Since going into Coalition the Liberal Democrats are always getting it in the neck. The right hate us for inhibiting an untrammelled right wing agenda and Labour who might claim the left (but not really sure on what basis) hate us for being in Coalition with the Conservatives.  The need for stability at the time of the last election forgotten – only the need for a whipping boy.

But you know – sticks and stones….

Nothing is more terrifying than a lurch to the right or the left right now. Common sense and a DNA for fairness are what is needed – and that is what the Liberal Democrats bring in this most challenging of times.

We’ve published a record of our action in Coalition and you can read it here. Actions – not political nonsense.

The SOLA Awards is a project created by the Damilola Taylor Trust. It aims to reward the success of talented and inspirational young people similar to the ‘Pride Of Britain’ Awards. The awards are primarily London based, however they also have a National Award for a National Campaigner.

They are looking for nominations – so you can help them find the most talented and inspirational young people by nominating any talented/inspirational young people you know and spreading the word about this to your community contacts.

To nominate, simply click on this link. Closing date: 30th Sept 2012

Great debate is clearly still alive and well! We had the liveliest of discussions at a vibrant Liberal Youth pizza and politics in Haringey on Friday night. Well done to Sophie Erskine for organising such a great evening. Sarah Ludford MEP and I were certainly grilled in the best possible way!

Here is my column for the Ham & High that was published on Thursday and written before the reshuffle.

Wow! I have screamed, shouted, cheered, laughed and cried through the Olympics and Paralympics. And like everyone, I am just so proud of what we have achieved – and the friendly, cheerful way we have achieved it.

With my work on equalities issue, it is the increasing parity between male and female sports and sports stars and between the Olympics and Paralympics which has particular caught my eye. I would simply call the 2012 Games the Equality Games.

Rules and regulations can only go so far in bringing about equality for real. Long-term equality comes from inside us, from changes in our hearts and minds. And my goodness – anyone watching these Games must be changed.

Congratulations to the organising committee who from day one said this would be the most equality friendly games ever – making sure that the Paralympics was integrated from the start and equality was not left in a corner as a rarely mentioned after-thought.

As a result, the International Olympic Committee hailed the London 2012 Games as “an historic step towards gender equality”. This is the first Olympics where women competed in all events.

London 2012 is the first time that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei have sent female sportswomen to the Games. In countries with a better tradition of female participation there were good signs too of the growing importance and interest in female sports. Nearly half of athletes that made Team GB for London 2012 were female and for the first time there were more women than men on the US team.

And boxing finally became open to women in an Olympic Context – with, of course, Britain’s Nicola Adams becoming the first woman to win an Olympic Gold in Boxing.

Then there has been the fantastic interest in the Paralympics – rightly recognising the fantastic sporting achievements from brilliant participants which light up those games just as stunning acts light up the Olympics.

Ellie Simmonds’ magnificent race saw her beaming from many a Sunday front page – so much inspiration for us all. The coverage in the media for the Paralympics for the first time feels so similar to the coverage of the Olympics. We’ve not quite got the same level of TV interest and audiences so far, but my goodness – what a huge step forward 2012 has been from 2008, and the future course is clear. And, I suspect, many of us our actually experience a bit of blade-envy engendered as we watch the amazing blade runners!

And although less visible – LOCOG also were determined that this would be the most friendly LGBT games ever .

All of the equality ambitions and mission were embedded in every meeting, every contract and everyone. That is why this has been the Equality Games.

And as for race – well the Games themselves could be no better example of equality. If you have been to Disney and been through the ‘it’s a small world’ ride – that physical demonstration of different races, cultures, ethnicity is the very essence of the Games.

Of course – there is still a way to go. There are reports that Japanese and Australian female athletes were flown economy class, while the male athletes got business class (http://www.channel4.com/news/olympics-sexism-row-men-fly-business-women-fly-economy) and female dominated sports such as netball are still not included.

However, I am sure that London 2012 has raised the game of the Games and set a benchmark on equality for Games to come.

I am just so happy and proud that the London Olympics really were an ‘Olympics for everyone’.

Reshuffle days are always a bit tense and there were so many rumours flying about on Monday night and Tuesday early morning about where I was going that someone said to me that I had (according to the rumour mills) been linked with almost every department.

Fortunately, I was summoned relatively early in the morning on Tuesday to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office. He told me that changes had to be made and that meant, clearly, that some colleagues would have to step aside. So I steeled myself for bad news. ‘But you are not one of them’. What you might call a Simon Cowell moment!

So – an a busy and exciting week as I start my new ministerial job as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development!

I’ve absolutely loved doing equalities work for so many years – and now it’s great to be returning to International Development, which I used to shadow in opposition and which is a department I worked closely with on much of my overseas equalities work, promoting human rights and equal treatment not just in the UK but also in other countries.

So I want to say a huge thank you to everyone I have worked with in this field – and best wishes to my successor with this incredibly important and precious portfolio.