Two years as an MP

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Houses of ParliamentSo – two years ago this weekend I was elected to Parliament. Thank you, thank you – to the voters of Hornsey & Wood Green. It has been and is the most phenomenal honour to serve. It’s a crazy job. There’s no time off virtually – but fighting for the things that matter to local people is where I started and where I still am. It is an extraordinary thing to be able to stand on the floor of the chamber of the House of Commons and have a voice in the debates and issues of our times (when and if Mr Speaker’s eye falls on me!).

But this job isn’t just about Parliament. It’s about what comes through my surgery door, what people write (or email, or ring, or fax…) to me about, what people say on my visits and meetings round the constituency – and above all what people’s experiences are at the coalface of where legislation and regulation meet real people and real lives.

It’s still about fighting for better health services – from Hornsey Hospital to the Government’s top-slicing of the budgets for Primary Care Trusts – which here means family planning and sexual health clinics cut. It means local campaigns supporting local campaigners and – at Parliament – it’s about tackling Patricia Hewitt to get money for Hornsey Hospital.

It’s about fighting against the unwanted planning applications – such as from London Concrete Factory for Cranford Way – succeeding with local campaigners at the first stage, but losing the appeal to Her Majesty’s Planning Inspector. Hence, my speech in Parliament and writings about the need to revise the planning system so that it is fairer to both sides and better rooted in what the local impact of a decision really will be.

Crime continues to be a major issue from Wood Green to Highgate – so it’s about continuing to argue for the full Safer Neighbourhood Teams (having fought for years to get the teams) and the preservation of our local police station presence and front counters. At Parliament it’s me asking the Leader of the House in Business Questions for a full debate on gang culture and gun and knife crime. Here in the constituency, it is me going into Woodside School to spend the morning with police and an acting troupe to engage with the young people on knife crime.

On the environment – and climate change in particular – locally it include my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I campaigning for business recycling. Whilst we (thanks to years of local campaigning) are now able mostly to be green with our doorstep collections (except blimey they’ve just stopped collecting our plastic cartons – why?) – but at Parliament it was about being able to stand up and speak in the Climate Change debate to demand that the Government bring forward a Climate Change Bill.

All these and many, many more issues. And then there are the visits to events all over the constituency. I have visited every secondary school, some more than once and many of the primary schools, community visits, visits to local businesses to encourage and congratulate, job centres, libraries, sporting events, awards, a couple of dinners, celebrating green flag events, fun runs and street parties and on and on. All a delight.

And then there are the meetings – with council staff, with the Health Trust, with the Chief Executive of the local hospital, the police, the Council Leader etc and my work with the local Lib Dem councillors who are all fighting on the ground for their ward constituents against the mess Labour so often makes of running Haringey Council – running still run roughshod over local people with consultations which are often meaningless.

And then there is surgery – when people come to see me in person (or I visit them in their homes if they can’t get to me), so often with heart-rending stories that remind me continually how much there is to fight for and how motivated I am to fight for those who need help against the great machines of bureaucracy, forms and rules.

I could go on, and on, and on – but just wanted to try and illustrate how it all links up and how I try and represent what comes at me (at the rate of about 50 people a day – usually by letter, email or in person), whether that means taking up the issue at Westminster, in the constituency or indeed anywhere else where it can be helped or solved. And then there are all the other things MPs doing involving scrutinising legislation, holding ministers to account and so on…

Litvinenko House: survey to go ahead at last

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Catching up on the situation with the Litvinenko house (where the victim of radiation poisoning, Alexander Litvinenko lived) – the father of a near neighbour of the Litvinenko house called me on Friday to say that Haringey Council have rung his daughter and are coming to meet with her in the afternoon – and he would like me to attend too.

So I arrive and just afterwards so does a Haringey Council officer and Labour councillor Nilgun Canver. There is a little kafuffle whilst they say that they don’t want me at the meeting. I say to the father that I am happy to go if they really are saying that the meeting falls if I attend but in the end they decide they won’t press their objection to me being there.

The family had prepared their list of concerns and went through them. There is a mix of issues here in my view, many of which are interlinked. These include: how safe is it for people in the surrounding area? How safe is it in the house? How safe is it if contents of the house are taken outside the house (a flag has already been stolen from the house)? Will the house be properly secured to stop people going in and taking items out (stealing them)? Why does the Council seem to be saying contradictory things about the safety of the site?

The answers to some of these are better (and more reassuring) than others, but it all adds up to a lot of worry and concern for many residents in the area. The contrast with the other sites that suffered from radioactive contamination is particularly galling for neighbours – they got cleaned up promptly (e.g. the sushi bar and the hotel) but the house here hasn’t been cleaned up yet.

