Always the bridesmaid, never the bride!

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News reaches me of having been nominated the British Computer Society’s MP Website Award.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the BCS is presenting these special awards for the MP with the website in one of the following three categories: the best design, engagement or accessibility. The winners will be announced 7 November.

Well – it’s lovely – but I have now been nominated for several web-site / blogger awards, including Channel 4 Rising Star, Political Woman of the Year and so on – and that’s as far as I’ve got!

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride!

Iraqi interpreters

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In the evening I sponsor a meeting in Parliament for the campaign to treat properly Iraqis who work for the Brits during our war there.

Dan Hardie, whose blog pushed this campaign to the fore, had brought together Mark Brockway (who was in Iraq with the army and employed interpreters), Andrew (who worked on the economic infrastructure), Richard Beeston of The Times (which has given the issue much impressive coverage – except for one blip in one piece which ignored the massive contribution people like Dan have made to the campaign) and three MPs: me, Ed Vaizey and Chris Bryant.

Mark and Andrew both gave eye witness accounts of what is going on in Iraq and how those who helped us by translating or other service now are being hunted down and killed. It was graphic, appalling and compelling.

These horrors made the mealy-mouthed, half-arsed announcement by G Brown yesterday to allow those who worked for us for more than 12 months some financial (very low) package to resettle and under agreed circumstances admittance to the UK look completely inadequate.

To me, I longed for Gordon just to say what needed to be said – we have a moral responsibility towards you and you are welcome in our country. That’s what Denmark did. In fact Denmark recognising the danger in which their employees now were – flew them and their families out.

Anyway – the key issues that came up for pursuit are: the need for our military to provide proper contracts with those who work for us, proper record keeping, inclusion of family members, removal of barriers for Iraqis needing to come here (currently they cannot get visas in Iraq but have to leave and go to Jordan before they can even apply), an immediate statement from the Government to our Iraqi employees which gives them the information and instruction as to what to do to access what was in the package, a website for them to get in touch (many are in hiding), and of course – the extension of the package to all those who worked for us – not just those who did twelve months. As Mark pointed out – many of the work periods co-incided with troop turn of duty – which was often six months! I have tabled an EDM to this effect. (An EDM – Early Day Motion – is a sort of Parliamentary petition – so please lobby your MP to sign it if you’re not one of my constituents).

Tomorrow, have discovered I am No 8 on the Order Paper for Prime Minister’s Questions – so hope we get that far down the list.

Tax and spending news

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Hideous rain, rain, rain! Matched Gordon’s mood I expect. I don’t know how he sat there whilst Alistair Darling regurgitated Lib Dem policies – taxing airplane flights not passengers; going after non-doms, etc etc. Sooooo embarrassing. But the Tories, who needless to say were jeering their heads off, accusing Darling of stealing their polices – have short memories. Tories stole them from us! And then had the cheek to complain when they were in turn nicked by Labour!

It’s a hideous reality these days. I know Lib Dems have always provided a think tank for the other two – but rarely is it so immediate and so blatant. Vince Cable (Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor) – gave a heavyweight and bravura response, whereas George Osborne (Tory equivalent) was incredibly content-free and frothy.

Vince passed along the front bench the copy of the Chancellor’s Statement – which is customarily given to the opposition spokespeople about an hour before the statement is made in the house. Some of the pages were blanked out! So much for open government. Tackled on this – Darling feigned surprise. ‘Really? They shouldn’t have been’. Bastards!

Once more into the fray!

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It felt just like going back to school – but only for a moment. Then it was back into the familiar routines when Parliament is sitting and as if the summer recess had never happened.

The big one yesterday was Gordon (I used to be taken seriously) Brown – coming to the House to give a statement on Iraq. I was trying to think: if he hadn’t made such a pig’s ear of the last few weeks – would this have been well received? Partially – is the answer.

His news on reductions in troop numbers – albeit not enough – and half-hearted help for the Iraqis whose work for us in the war now means the Basra death squads are hunting them down and killing them – was typical Brown, picking up on the big issues but only making partial and unsatisfying moves on them.

As I am sponsoring tonight’s meeting on the fate of the Iraqi interpreters who worked for the British armed forces, I was glad the the pressure that has mounted on this issue (mostly thanks to the blogosphere who pushed it to the fore) had obviously got to Gordon.

As usual, Gordon threw his big arms around the Iraqi employees tent – not wishing to look bad publicly (which he does) for using them then throwing them to the dogs. But he didn’t say what he should have said. Instead we got the mealy-mouthed Gordon version which was a financial package to help resettle somewhere – and ‘under agreed circumstances’ some would be allowed to come here.

A more detailed statement will follow this week. It had better!

Liberal Democrats demand clear parking signs now

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Lib Dems have demanded immediate actionfrom Haringey Council to make Muswell Hill and Crouch End ‘Stop and Shop’ signs clearer after The Department for Transport’s (DfT) damningverdict that parking signs are unsatisfactory.

Following the many direct complaints he had received from confused motorists, Lib Dem councillor Martin Newton took matters into his own hands and contacted DfT directly for their opinion on the offending signs, which have resulted in significant number of parking tickets for residents not understanding the current signs of the four month old scheme.

Cllr Martin Newton Lib Dem spokesperson for Transport and Highways comments:

“Haringey Council’s disregard for the chaos this is causing local shoppers is outrageous.Labour have completely ignored my many pleas on behalf of residents and now even the Department for Transport says this signage is not satisfactory.How long can they ignore this disarray?

