Off to Hillfield Park street party – organised each year by local resident Peter Thompson. Peter is a local hero in my view and does tremendous good work in the community including free legal advice to those who need it, Neighbourhood Watch stuff and this street party.

I am presenting a tribute to the ex-beat officer from Muswell Hill, Bob Stevenson – who although he has moved on after his years in this area – has come back for the afternoon.

Prior to that, Peter has asked if I can come a bit earlier to judge the best pet (non-canine) contest. Sadly – there is only one competitor – so although after strenuous efforts they drum up a few more – there wasn’t a need for my Solomon act.

Scoot over to the New River Sports Centre for Peter Norton’s leaving party. He is the Director of Environmental Services and I have been dealing with him on masses of issues locally ever since I was elected to the council in ’98. Very sad to see him go – a very genuine person and solid as a rock in often very stormy waters. I wish him well.

Along with everyone else – watch the England match. Excruciating experience – as always. We didn’t play well – but we was robbed! I like ASDA’s marketing ploy the next day to offer free eye tests to any Swiss Nationals who present their passport at their stores. In fact, for any Swiss referees, they are not only offering an eye test – but offering to throw in free specs!

Dash straight over to the first meeting of the new term for the Fire Authority. Deadly dull – and all as expected – which is probably very good news for London. The one issue that could cause ructions was taken outside the meeting – and that is the staffing of the new anti-contamination units to combat any disasters that may befall London.

Race home from the CRE to my house to find 80+ people enjoying a drink and a natter. These are just some of the people who helped locally in my election back to the London Assembly. It is fantastic and unbelievable to see such a throng. Not that long ago when we started our mission in Haringey we were literally just three men and a dog (obviously gender inaccurate). This is a real sign of how far we have come – which is just as well as we have far to go – parliamentary wise and council wise. We can do it – we just need lots of help.

Have a good night talking to everyone, speeches and congrats all round. I throw everyone out by 9pm and go off to have something to eat with my two best women friends who support me through thick and thin. They have both joined the Lib Dems long ago – I think when they realised that the only way to see me given my schedule was to join in. This isn’t a matter of political belief – this is a matter of friendship – and I really love that they will come and work on pollings days. I love them to bits.

Having just been nominated and elected to the London Advisory Board of the Commission for Racial Equality (last Friday) I have found that the very first meeting is today. Slightly bad timing from my point of view as my Thank You party for helpers during the election begins at 6.30pm in my house – and now I won’t be there until 7.30pm. But duty calls.

Am delighted to have got this position because it fits so well with my work on Stop & Search and other issues I have been involved in over recent years.

This first meeting contains a couple of presentations – one on the Governement’s proposals to combine job centres with benefits offices – ie rationalise and streamline their system – the other on the Government’s White Paper on creating a single equalities commission called the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights combining the existing Equal Ops, Racial Equality and Disabled Commission.

In the first instance, I think that the ‘rationalisation’ will probably lead to less services for the public and see it more as a money-saving proposal that will result in both job losses and jobs leaving London. This will impact on ethnic employees – but the presenters are in train of doing an impact assessment on this – so we will wait for that.

In the second case, although Lib Dems support the principle of a Single Equalities Commission – given the Government appear to have no intention of bringing forward legislation for a Single Equality Act – I think its a case of putting cart before horse for financial and political reasons. I also think there is a real danger that the three commissions will lose identity and force if merged – particularly without the resources and powers to accompany such a merger.

Pop into Portcullis house to sign Lembit Opik’s nomination form as he has asked me so to do in his quest to become the next President of the Lib Dem party.