The big stumbling block to actually getting things cleaned up is that a further survey of the site is required (to establish exactly what cleaning is required) and Haringey Council won’t pay for this “characterisation survey”. They want the house owner to pay for it, but in turns the Council and the lawyers for the owner have told me that the other side hasn’t been talking to them properly. The Council’s account of events given at this meeting doesn’t seem to tally with what the lawyers on the other side had told me previously.

The breakthrough at this meeting is that after persistent questioning from the father, Nilgun Canver relented and agreed that Haringey Council will now pay for this survey. They family then tried to pin down the Council to a time-frame for both the survey and then the follow up work, but without success. But they have promised that on Tuesday a firm will be contacted about doing the survey.

Finding a good home for your old computer

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That’s Maxitech gives your old computer a good homethe topic of my latest article (for the Highgate Handbook):

As this is (hopefully) an era where we know that we shouldn’t just throw an old computer away and as I was sure that with a bit of work (new hard disk etc) it could be of use to someone – what should I do with it? Well – one of my recent constituency engagements provided the answer (almost)…

Continued on my website.

Better controls on the arms trade

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Last Lynne Featherstone MP being lobbied by constituents for tighter controls over arms trade exportsweek I was lobbied by a trio of constituents – Stephanie Bell, Candida Barbato and Gerardo Paez – about the forthcoming review of the UK Export Control Act (ECA).

This is about how the UK regulates arms exports – and so is an important issue in my area of international development as progress is tragically so often set back by war and conflict. That’s why I want to see the review result in the closing of the current loopholes in the law.

Election results

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Stay up to watch the election results. Lib Dems start brilliantly by gaining Hull – stealing a Labour heartland first thing bode well. But as the evening or should I say morning rolled on – the results were clearly more mixed.

The good news for us was in many of the seats that we’d be hoping to gain or hold at the next general election – with good results in many of them, raising hopes for more MPs next time round.

Also – that we have managed to score successes across the country and against both Labour and the Tories – including taking control of key Labour Councils like Hull and Rochdale in the North whilst winning Eastbourne direct from the Tories in the South. Ditto in Eastleigh – where although we hold – we improved our position again by taking two Tory seats, though this is a seat the Conservatives were trying very hard to win at the last general election.

Labour had a bad night – and I think it may yet get worse and the Tories did reasonably – but nowhere near what they had hoped. So we can all point at good bits and try and ignore the bad bits. We will see when all the counts are done if we can make any real sense of it.

Hornsey residents meet with Lynne Featherstone MP to raise concerns over the arms trade

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Concern is growing that Homes for Haringey, Haringey Council’s Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO) in charge of Haringey’s 21,000 council homes, will not receive an improved star rating essential for investment in the borough’s council homes.

Haringey Liberal Democrats are pointing to a recent admission from a watchdog body that the ALMO inspection scores could suffer due to the Labour Government _ s decision to delay Decent Homes funding. Homes for Haringey are due to be inspected on 9th May 2007.

Cllr Catherine Harris (Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson) comments:

“I am so disappointed for all the tenants waiting in their homes for news of the Decent Homes improvements and when they will start.

“I hear too many reports from tenants living with severe disrepair, shoddy patch up jobs and lack of investment in council housing in Haringey. It is a lack of forward thinking. For the Labour Council it is their own Labour government that is stalling on this money.”

Lynne Featherstone, Hornsey & Wood Green MP, adds:

“As the constituents who regularly come to my surgery testify, much of Haringey’s housing is creaking at the edges. Without urgent investment which tenants and leaseholders have been promised for years, many residents are stuck in housing that is almost unfit for human habitation.

“This is another Labour manifesto promise broken and it is local people who have to suffer the consequences.”

Parkland Walk

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Yes – stuff is happening outside of the elections across the nations but not London – and tonight it was off to the Crouch End, Hornsey & Stroud Green Neighbourhood Assembly. The big issue of the night is the proposals for improving Parkland Walk. Now – you have to realise that this linear park / nature reserve is loved and there is an army of people who fight to protect it against all harm (even when well-meaning). There are clearly areas which could do with a bit of improvement – as David Warren, Chair of the Friends of Parkland walk made clear: the drainage, signing and repairing broken steps and improving access for people with disabilities and mothers with babies.

The deep suspicion that was voiced by many in the packed meeting was that the funding for the improvements comes from Transport for London’s cycling improvement budget. And what was crystal clear from the meeting, was that whilst recreational / occasional cyclists are just about welcomed (who don’t speed, are polite and aren’t commuters), a significant increase in cycling would be absolutely terrible. Spend the money on cycle lanes on roads – that’s where it’s needed to improve cycling shouted the crowd.

