Supporting women in business

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The Women's Company lunch in Crouch EndI went to The Women’s Company Crouch End lunch recently. Forgot to blog about it – but don’t want it to go unblogged as it is a really important network for local women who have their own business (be that a one woman band or big enterprise) to get together and see what the issues are, network and be mutually supportive.

The group is organised very ably by Veronica Peck (pictured standing behind me). It was a lively meeting – comprising all sorts of businesses and services including a funding specialist, a specialist family lawyer, US investment adviser, health & lifestyle advisers, designers and so on.

We all chat as we come in over a drink – and then sit with a delicious buffet lunch and talk with those nearest us. Then there is an opportunity for each woman to stand up and in a couple of minutes say what her business is about, what she can offer and so on. That was fascinating – and I am always staggered at the ingenuity and inventiveness – and sheer determination – of women to get on. Despite children, often being carers of older parents, or whatever – women work their lives around and STILL manage to get out there and compete in the business world.

So – if anyone out there is interested just log on to http://www.thewomenscompany.com/ and you will find your nearest local group. It’s a very heartening and inspiring network!

The thing that gives me the most pleasure as an MP

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Am really cross that despite best efforts cannot find time to meet up with Jenny Gillies. She’s the South African women that I met when I went to look at AIDS projects in South Africa. Jenny left a message on my phone – and as good as her word – the roof of the terrible shack I visited has an interim replacement which will keep the rain off of him during the rainy season and will be replaced with a proper roof thereafter – and going that extra mile – the walls are to be built of brick! Thanks Jenny – and see you next time!

Lunch yesterday was with the High Commissioner of Cyprus to the UK – Georgios Icovou. Well – what an interesting man (was Foreign Minister in Cyprus for 15 years). I learned so much of the history (obviously from his perspective).

It seems to me that there were many lost opportunities along the road to where we are unhappily now. I have both Greek and Turkish communities in Hornsey & Wood Green – and it seems to me that our Government does not take a really pro-active role in trying to move the impasse. In the end – it is the people (both communities) who suffer and whilst there are certainly barriers to achieving the breakthrough – there must be a way through.

In the evening was the long-awaited ‘workshop’ by the London Development Agency at the Chocolate Factory. The open session was to show the current tenants and other creative businesses in Haringey what is intended for the future for the creative industries, what the development plans for Haringey Heartlands are, what support there is available to creative businesses and so on. I think the audience appreciate the workshop and found some of the plans very exciting.

Not going to raise all the issues here as it was a closed session. However, the crux of the issue for the current tenants was the closed session where they got to question the LDA on their investment and monitoring. It was clear however, that the LDA is not going to get involved in the key issue – which is the 50% hike in rents by Collage Arts for their studio licenses – as that is a legal and contractual matter between individuals and Collage.

All I would say though, is we all hope that Collage and the tenants can find a better way forward where the tenants are not fearful the whole time and where they feel that the future envisaged by the LDA includes them rather than gets rid of them in favour of new businesses. The existing colony of artists – the artistic jewel in Haringey’s Crown – could be in jeopardy if they cannot afford the 50% hike in rent. It will be a crying shame if any of the artists have to go.

Of course – the area will be worth a fortune when Heartlands kicks off!

Last stop of the day – speech night at St Thomas More School. This is a Catholic secondary school in Wood Green and this was its first ever speech night and prize giving. I was absolutely thrilled to be there to give out the prizes and make the keynote speech.

There is nothing, quite frankly, in my role as MP that gives me more pleasure and satisfaction than seeing young people get rewarded for effort. The Head, Mr Hickey, is clearly completely committed – as are the staff. And that spirit of enthusiasm is echoed as each ‘winner’ came up shyly or boldly to receive their award – proud of themselves.

St Thomas’s has not always had the reputation of saints – but it seems to me as if there is a real ethos of achievement being instilled throughout everyone at the school – students, parents and teachers – and it’s not just academic, but it’s about creating thinking, respectful individuals who try their best. Way to go!

Al Yamamah: excellent news from the courts

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Hurrah! There is now going to be a judicial review into Labour’s decision to pull the plug into the UK-Saudi Al Yamamah arms deal corruption investigation.

For all Labour’s talk about being tough on crime, they axed this investigation, they’ve tried to hinder the US’s investigation, and there’s no decent excuse for not taking corruption in international arms deals seriously. As I wrote previously:

Imagine you’ve been burgled and (by a small miracle!) someone is up in court, charged with the burglary. How impressed would you be if the accused said, “OK, I did do it – but you have to understand. I’m a poor student at the local university and all the French and US students there steal things too, so it wouldn’t be fair if I was left out and had to make do without the proceeds of crime too?” Not very I think! But that’s pretty much the excuse so often rolled out to brush away corruption around international arms deals – everyone else gives out bribes you know, and it would be so unfair and unforgivable if we didn’t too.

You can read the rest of my case over on Liberal Democrat Voice.

Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice

I appear to have the joint second best MP website

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Once again the bridesmaid rather than the bride as I don’t come first in the British Computer Society MP Website awards.

There were three categories – best design, best engagement and best accessibility – plus an overarching prize of prizes for the Best MP Website overall.

Much to my surprise I was one of the two runner ups on the big one! So – not so bad.

Congrats to the BCS for recognising that we MPs are using the medium and as the comment on my site said ‘really trying’ (in the best possible sense)!

Adam Price won the overarching prize – and our own Lib Dem Tom Brake won one of the categories. Well done Tom!

Nick Clegg gives it some welly

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Credit where it’s due – Nick (Clegg) gave his Home Affairs Queen’s Speech some welly! I can’t see how the Government has the balls to try and bring back an extension to detention without charge. There is no evidence to demand it. You know – I don’t think there is a single MP in the House from any party who would not vote an extension if proper evidence was put before us demonstrating a genuine need.

And some silly twit on the Labour benches when Nick was espousing this mouthed the word ‘soft’. That is the type of rubbish that damages and plays politics with this issue – one of the most serious decision that we have to make: how to balance security and liberty. It is our responsibility as Parliamentarians to get the balance right. And it doesn’t help when idiot MPs rubbish anything other that auto-compliance with any and every request regardless of its merits.

And it doesn’t help that last time when they wanted 90 days they were essentially crying wolf and using a dodgy dossier of evidence. This time round, even Labour’s Home Secretary herself – Jacqui Smith – has admitted there hasn’t yet been a case where a longer period of detention would have been needed.

So – don’t treat us like children. Don’t sabre rattle. Don’t ask for more than you can prove is necessary! Then – we can work for a consensus. Consensus is NOT you say what you want and we agree. And being serious about reaching across the political divide to reach agreement doesn’t involve stupid mindless heckles.

Vulture funds: Gordon Brown stands by and does nothing as the poorest suffer

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I’m in The Guardian talking about the dreaded scourge of vulture funds:

Liberal Democrat shadow international development secretary Lynne Featherstone released figures she had requested from the World Bank about the extent to which British courts had been used by so-called “vulture” funds to sue poor countries.

These showed £237m-worth of suits had gone through British courts despite Britain being a vocal supporter of greater aid for poor countries.

“Gordon Brown talks at length about justice for Africa but instead his government should explore ways of creating an internationally binding system to ensure companies can’t prey on heavily indebted developing countries,” she said.

“Failing that, in the interim, the government should start looking at how our national laws can be changed to bar vulture funds from using Britain as a tool to milk heavily-indebted poor countries.”

Vulture funds buy up poor countries’ sovereign debt at a fraction of its face value and then sue for its full value plus interest in court. Many are US-based but use courts in Britain and France to pursue their victims.

UPDATE: There’s more in the story on the Liberal Democrat website.

Figures reveal millions paid to vulture funds

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Liberal Democrat Shadow International Development Secretary, Lynne Featherstone MP has uncovered figures showing the millions of pounds English courts have ordered poor countries to pay out to so-called ‘Vulture Funds’.

English courts have awarded £236.7 million to the funds, which buy up poor countries’ debt and then sue for full value plus interest in court.

The statistics, which were released by the World Bank following a request from Lynne Featherstone, reveal the true extent of Britain’s involvement in Vulture Funds.

Lynne Featherstone said:

“Hundreds of millions of pounds are being taken from the poorest people on this planet – money that is desperately needed for basic services like schools, hospitals and sanitation.

“It is like sending the bailiffs round to a homeless person and then roughing them up for their spare change. It brings shame on the British legal system and the foundation of fairness that it was built on.

“Gordon Brown talks at length about justice for Africa. His Government should explore ways of creating an internationally binding system to ensure companies can’t prey on heavily indebted developing countries.

“Failing that, in the interim, the Government should start looking at how our national laws can be changed to bar Vulture Funds from using Britain as a tool to milk heavily indebted poor countries. One solution could be to hold the debts in non-tradable securities – known as VISTA trusts.”

Goodbye Mette!

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Went to Mette’s farewell drinks. Mette has been my researcher at Parliament since I was elected two and a half years ago. We went to Parliament together – neither of us with any experience – and we haven’t done so bad.

Mette is Swedish – and so I have learned to live with a Scandanavian flavour to my amendments, briefings and attitudes. And that hasn’t been a bad thing – as those countries sure get a lot of things right that we could learn from!

And although she supports Nick Clegg and I support Chris Huhne (!) we have been a real team and partnership. She is a very, very talented young woman and I will miss her terribly.

Mette knows everyone in Parliament. She is an inveterate networker – across all parties – and there was quite a turn out at her farewell. More than anything though – she is just a lovely human being – and I am just lucky to have had such a great researcher and hopefully friend for life!

And that’s why I am blogging about her publicly – cos I want everyone to know how great it has been working with her!