Tag Archives: chris huhne

Securicor and crime

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Early email from colleague to let me know that I appear sixth on Adam Boulton of Sky TV’s list of the ten most fanciable MPs. Flattered – I log onto the website and see who the others are in the list. It is a mixed gender list. How Adam reached his conclusions is a mystery. The comment by my photo brings me down to earth pretty swiftly! I just assume Adam has made a mathematical error! (I wished). Better to be talked about than not talked about – I guess!

I go to Millbank to film a package for a two minute intro to the Politics Show to air on Sunday as a pre-cursor to an interview they are doing with Chris Huhne re LibDem leadership. Dirt has been (attempted to be) dished recently with Michael Crick trying to find fault with Chris’s expenses when he was an MEP (report on Newsnight). It’s interesting that the diggers can come up with so little. The man must be a saint. I heard information too that Labour were looking at his expenses during the leadership election to see whether they could pin anything on him. I guess you know you’re doing a good job when your enemies are so desperate to do you down. You go boy! I knew I was getting there in Hornsey & Wood Green by the number of personal attacks on me by opponents.

I meet with Securicor Group 4 at 11.30am. There’s an interesting conundrum. Their proposition, which they are putting to the Minister (Hazel Blears), myself and the Tory police spokesperson. is to reclassify attacks on Securicor vans. The current situation is that if is when you attack a Securicor van carrying cash it is rated as a business crime – and therefore the attention and response of the police is not as high as for a public crime. Their argument is that they perform a public service – carrying cash to ATMs etc so that we, the public, can get our cash out whenever and virtually wherever we want. They are not allowed to be armed (quite rightly). However, covering the pavement between the highly fortified vehicle and the bank is a hazardous task.

In fact, 72% of all attacks on ‘cash in transit’ in Europe occur in Britain. Other countries have a range of defences, from armed guards to police coverage – and useful planning like the back of vehicles being able to dock directly into the building being delivered to. Coverage of more delivery points by CCTV would be good too.

So they presented their case to Hazel Blears – who I understand is sympathetic. I am sympathetic to a point – but would want partnership working as I don’t think police can be diverted to protect every delivery (for what is still a profit-making – and good luck to them – company). It’s an interesting question as to what the right balance is between them making reasonable efforts to look after themselves and them getting extra help from the police. Think about your own home. We think it’s reasonable for people to take some steps to protect their own property (locking doors, having decent locks etc) but also for the police to respond quickly when needed.

So – certainly worth thinking about reclassifying their status in terms of police response – but first need to know what relationship is to other businesses who might feel they too have this requirement, like banks. Very interested in more CCTV coverage of delivery points – as this might act as powerful deterrent. Though that depends on the CCTV working – unlike most of the CCTV coverage in my own high streets of Muswell Hill and Crouch End. I gather resources (or lack of them) mean that only 1 in 5 of the cameras is in operation. Absolutely bloody useless if they are not in operation and not monitored. That’s the challenge there. Anyway – food for thought.

Parliament is winding down today – as we go into recess tomorrow for a week – and I am having a week’s holiday. I know – shock horror!

Kissing the wrong man

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Today is ID day! It is also the day when our newest Lib Dem MP, Willie Rennie, fresh from our stunning Dunfermline by-election, is introduced to Parliament. There is a wee ceremony – where the new MP is accompanied on each side by colleagues and then walks to the Speaker, bowing heads at particular spots. The new Member is ‘sworn’ in and then shakes hands with Mr Speaker (Michael Martin).

All good stuff.

A little later I went out into the Lib Dem Whips office – and Willie was standing there. So I shook his hand, congratulated him, and he leaned forward for a kiss (peck on both cheeks type). Then I went back into the chamber for the beginning of the ID card debate where I am on the front bench with Alistair Carmichael – our Shadow Home Secretary. However, I see Willie in there.

Trying to explain this to Alistair – half way through the story – I pass him a note saying ‘well – who the hell did I kiss then’? The note came back! ‘Nichol Stephen, Deputy First Minister of Scotland’. That’s what happens if you help an election by making phone calls rather than delivering leaflets with the candidate’s photo all over them …!

Anyway – more to the point – we failed to defeat the government on ID cards. I’m truly sorry – as I believe the scheme is flawed and dangerous and moves us ever nearer to a police state – but without the promised ‘benefits’ of the card. The idea that a database of this size and complexity won’t go wrong is naïve in the extreme. In the end I suspect the costs will mean it becomes untenable. The only danger, as pointed out by one MP, is that if they have already invested billions – even if useless and unworkable – there will be a momentum to continue because of the money down the drain to date.