Whilst officers tried to reassure the public that the improvements would not ‘widen’ the path, the meanders would be left in and that there would be no attempt to create a ‘smooth cycle way’ but only patching the path where necessary – the public did not seem reassured.

And I wasn’t convinced either. So I will be writing to Transport for London to ask what they believe from Haringey’s bid will be provided for improvements for cycling on Parkland Walk – and to Haringey for sight of the bid itself.

To turn it into a cycle path or encourage more or faster cyclists would be completely wrong. Yes – we want more cycling in London – but we want proper cycle lanes on roads for commuters – not bunging them off road to spoil the idyll of this woodland nature reserve and the rights of pedestrians to enjoy it without fear of being hit!

UPDATE: You can take part in my online survey now at http://www.libertyresearch.org.uk/take/103

Going spare: good homes for old computers

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I have a dead computer in the corner of my study. Recently my hard disk started issuing apocalyptic warning messages and so – as my life depends on my computer and I had been thinking of replacing it sometime anyway – I zipped online and ordered a new one before the apocalypse arrived. Data safely transferred, I am up and running with my new computer – but the dead one is sitting in the corner doing nothing.

As this is (hopefully) an era where we know that we shouldn’t just throw an old computer away and as I was sure that with a bit of work (new hard disk etc) it could be of use to someone – what should I do with it? Well – one of my recent constituency engagements provided the answer (almost).

The “almost” is because events conspired to prevent me taking it with me on the visit as I ended up having to dash back and forth first between marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Battle of Wood Green (an anti-fascist march) and rescuing a stranded daughter (victim of the one working line of the Northern Line expiring with a stuck train at Archway and a mega-important event to be got to).

So I arrived at Maxitech for my visit to their special “bring your old computer day” without my own. Maxitech are a brilliant, not-for-profit local company that reconditions old computers, whilst giving training and employment to the long-term local unemployed – and then uses the reconditioned computers to benefit charities and community groups. Old computers get put back into use, jobs are created and good causes get IT equipment cheaply. Win, win, win!

This particular day was a special hook-up with Hewlett-Packard (who are a huge and very corporately responsible computer company) and children’s charity NCH (used to be National Children’s Homes). All day long the parking lot at Chocolate Factory in Clarendon Road N22, where Maxitech are based, was open to receive computer donations from individuals in the community. Those reconditioned computers will be going to the NCH.

There will be other special days arranged in the future – and Maxitech are there all the time. I will get my computer to them soon, but I suspect there are many other people other there like myself who also have computers that could go to this good home. Whilst much of Maxitech’s supply comes from companies, they also welcome equipment from individuals. You can get further information from www.maxitech.biz or 0870 199 5010. And if you give them an old computer, you’ll not only tidy up your home – you will also do some good (and feel good!) as a bonus.

(c) Lynne Featherstone, 2007

Visiting a local estate

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Yesterday Lynne Featherstone MP visiting Bracknell Close and the surrounding area with Ms BuzzacottI visited an estate in Woodside ward at the invitation of Ms Buzzacott – who is an extremely active woman who has lived on the estate (Bracknell Close, George Lansbury House etc) for a very long time. Twice a year she organises an estate inspection with Homes for Haringey, the Safer Neighbourhood Team and so on. And this time she invited me to join them.

There was clearly a feeling that Noel Park (the next door ward) received a lot more funding than they had done – with a community centre and children’s centre. However, George Meehan (ward councillor and current Leader of the Council, Labour) said that wasn’t the case. I don’t know where the truth lies – but will ask Haringey for the relative funding over the last five years for both wards.

The key issue seems to be the lack of play facilities both for younger children and youths. Whilst there is a facility on White Hart Lane, Ms Buzzacott (quite rightly) pointed out that parents want somewhere outside their flat where they can keep an eye on younger children.

The problem is that Cllr Meehan said that when people were consulted on putting to use as a play area the one suitable local site, people without children were very anti the proposals. So – the result was that the Council has put up ‘No Ball Games’ notices. This – to be fair – seems to be the outcome that flows from that consultation, but it still leaves the problem of where kids can go and play.

And there is also no community centre. The one they had was sold off and now they have nothing. So – much work to be done.

On the tour we came across a problem with a dumped rubbish black spot – and this shows how great these tours can be, as it was also resolved straight away to fence off the area and make it into a little new garden space for one of the blocks.

There were a number of other relatively small issues, such as the maintenance and trimming of ivy on ‘the alleyway’ which grew and covered the much needed security lights, shortage of parking on the estate, Accord coming in through the emergency exit using their key – but almost always failing to lock up behind themselves; trouble on Friday and Saturday nights and so on. The Safer Neighbourhood Team said they already do come quite a lot – but would make a note to come more at those times. And plenty of issues for me to follow up on too!