Stephen's Week

MONDAY 27th Feb 2006

At Education Select Committee we went through the draft of our second report of the session (1st was on White Paper) concerning the funding of the Department for Education & Skills. Education funding growth will be sluggish in next few years, compared to health. A lot of money has been put into schools since about 2000 but higher education has not been a priority.

In the evening I went to the Millbank media centre for the launch of the POWER REPORT, a study commissioned by the Rowntree Trust into the state of British democracy. The report is launched by Labour Baroness Helena Kennedy. It's a fat yellow volume, a quarter sized 'yellow pages'. Many of the proposals are similar to Lib Dem policies on voting reform, House of Lords elections and reducing the voting age to 16. There is speculation in the press that Gordon Brown is becoming more amenable to reform...maybe because he thinks Labour may need our support after the election. He's at the party but doesn't speak.

Tuesday 28th Feb

In the morning walk up to Leicester Square for the end of a film awards ceremony as a St Andrews based producer has been nominated for an award for a short film made by young people. They win, I have a chat to the girls who made the horror film. They are from Clevedon so Liam Fox is their MP.

Afternoon I meet a Swiss manufacture of food additives to discuss aspartame, a sugar substitute. It is used in many 'diet' coke type drinks but some MPs are concerned that it may cause ill health. These issues are tricky as both sides will be convincing. But millions of people drink diet coke...

In the evening to a dinner hosted by the fitness industry association. We discuss sport, exercise and combating obesity while sinking a three course meal and wine...

Wednesday 1st March St Davids Day!

Education Select Committee takes further evidence for our special needs enquiry. This time it's representatives of groups working with autism, dyslexia, the RNIB and Mencap. PMQs was not particularly memorable. In the afternoon I walk across to Westminster Methodist Central Hall to take part in 'Carbon dating' - rapid fire conversations with people from all over the country lobbying MPs about climate change. Amongst other things they are pushing a 'carbon budget' where government costs its plans for their environmental impact and also individuals measure their carbon consumption. It's snowing as I walk back, resolving to get some low energy lightbulbs.

In the evening the '555 Club' of new Lib Dem MPs (now plus Willie Rennie of Dunfermline!) have dinner at the National Liberal Club, ahead of tomorrow's leadership result.

Thursday 2 March

7am on Radio Bristol (by phone) with Don Foster and Steve Webb, anticipating the new leader. 9am off in a taxi to Hornsey to the HQ of the Electoral Reform Society to observe the count for the Lib Dem leadership election. Each candidate is represented by their agent and four others. Chris Rennard confiscates all our mobile phones at the start so that there are no leaks from the count that will spoil the media announcement at 3pm. The ballot is under the alternative vote so first preferences are tallied up and it is fairly clear from early on that Ming is going to be ahead of Chris, but not by enough to win outright. Simon's second preferences would decide it. At 1.30pm I am given my phone back so I can call Chris Huhne and tell him that he hasn't won. We then take a taxi to the HQ of the Local Govt Association (formerly Transport House and Labour HQ!) where the result will be announced. Lots of MPs, Peers, staff and media there. The three candidates are in a side room and at this point their agents were to tell them the detailed result. I arrived back before the other agents so commiserated with Chris and Simon and congratulated Ming.

Watch the official result in the main hall and then we walk to party HQ in Cowley St surrounded by cameras. Cameramen are really brutal with each other, trying to get uninterrupted shots. Ming addresses party and parliamentary staff from the stairs inside. I head back to my office to sign some letters and then to College Green to do a live ITV West interview for the Huhne campaign while Don Foster represents Ming.

Then to a pub function room in Victoria for the Huhne campaign party. Got a late night train back to Bristol.

Friday 3 March

Pretty exhausted but have to drive up to Harrogate for spring conference, car sharing with Tim Pollard, my Constituency Manager. Very slow on M1 and then made worse by heavy snow, don't arrive in Harrogate till 6pm! I have a dinner hosted by

the LGA for Council Leaders and new MPs who have local government experience. Go to conference disco - for most of night I am only MP dancing!

