With Bill Rammel MP in the shopping centre. The first person we met couldn’t tell me much about how things were in Harlow as he was on holiday there from Fife! Otherwise people very proud of being Harlowites but wanting more housing and wanting the bit of the shopping centre we were in to be done-up (the other bit has already been done-up). Went round the Hornbeam Estate and chatted to people on their doorsteps. Hard-working parents and grandparents want us to make more effort to ensure that lone parents work rather than bringing up their children on benefits, complaining that its unfair on the rest of taxpayers and its no good for the children to think that you should live your life on benefits. I assured them that we take the same view and hope to make more progress with the New Deal for Lone Parents. Took quite a long time to go round as at most doors people knew Bill as their son/daughter had been at school with him or they grew up with his dad/mother etc. Good to meet some of Harlow Labour Party members too. And one former member who was on her way to the hairdresser, who left over the war in Iraq and is thinking of re-joining.
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September 5th, 2007
Very good to meet Ayfer Orhan, our Labour candidate in Hemel and the team of Labour stalwarts today. Everyone we came accross in the market place was very keen to talk to us and tell us their views. Once again, concerns about not enough provision for young people. And concerns about hospital re-organisation. Ayfer reminded people that the GP services are much better than they were and health care improving across the board in Hemel. But she’s taking up their concerns and seeking reassurances from our Health Secretary, Alan Johnson. People told me that they were still making up their mind about Gordon Brown as he has only been PM for a short time…….but they liked what they had seen so far and commented on him coming back from his holiday for the foot and mouth problem.
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September 5th, 2007
Over 200 (didn’t count but that’s what it looked like) came to last night’s fundraising dinner for the GLA and London Mayor elections in Southwark and Lambeth. Party members, trade unionists, councillors, Tessa Jowell and Ken Livingstone, Labour group leaders Peter John of Southwark and Steve Reed of Lambeth, business organisations….were all there to cheer on our fantastic GLA member Val Shawcross. It was great to meet up with and chat to party supporters from Croydon as well as Southwark and Lambeth. Some are long-standing born and bred south Londoners, some are newly arrived “yuppies”, some are from Africa, from Turkey, from the Caribbean. Some pensioners, some younger…in South London the Labour Party reflects the community we represent - and that is our strength. Everyone said they were very encouraged to see the changes made by Gordon Brown since he became Prime Minister. Congratulations to all those who organised such an up-beat event!
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September 5th, 2007
In Ramsgate High Street with Stephen Ladyman MP. Again, no-one didn’t want to stop to talk to us. And again, young people complaining that there’s not enough for them to do….. People like what they are seeing of Gordon Brown and, again, no-one mentioned David Cameron. Had a chance to have a brief chat with Labour Party members. Big concern about the problems faced by migrant workers who are brought here by agencies, crammed into crowded homes and then work for less than what is paid to the existing employees. They are concerned for the migrant workers and for the employees who fear their pay and conditions will be undercut. And they say that migrant workers crammed into crowded homes cause resentment in local communities. This will be discussed further at conference.
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September 3rd, 2007
Out with Paul Clark MP and Labour Party members In Rainham High Street. Everyone was happy to stop and chat to us about what’s happening locally and what they think about the government. Older people complained about groups of young people hanging around and the young people complained about having nowhere to hang out. Clearly Ed Ball’s and Bev Hughes’ plans on more services for young people will come not a moment too soon. Very encouraging to hear women mentioning the help that tax credits are to their families and a young mum who had her baby in May and will be able to stay off work till February next year because of the increase in maternity pay and his tax credits. No-one mentioned David Cameron……. Good to talk to the local Labour Party members locally. They want a closer relationship between local councillors and the party leadership and they want us to stop the Tory council claiming the credit for programmes like Sure Start which were invented by and are paid for by the Labour government!
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September 3rd, 2007
Retirement does not at all sound like the right word for what John Prescott is doing as I’m sure that he’ll be working hard for progressive causes for the rest of his time in parliament and after he’s left parliament. But I want to pay tribute to the work he’s done for Labour over more than 3 decades in Parliament. Most people remember him for being deputy leader and deputy prime minister for the first 10 years of our Labour government. But of course he played a key role building the party to help us get the Tories out and climb our way out of opposition. I’m pleased to hear that he wants to work on tackling human trafficking and the exploitation of migrant labour in his new role in the UK delegation to the Council of Europe. I wish him all the best for the future and look forward to working with him on Council of Europe issues.
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August 28th, 2007
Many congratulations to Wendy on winning the leadership of Labour in Scotland. I’m sure she will be a great leader for Labour in Scotland. She faces a big challenge but is more than equal to the task and it’s good to see Labour in Scotland being led by a woman. She’s clever, hard-working and progressive. It will be a real pleasure to work with her.
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August 28th, 2007
Attended a stunning concert performance of Don Gionvanni last night - Britten-Pears Orchestra. Every single seat was full. Congratulations to all the performers. I heard from Jonathan Reekie, Chief Executive of Aldeburgh Music who has led it brillinatly, that they plan a big expansion including more rehearsal rooms with support that they have raised privately as well as from the lottery and the Regional Development Agency. Promised to return with Margaret Hodge MP our new Culture Minister for an “official visit”.
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August 16th, 2007
Today John Biffen died. He was leader of the House of Commons from 1982 to 1987. I remember well when I arrived in the House of Commons in 1982 what a great Leader of the House he was. Despite it being the height of Thatchersim, he made all MPs - including those of us in oppostiton - feel that he was “our” Leader of the House. I think it was he who Margaret Thatcher described as “semi-detached”. But he was fully attached to the House of Commons. A pleasant an avuncular figure who was a beacon of reasonableness when the Tories were at their nastiest. My sympathy goes to his family.
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August 14th, 2007
Thank you so much to all of you who supported me to become Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. It is a great honour and a priviledge. On Thursday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed me to be Leader of the House of Commons. I will be leading on the changes to make Parliament stronger. My Deputy Leader of the House will be Helen Goodman MP. I am also Minister for Women in the Cabinet. And will be working on that important agenda with Barbara Follet MP who will be Minister for Women and Equalities. And I am chair of the Labour Party. Thursday was our first Cabinet meeting under Gordon Brown. On Friday I visited a children’s centre in Brent with Gordon to mark the new Department for Children and Families headed by Ed Balls MP. Today, my first public engagement since my appointments, will be to speak in Trafalgar Square in the Gay Pride rally. And despite my election campaign for Deputy being over - I will continue to blog!
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June 30th, 2007
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