The key issue – and where Labour broke their manifesto promise – was that in the manifesto it was to be a voluntary scheme. Of course, now they are linking it to passports (and despite a Minister saying you didn’t have to have a passport – I wouldn’t fancy trying to explain to a border guard that I didn’t have one because it was ‘voluntary’). And of course, as 80% of us have passports – that means it will effectively be compulsory for that 80%.

I haven’t the heart to go through the numbers of flaws and dangers ahead if this scheme does go ahead. The usual Labour rebels still voted with us and the Tories, but the swing rebels – the ones that can deliver the final defeat – appeared to have been driven back into their corner by the Labour whips, probably scared rigid after Dunfermline that they had better not rattle Labour’s position any further or their seats could be on the line.

Depressed – I run into Chris Huhne (our future leader I hope) and David Howarth MP and Martin Horwood MP – we are all of us on Team Huhne. So we adjourn to a bar – and Chris and I have a diet coke. The fun never stops!

A first for me in Parliament

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Two biggies today! Dunfermline by-election and the Lib Dem leadership Question Time. But work comes first – and I have had, unexpectedly, to go into Parliament to respond on behalf of the Lib Dems to Charles Clark statement on their new national offenders strategy.

So – my first statement!

On route in, get call to say YouGov poll puts Chris Huhne in the lead. Can’t read too much into polls – but whoop with joy anyway. It’s very, very exciting at this point – although there have been some negative swipes at Chris. Never mind. I also had an email from someone objecting to my supporting Chris so publicly and suggesting as an MP I ought to be more balanced. Well – of course – all three are wonderful. But I am completely biased and campaigning for Chris – that’s the point. People want to know who I support. Anyway – tonight will be some night. I would be absolutely terrified if it was me. Happily, Chris is pretty good at handling tension and stress – thank goodness. I just wish I had bet on him.

Chris’s press officer is desperate for me to go on TV as they need talking heads for breaking news on Chris in the race – but can’t do it because of the statement. I think Steve Williams did it in the end.

Anyway – back to reality. Dash in – and the process is that the Whip’s office gets notification of the statement from the Home Secretary in Parliament an hour before the Home Secretary makes it. So I have about 45 minutes to compose my response. I do have help – from an adviser. But it is a helter-skelter process.

In the event – it all went fine. So to the substance – the statement was the Government coming round to the Lib Dem position on non-violent, non-dangerous criminals doing community sentences rather than prison. For all sorts of reasons – this is just the best way forward – and finally the Government has cottoned on. Most importantly – it’s the most effective way of cutting crime rates. Sadly, their reason for seeing the light probably has more to do with running out of space in prisons than a real belief in restorative justice and community punishments.

The real test will come if they resource it properly. I was a bit concerned when Charles C banged on about partnership working etc. Can often mean that no one takes responsibility properly – and there was no declaration of resource levels that the Government is going to commit.

I welcomed the thrust of the statement – but had a go over the eight years in which the Government has done sweet FA to make inroads into this bubbling mess.

How to beat Gordon Brown

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Imagine the scene. It’s a few weeks before the next general election. Gordon Brown – now Prime Minister – is reeling off another of his lists of economic statistics. He is about to launch New Labour’s general election campaign centred – as they have all been – on their economic record.

Who as Liberal Democrat leader could match him economic fact for economic fact in the debate in Parliament? Who will persuade leading journalists during the subsequent forensic media cross-examination as regards those key pocket-book issues?

For me, the clear answer is Chris Huhne.

Chris’s record as an economist, successful businessman and senior economics journalist give him the skills and expertise to do just that.

Of course credibility is not the only thing.

Important to me too are the beliefs behind Chris’s economic credibility.

A strong belief in the environment – to be protected and restored by taxing the activities that damage it while using the revenues to provide alternatives such as better public transport.

A commitment to social justice, most importantly by taking the poorest out of income tax all together.

Chris has the right priorities for our party, and decades of experience campaigning for them.

But Chris also showed his strength of character long before entering politics.

One of his first assignments as a journalist was reporting undercover from India during Mrs Ghandi’s crisis.

Chris stood up to Robert Maxwell – continuing to report his wrongdoings despite having four libel writs outstanding.