Saturday 4th March

In morning have first Parliamentary Party Meeting ("PPM") with Ming as leader. Felt the smack of firm leadership, which is good. Lunchtime do a double act with Julia Goldsworthy MP presenting awards to council groups. Winners in each category are mainly London councils - maybe Bristol will be in the running next year.

Sunday 5th March

Ming's first speech as Leader goes well and new MPs go up on the stage to wave and smile (we are given detailed instructions!!) at the end. Leave freezing Harrogate and head south to Bristol.

Monday 6th March 2006

Arrive in London at 11.30am. Two school groups. Firstly, do a cross party panel for South Gloucestershire schools with David Drew (Stroud Labour) and Geoffrey Clinton Brown (Tory Cotswolds). The sixth formers are impressive. I then had a session on my own with students from City of Bristol College. Quite different social intake and it's hard work at first to get them interested but soon the questions get more lively.

Education Select Committee has some experts in on the 'Bolonga Process' which is the convergence of Higher education degree structures across Europe (all countries, not just EU). Basically degrees at bachelor and higher levels will become more like the British model. This will ease transferability of skills but it will also make the rest of Europe more attractive to students from the far East. We will be taking further evidence on Britain's competitive position in HE.

Evening go to reception for launch of combined London Universities Lib Dem society. Then a dinner to discuss campaign techniques, main speaker is Ed Davey who increased his majority of just 56 in 1997 to over 15,000 in 2001.

Tuesday 7 March

Morning meeting with Samaritans to discuss various aspects of their work. They are keen to work with the NHS on emotional health. Afternoon sit in the chamber with Steve Webb for monthly health questions. The state of NHS finances is the big issue of the week. This may be the last questions I have to attend as a member of the health team as Ming's reshuffle gets under way...

Wednesday 8 March

Out early to the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace for showing of exhibition of paintings and drawings by my favourite artist, Canaletto. Back to Westminster for second half of Education Select Committee, with teacher unions. Two Bristol West members are visiting today and get to see PMQs from the public gallery.

Late afternoon have my first discussion on what might happen to me in the reshuffle. All will be revealed on Monday!

Travel back to Bristol a day earlier than normal.

Thursday 9 March

Morning and early afternoon at meeting of Smoke Free Bristol at Arnos Vale hotel. I went to the launch last year, the main purpose then was to persuade employers and café and pub owners to go smoke free. Now the organisation can concentrate on how to implement the full ban on smoking in public places that I was pleased to play a part in achieving.

Home to change ready for a photo op with Action Medical Research. They have an annual bike ride from Bristol to London to raise sponsorship. So a couple of bikes are ready in Millennium Square. Their mascot is Paddington Bear, so a rep is dressed in a full furry outfit. She has the better end of the deal as I strip to shorts and a tee shirt as a freezing gale blows through the square!

Friday 10 March

To CLIC House in Kingsdown, home of the charity CLIC Sargent, to hear about their work with children who have cancer. Meet two ten year olds and their parents. Lunchtime to Abbeyfield Elderly Persons' home in Westbury Road for lunch (fish and chips!) and to meet some residents. Then to Council House for meeting with an immigration adviser prior to my regular surgery.

Saturday 11th March

Up at 6.30am to walk into Radio Bristol for breakfast show interview about the Severn Beach line with two representatives of Friends of Bristol Suburban Railways. The presenter doesn't bother distinguishing between me and the FOSBR people who are criticising the Council.

10am train from Redland to Temple Meads. Not so I can go to London but so I can go back to Severn Beach on the train meeting FOSBR members along with Kerry Maccarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East who has been doing her best to spread mischief about the future of the line.

Lunchtime up to Horfield ward to help Neil Harrison and other campaigners deliver the latest Focus. Then to Westbury to meet with representatives of three community directories and magazines covering the BS9, BS7 and BS6 areas. Home at 5.30pm and have had the rest of the weekend off!!