Freedom Bill: I had hoped to blog the passage of the Bill through its committee stage – but studying for it and taking it through meant that there was no time. Suffice to say it was well debated and argued. Basically on the key points  Labour would put everything in it virtually back where it was under them: ie retaining innocent people on the DNA data base, continuing to take children’s fingerprints without parental permission, making over 9 million people be registered and monitored continually – even if they are a parent volunteering to read to children and are supervised and many other measures. Hopefully the Bill will come back for report stage in the very near future.

YMCA Hornsey Fun Run: A great pleasure as always to give the awards for the adult races. This year I was joined by Andrew Thornton of our local Crouch End Budgens. Not only did his Andrew and his team win the unaffiliated prize – but I have to say – the way our local Budgens is part of our community is fantastic – and we are very fortunate to have such a community minded business in what is a very competitive market locally for our custom. As for the event – as always – a huge thank you to the YMCA for all the effort hey put in to this great local annual event; thank you to all those who ran.

Highgate Society AGM: The Society’s AGM was held on Wednesday evening at Highgate School. It started with a talk on the Localism Bill and how that will affect (or not) everyone. In fact – members of the Highgate Society lobbied me during the course of the Bill to ask that I try and get the part that forgot about places like Highgate changed. In the Bill local people will be able to put together a neighbourhood plan. Of course – the bugbear in Highgate – is that it is split between three boroughs and it looked like these neighbourhood plans would not be allowed cross borough boundaries. At the time I met with the appropriate minister and was able to report back to the Highgate Society members who came to my advice surgery that there would be a positive outcome to their request. So – new members come onto the Council – and the very very valuable work that the Highgate Society does on behalf of all our community will go on thanks to so many people who volunteer their time to protect and fight for our area.

Mr President: Yes – I did go to hear President Obama speak. It was a fantastic occasion – the two Houses of Parliament gathered in the great Westminster Hall to listen to the American president. It was a first. American Presidents have addressed smaller groups of parliamentarians before in the Royal Gallery – but never this! What did I think? I thought the first half of his speech was what you would expect – flattering to Britain and reassuring us of our importance to America and our now better cemented relationship. The second half was more inspiring – with that magic Obama has to raise our hopes and aspirations for a better world – combined with an intellectual rigour on the world situation. It was a privilege to be there – but the serious work of sorting out both our economies, the Middle East , Afghanistan – and supporting the fluttering Arab Spring are the real work of our countries and others.

It was a real pleasure to be invited to the 40th Anniversary celebrations of the Hornsey Historical Society on Saturday.

What a huge turn out – demonstrating the high regard and affection with which the Society is held by local people. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated and committed group of people in our area ensuring that the context of our lives and our history is documented and recorded.

Long may the Society continue its hugely important work and a very Happy 40th – and many, many more.

Hornsey Historical Society - 40th Anniversary

Haringey Liberal Democrats have elected Stroud Green councillor Richard Wilson as new leader of the Council group.

On his appointment Cllr Wilson said:

“I am very proud to have the opportunity to lead a strong group of Liberal Democrat councillors in Haringey that will continue to stand up for residents against Labour’s terrible stewardship of this borough. I will help us to provide a positive alternative vision of how Haringey Council could work with residents to improve the Borough.

“It’s time that the gloves come off in the fight to protect vulnerable people from Labour’s ill-conceived cuts – to our older people’s day centres, youth service and children’s centres – and to reveal Labour’s waste and mismanagement.

“It is an honour to step into the shoes of former leaders such as Robert Gorrie, Neil Williams and Lynne Featherstone.

“I will follow in Lynne’s footsteps by standing up for residents on the issues that really matter to them, and fighting for better services and a better Council.”

Outgoing Lib Dem leader Cllr Robert Gorrie comments:

“I’m delighted that in Richard Wilson we have a new leader for the group who is a proven and experienced local campaigner with a positive vision for the borough and an eagerness to hold this Labour administration to account for its many and continued failings.”

Local Liberal Democrat MP, Lynne Featherstone adds:

“Richard will be a massive asset to the Council group as leader and I am delighted that we have a talented campaigner who will hold no punches in continuing to expose the poor decisions made by Haringey Labour.”

I just wanted to acknowledge the representations that have been made to me via Twitter in regard to the terrible crimes against women in the DRC  and to let people know some of the action that the British Government is taking in this regard.

DRC is one of the worst place in the world to be born a girl. Women and girls are systematically disadvantaged and on the global gender equality index DRC ranks 137 out of 138 countries. Nearly two thirds of married women report being physically or sexually abused by their partner and this underlying problem is overlaid by horrendous incidents of sexual violence by men in uniform in conflict affected areas.

As International Ministerial Champion for tackling VAWG across the world – clearly I have been pursuing what action we can further take as a government.

The international community is united in condemning the high levels of sexual violence in the DRC and the UK plays a vocal part in bringing concerns directly to the attention of President Kabila and his ministers.

In addition to the development of our National Action Plan to deliver UNSCR 1325 commitments on Women Peace and Security in the DRC we have also developed a specific DRC sexual Violence Strategy which focuses on human rights training for the army, awareness-raising and implementation of legislation medical and psycho-social support, legal support for victims and high-level advocacy with senior DRC government. DFID are currently providing over £30 million per year to the UN Humanitarian Pooled Fund for DRC.

Clearly the situation is horrific – and it is vital that political leaders (including military leadership) in the DRC should continue to be encouraged to call for a step change to better address the vicious cycle of impunity for wartime sexual violence. The recent conviction of Lt Col. Kabibi for mass rape in South Kivu serves as one positive example of how tackling impunity at the local level can potentially provide a powerful deterrent to other military leaders.

One key issue is that despite wartime sexual violence being recognised as a grave breach of international humanitarian law since the early 1990s it is still inadequately recognised, reported or addressed.

I am meeting Michelle Bachelet on Monday – the Head of UN Women – and hope to be able to discuss this and other matters pertaining to VAWG across the world.