“Recent plans by Haringey Council to shore-up current schemes do not go far enough – the signs themselves need changing.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, adds:

“It is local residents and traders who are being hit by these awful signs.Haringey Council must take immediate action to make it crystal clear to people parking what the restrictions are before real damage to done to local businesses though residents being to o afraid to park.”

Don't lose Spurs says Liberal Democrats

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Reports that Tottenham Hotspur may be looking outside Haringey for a site to build a new stadium have caused dismay among local Liberal Democrats. The party is worried that an exodus of such a local institution would spell disaster for the area and harm the local economy. Tottenham Hotspur directors met on 3rd October 2007 to discuss a proposal that would build a 60,000 capacity stadium in Enfield. Lib Dems have called on Haringey Council to do all it can to ensure that the club has the backing it needs and that the Council opens meaningful discussions.

Cllr Matt Davies (Lib Dem, Fortis Green), a Spurs supporter himself, comments:

“Spurs is a great club with great local support. I have always believed that White Hart Lane can be redeveloped to give us greater capacity and keep us in our Haringey home. The Council need to recognise what a major asset Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is to out borough and wake up to the seriousness of the situation. If Spurs feel they have to move out of Haringey, it would be a disaster for fans and for the local community.”

Cllr Robert Gorrie, Lib Dem finance spokesperson, adds:

“You only have to look over the borough boundary into Islington to see what an enormous benefit the redevelopment of the new Arsenal football ground can have on the local area and economy. Islington Council did a great job working with the club to come to a position whereby the team stayed in the borough. These are lessons Haringey need to learn.”

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green adds:

“The loss of such a major sporting icon from our borough would be a disaster for the community on so many levels.The Gunners’ new stadium has such had a huge positive impact for Islington, and Haringey Council needs to fight tooth and nail to provide the same vision and success for Spurs to stop them going elsewhere.”

Lib Dem comment on Ally Pally judgement

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Commenting on the blocking of plans for the redevelopment of historic Alexandra Palace by a High Court judge, local MP Lynne Featherstone said:

“This has brought shame on the Labour councillors running Alexandra Palace. All along, they have refused to listen and shown their contempt for the entire process.

“As the Liberal Democrats warned Haringey Labour at the council meeting in July, there are so many unanswered questions about this lease, it truly beggars belief that anyone can have thought the consultation was adequate.

“And when it comes to the historic TV studios, Labour has shown their contempt for a piece of local heritage that is of worldwide importance. How could gutting of the birthplace of television even be a possibility?”

“The interests of Alexandra Palace, the charity, and local people were simply never on Labour’s agenda – and they have paid the price today.”

Lib Dem Leader Neil Williams, who along with colleagues raised serious concerns about the process, both with the Charity Commission and at Haringey’s full council meeting in July, adds:

“With a much-loved building whose legal purpose is charitable, you simply cannot leave such gaping black holes in a bodged attempt to get rid of a historic building at a knock-down price. This is typical Labour arrogance. They have overextended themselves and paid dearly.

“Haringey were advised more five years ago to seek a Court ruling on what could be done with the Palace.They have always refused to do so, in a brazen attempt to carry on doing as they liked. They thought they could get away with it. They have been proved wrong.

In the teeth of such a calamity, the Chair of the Board must surely resign. All the Labour councillors involved, who have acted like sheep at every stage of this process, should consider their position as well.”

One sure way to tell if Cameron means what he says

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So – David Cameron’s been all over the media criticising Gordon Brown over general election dates. But whilst he’s happy to criticise Gordon Brown for what he did (and didn’t!) do, he’s dodged one question: would he behave the same way himself if he were the Prime Minister? In other words – is Cameron really sincere in what he is saying, or just going for the cheap points?

Well – his bluff, if that it is, is about to be called! As Ming Campbell announced in a TV interview today, the Liberal Democrats will be tabling a bill calling for fixed-term Parliaments tomorrow (the first day Parliament returns). We will see whether or not a certain Mr D Cameron is at the front of the queue to support the bill, or if he really secretly thinks, “actually, I’d quite like to abuse our electoral process myself too”. Over to you David!

Appearing on Radio 4's The Westminster Hour with Carolyn QuinnI might also have a bit of fun teasing Ed Vaizey, my new Facebook friend (!), when we appear together on The Westminster Hour this evening on this!

The show is starting up its regular MP panel again, so expect to hear me on a fair few Sunday evenings between now and the end of the year. It’s on Radio 4, 10pm – or if you miss the show you can listen again on their website.

No to a general election this year

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So – lovely, lovely Nick Robinson, a journalist who I only hold in the highest esteem you know (!) – is saying the general election is off. Looks like Gordon Brown wimped out in the end!

Tony Blair must be in seventh heaven – to see Gordon brought so low! And to be frank – I wouldn’t blame him. Gordon has made a right pig’s ear of the whole business – toying with us the electorate, flattered by polls, cynically using Maggie, Iraq and his big tent appointees to big himself up.

Tony Blair – with whom I disagreed fundamentally on major issues – at least had the balls to take the flak. Gordon Brown, keeping head below, parapet just let Blair take all the flak and brooded in the background resentful of their relative positions.

It’s good for Gordon to get a dose of leadership reality. It’s hard. It can be extraordinarily humiliating. It’s quite different to how all these boys it will turn out – and that goes for Brown, Cameron and Campbell. But I have always felt that Brown sneered silently at Blair’s leadership. Well – what goes around comes around.

Blair’s moment of revenge – I think!