This shows a certain bravery and principle that was sorely missing from many journalists who took the easy option and turned a blind eye to Maxwell’s crimes.

There are only a few short weeks between the election of our new leader and the vital May local election campaigns (including in my own patch – Haringey – where we hope to take control of the council from Labour).

We need a leader who will be absolutely sure-footed in dealing with the media from day one, if not before. In just the few weeks of this leadership campaign Chris has shown his ability to win media coverage – coming from 200-1 outsider to within sight of the winning post.

What’s more, Chris’s campaigning experience of facing down one of the best-funded Tory campaigns in southern England and winning also means that with him as leader we can be sure to have someone who actively and productively supports our campaigning activity and leads by example in using the latest campaign techniques.

That’s why so many of the MPs who were elected for the first time last May – like both myself (a huge swing from Labour) and Lorely Burt, winner of Solihull on a dramatic swing from the Tories – are backing Chris.

We’ve seen the benefits of fighting modern, cutting-edge campaigns in our own seats, winning from both Labour and the Tories – and want to see those ideas spread much, much further in the party.

The wealth of experience Chris would bring to being leader of our party is reflected in the breadth of support he has already built up – including such highly experienced participants in the political scene as Bill Rodgers (SDP founder and former leader in the House of Lords).

Bill has seen an awful lot of party leaders of all stripes come and go over the decades – far more than me! – and in his measure, Chris certainly has what it take to lead and to win.

With any leader, there’s always a careful balance to be struck between wanting someone who will lead and give direction on the one hand, and on the other hands having someone who will respect and work with the party’s – quite rightly democratic – policy-making process.

With Chris, we know what we’re getting. He’s already chaired the party’s key public services policy commission under Charles Kennedy – working successfully with all parts of the party to produce a distinctive, effective and liberal set of policies to improve our services and radically cut down the power of central government and central bureaucrats.

Outside the party too, Chris is rated as the man who can do it:

“Brains and political acumen to match Labour ministers” (Guardian)
“Fluent and persuasive” (Daily Telegraph)
“No political novice … he has long been one of the party’s key thinkers” (BBC)
“Strong reputation” (ITN)
“A high profile among Lib Dem members” (The Times)
“Able” (The Independent)

If you’re still not sure if you agree with me, or the Guardian, or the Daily Telegraph, or the BBC, or ITN, or The Times, or The Independent, or … (!), you can find out more about Chris at his website, www.chris2win.org

Alternatively, if you would like to hear what others are saying about Chris, why not have a look at http://www.bloggers4chris.org.uk – as a featured blogger, I really recommend it!

Offensive cartoons

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Bumped off London Radio by the offensive cartoons! So many callers apparently that they want to take me later in the morning. However, I am otherwise engaged on a campaign team meeting. It’s all go in Haringey for the local elections. Labour know we are in a position to take the council off of them – and for months have been plastering Haringey with posters saying how wonderful the council is! I think they might be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but…

Some of the activists there who had been supporting Ming Campbell originally – said how impressed they were with Chris Huhne on Question Time. Way to go. Ming and Chris had sent leaflets to the HQ for activists to pick up – but none from Simon. Haven’t heard much about his campaign at all.

Spend a good part of the day reading the police grant report – I know – just lucky I guess. It is coming to the Commons tomorrow and I am leading for the Liberal Democrats, so want to be well-informed for the debate. Make some speech notes, do my emails (only about 8 left in inbox – it’s a miracle) and pay bills.

The cartoon issue has gripped every paper and news outlet today – not surprisingly. There is clearly something stirring in the world beyond our shores. My sense is that there is a desire from some quarters for Jihad – and this is just grist to their mill. I sometimes think it is a bit like the days of communism. With communism – ordinary working people were exploited in the name of a wider cause that was supposedly in their interest, but in fact wasn’t – and sacrificed huge numbers of them in the name of the cause.

Same with Muslim extremists – trying to claim that their own extreme beliefs are really on behalf of – and in the interests of – the much wider and larger Muslim community, when in fact – its nothing of the sort, and the extremists are instead trying to exploit the (very different) bulk of Muslim faithful. With communism it was a case of perverse ideology, in this case it’s a case of perverse theology.

Liberal Democrat leadership contest

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Reading The Times this morning I would say that Chris Huhne must be doing really well in the Lib Dem leadership contest – given the number of attacks on him.

