’ in Hornsey where they have done a great job integrating into the local high street and, in the run up to Christmas, have decorated their shop beautifully. We also wanted to say a big Thank You to the shop owner, for donating the Christmas tree for Hornsey’s Christmas Celebrations at the beginning of December – a great example of a local businesses giving back to the local community.

Apart from surveying local businesses up and down the high streets, I am also writing to local residents this December, to encourage them to do their Christmas shopping locally – and help the local shops thrive in the winter chill!

As part of the continued work to highlight the amazing effort of volunteers, I also joined members of Muswell Hill Synagogue and the local community in doing good deeds for Mitzvah day. It was a spectacular day of residents doing good in the Muswell Hill area – from tree planting in Coldfall Woods, to urging shoppers at Sainsbury’s to donate one item of food to the homeless. I joined residents at the Synagogue in wrapping toys donated by local people to give to children in care at Barnados.

So, if you have the itch to go do some good in the winter chill, why not volunteer? And if you want to help support local businesses – use our High Streets this Christmas – and ‘Be Local’!

I was sad, but not surprised, to read Iain’s last blog post yesterday telling us that he was stopping blogging. Over recent months it was clear that his other commitments (publishing and now a show on LBC every weekday evening) were so time consuming that his four or five blog post per day diet was no longer possible.

Iain also said in his post that he was fed up with the viciousness and backbiting – presumably of comments – which populate political blogs.

And perhaps, most important of all, he said he was no longer enjoying blogging.

He is not alone in ceasing a long term blog – Tom Harris (a Labour MP) who had been blogging for years recently quit. Iain was saying on the radio this morning that he believes it damages political careers as parties regard bloggers as maverick. But Tom’s was an excellent blog  and it is a great shame that he stopped. I have been blogging for around eight years too – and it is becoming difficult to find enough time and I can’t blog as much as I used to.

I have particularly enjoyed Iain’s blog for many years. He has always had that really special quality – his own voice in everything he writes. And even though his political allegiance has always been completely clear (Conservative – in case anyone doesn’t know) he has often been very critical of his own party – and sadly – almost always critical of mine. But The cross-party relationships that developed and exist in the blogging community transcend party differences and I think Iain has given a huge amount to politics.

I remember when he bravely went where no one had gone before – and started an intelligent political TV chanel – 18 Doughty Street. I was on the political panel on opening night – and it was a joy to have proper political discussion. Sadly – it didn’t survive. But Iain has moved on. I listen to LBC a great deal. There is no better forum for listening to what London thinks about an issue on a daily basis – and now Iain has his own program.

I wish him every success for the future.

This Bill had its second reading in Parliament today.

The key issues in the Bill are:

– accountability of the police and the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners (elected)
– the introduction of new licensing laws to curb binge drinking
– minor changes to Universal Jurisdiction so that the Director of Public Prosecutions decides on arrest warrants for foreign war criminals who come to this country as opposed to district judges
– ensuring that Parliament Square can be used for protests, but not used as a permanent encampment.
– new powers to deal with legal highs

There was a good debate with Labour supporting much (but definitely not all) of the content.

“I pledge to vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament and to pressure the government to introduce a fairer alternative”

That was the NUS pledge that I signed.

The new proposals are fairer. So – those who are angry at me and feel ‘betrayed’ do at least need to look at the comparative proposals and see if they are ‘fairer’. It would have been much easier to vote against – in a constituency like Hornsey & Wood Green where some Labour voters supported me – but as popular as that might have made me – why would I vote against something which will help poorer students when my mission is a society that is more equal.

For anyone actually interested in the detail – I paste some below.

• No-one pays a penny upfront. Students don’t pay, graduates do.
• For the first time, part time students won’t have to pay up front fees.
• All students will repay less per month compared to now.
• The lowest earning 25% of graduates will repay less overall.
• No-one earning £21,000 or less will pay anything (which will be increased each year in line with earnings).
• It will be the highest earners – around 25% of graduates – who will pay back more than they borrow.
• More than half a million students will be eligible for more non-repayable grants for living costs. Almost one million students will be eligible for more overall maintenance support.
• There will be an extra £150m for a new National Scholarship Programme for students from poorer backgrounds and we will introduce tough new sanctions of universities who fail to improve their access to students from backgrounds.
• The Council of Mortgage lenders has confirmed that higher fees will not impact on graduate’s ability to get a mortgage. Student loans data are not shared with credit reference agencies, so they will not impact on an individual’s credit score (either positively or negatively). Mortgage lenders worry about monthly outgoings which are lower than at preset.

This system gives graduates more disposable income when they need it most, when they’re starting out in their careers and moving home because their monthly payments are lower.

Monthly repayment comparators – our system versus the current system:

Job Title/Starting Salary/ Our System / Current System / Annual Saving                                  

Investment Banking / £38,250  / £129.38  / £174.38  / £540.00

Police constable (London) / £25,536 / £34.02 / £79.02 / £540.00

Average graduate scheme / £25,000 / £30.00 / £75.00 / £540.00

Engineering / £23,500 / £18.75 / £63.75 / £540.00

Social worker / £23,500 / £18.75 / £63.75 / £540.00

Police constable (outside London) / £23,259 / £16.94 / £61.94 / £540.00

Teacher (outside London) / £21,588 / £4.41 / £49.41 / £540.00

Librarian / £19,000 / £0.00 / £30.00 / £360.00

Third Sector / £19,000 / £0.00 / £30.00 / £360.00

Junior Sous Chef (London) / £18,000 / £0.00 / £22.50 / £270.00

Plumber / £17,313 / £0.00 / £17.35 / £208.17

Care assistant /£13,000 / £0.00 / £0.00 / £0.00