There seems to be briefings against him. The briefings say that he had agreed not to run. I believed passionately that we needed him to run for the party to have a real choice, and I wasn’t the only one. Chris did the right thing – he went to Ming and said he had changed his mind and asked if Ming would release him from his earlier commitment. Ming is a gentleman – and basically let democracy flourish. And Chris has handled this really well I think – being open and honest and saying, yes – he changed his mind.

Whether Chris or Ming wins – they will at least know that they have a genuine mandate from the party for their leadership.

Evening – I go to a small stakeholder meeting on Hornsey Hospital – a long-running saga. Having met previously with Richard Sumray to demand a public meeting to update the situation – the public meeting is finally to be on 22 February. The plans are to deliver first rate local health services to the area – but there is a price to pay. Watch this space.

In the evening Chris (leadership) Huhne is on Question Time where he gives a storming performance – aided by an astoundingly bad one by the First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan. The man is a liability. Chris was really good and seems to be growing stronger and better every performance.

Regional conference

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Do a Saturday surgery today at Muswell Hill library. Don’t use this venue too often as there is no disabled access. Lots of heart rending situations this morning. I sometimes despair of the Home Office and its decisions – such as when I have to sit with a woman who has been raped and tortured – and yet has had her final notice that her appeal to stay is rejected.

I will write to the Minister and beg on compassionate grounds – but Tony McNulty’s ears are usually hardened to such pleas. A statistic is one thing – a woman in absolute despair and fear is another.

After surgery I go to Guildford to address a Lib Dem regional conference on ‘How we won Hornsey & Wood Green’. As well as the motivational story – which Hornsey & Wood Green is – I refer to our difficulties. I talk about ‘recent sticky moments’. Yes – as a gale of laughter shook the room – I realised my choice of words was not (or was!) well chosen.

Laughter being the best medicine it was a very jolly rally and I have no doubt when our leadership contest is done and dusted – we will be just fine. Particularly if Chris Huhne wins. I think he will bring that fresh feel to the Lib Dems – and now we need that more than ever.

Ken's at it again

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See my old sparring partner Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has a pop at the LibDems on the Assembly and at me in particular in his new column in the Ham & High today! I love it when Ken gets his knickers in a twist about me. Reading the politics of this – for Ken is always about votes – he is bigging up the Greens on the Assembly (who sold out to him long ago) and worried about the success of the LibDems in London coming up to the local elections. I will be in his sights as we have a fair chance of taking over Haringey Council from Labour. So the man’s a complete dirty street fighter – and this is his way of reaching out to my neck of the woods.

I used to be rather more of a fan of his in the early days of London government where, as Chair of Transport in London, I stood shoulder to shoulder with him supporting the first Congestion Charge and against Labour’s PPP for the Tube. But wow he’s Labour’s man at City Hall – not a peep about the Tube and particularly us poor Northern Line sufferers.

It’s no good Mayor Livingstone trying to have a go at me just ‘cos I didn’t like or support his West London Tram plans. He did a consultation and the people didn’t like it. As for residents in Haringey – don’t forget that Ken supports the concrete factory against local residents wishes. He also supports having tower blocks plonked in Wood Green without infrastructure – again against local wishes.

As for the Labour government’s commitment to the environment – the Government just moves the targets every time it sees it is going to fail miserably. Charity starts at home Ken. Have a go at your mates in Whitehall rather than trying to dabble in the politics of Haringey!

Later on, film crew arrive from the Dimbleby Show to film a little intro to the live interview they will be doing with Chris Huhne tomorrow. I hope it came across that he is a human with a hinterland. I think Chris is a modern man and understands the pressures of real life. He has a proper hinterland. And he has had the balls (although I think I used the word guts) to rise to this challenge. He can take on Gordon (I still don’t think Cameron has it in the longer term). He is tough, decisive – but also warm and friendly – and clear about direction. So – hope they edit kindly and big him up!

Simon Hughes

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Simon Hughes is indeed in the tabloids today – as being gay or bi-sexual. Now, it is hardly news to anyone I know – but Simon has always protected his right to keep his private life private – and I support him on that. But the attack is because a week ago to three newspapers he denied he was gay. I guess he was cornered and the question was never going to go away – and he just made an error of judgement. The media say he lied. I think he just defended himself badly. So another roller coaster for the party to bear as this latest news works its way through the rounds of the media.

It is the first question Steve Richards asks myself, Ed Davey and Phil WIllis who are having a pre-recorded panel session which will go out Saturday at 11am – the Week in Westminster. This is a panel of the key supporters for the leadership – me for Chris Huhne, Phil Willis for Simon Hughes and Ed Davey for Menzies Campbell. So – whilst none of us would go on any media to discuss Simon – once they’ve got you there anyway, there’s no stopping the question. We all basically defended Simon’s right to privacy and right to be whatever sexual orientation he wanted. Then, thank goodness, we get on to policy areas and have a right good ding dong. Great fun!

I get a call last thing because we (Lib Dems) need to put out a statement on Sir Ian Blair’s attack on the media for being biased towards coverage of white murders. For bizarre reasons he chooses Soham as an example of their bias. I remember the coverage at the time – because first the poor girls were missing and we all went on that journey of anxiety as we moved toward the eventual horrific reality. It would have been the same what ever colour the girls were. It was a huge story and the press were bound to follow that one.

However, Ian Blair is right to highlight the issue of bias in coverage. But when I think back I can remember examples both ways – when two murders occur when sometimes the black murder will be covered and sometimes the white. So methinks we need proper examination of this issue – as it is a very important one. We need to look at the way information about a murder gets to the press. Which stories originate from the police forces themselves. What are their policies in terms of media liaison over murders. Let’s have an analysis of all murders and their coverage over the last few years and see what led to what. I am not happy about statements that are not backed up by factual analysis on this. So I welcome the opening up of this as an area for concern – but let’s get it right and based on factual information.

Get home late – just in time for Question Time and Simon Hughes is on tonight. I don’t know if it’s good or bad to have such a media opportunity at this point when there is a feeding frenzy around him. It did give Simon the chance to put his case – which he did as well as he could under the circumstances.

Leadership

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So now it’s our turn for a new dawn. I guess all parties have to regenerate and reinvent as the political landscape shifts.

As we Liberal Democrats pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off my hope and expectation is that out of this pretty traumatic time, we will emerge ready to meet the new challenges. I am convinced that the right path is to stay true to our values and beliefs.

For all the talk about the dangers of the Lib Dems being squeezed, I’m actually very optimistic. Both Tories and Labour seem to be moving into competing on very narrow territory – becoming more and more alike, whilst they simply argue over the details of management options within a very restricted framework. That leaves an awful lot of scope for another party – especially one which is will to stick to its core beliefs.

This is a time when liberalism is needed more than ever – to stand against Labour’s assault on our civil liberties, our ancient freedoms and rights; to stand against illegal wars; to stand against an creeping authoritarianism where sound-bite punishments are meant to solve society’s ills. And to show a real commitment to the environment – as something crucial to our future, not just a fig leave to be picked up and discarded as the whims of focus groups and opinion polls take you.

As for public services in the round – well, the liberal response is to argue for quality public services for all, locally delivered and locally accountable. Quality services for all is important, because the current favourite mantra of “choice” means putting up with good and bad public services. That’s fine for those who are able to work the system to get their children into the good school or their partner into the good hospital. But what about everyone else?

Locally delivered is important because that’s where many of the services are at their best – such as the local police station where people can easily call in to report crimes or the local hospital which means people’s friends and neighbours can easily visit, offering support and help to patients.

And locally accountable – because that’s how we get better value for the huge sums of money that have been poured into some public services with so little to show for it.

So – four candidates’ hats in the Lib Dem leadership ring. The man who many people initially thought would almost certainly take over and who started as favourite was Sir Menzies Campbell. He’s been displaced as bookies’ favourite by Party President Simon Hughes. Then there is Mark Oaten, Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary (and my boss in the Home Affairs Team); and my boy – Chris Huhne, who started as a rank outsider at 300-1 with odds now closing at 7-1.

I am supporting Chris because it’s not the office of leader he is interested in for its own sake. He wants to get the Lib Dems into power. And he knows what he wants to do with that power and where he wants to take the party. He has the credibility and substance on economic issues to take the fight to Gordon Brown and beat him on his own territory.

Chris Huhne (www.chris2win.org) has already made clear that a key part of his vision is about using taxation to discourage behaviour which damages our environment, whilst using the money raised that way to take those who are poorest out of taxation all together. So – overall, no increase in taxation, but a fairer society and a better environment for all. Redistribution and responsible consumption in one – that’s the combination that is both liberal and effective. That sounds good to me!