Stephen's Week

Hello all

Parliament has been having a half term break in the last week so I'm off back to London today. Here's a note of my doings in Westminster and Bristol in the last two weeks. Also, this week I have two tickets for the public gallery of the Commons on Wednesday (we get PMQ tickets on a rota a few times a year) so if you are in London on Wednesday and would like to see one of Blair's last performances live, (I cannot be sure he will be there, as he is travelling at the moment!) then please call the office on 0207 219 8416 to make arrangements.

Regards

Stephen

Whitsun Recess week 28 May to 3 June 2007

The lousy weather for the early part of the week meant I stayed at home. This gave me time to stay on top of emails and to do some delayed "Spring cleaning"! I was also able to finalise the consultation paper for the review of the party's further and higher education policies. The paper will now be sent to lots of people in the education world for comment and feedback. It will also be available this week on the party's new policy consultation web site http://consult.libdems.org.uk/ where all Lib Dem members and the public can offer views. There will be a consultation session chaired by me at the party conference in September at Brighton.

Also during the week I went door knocking in Redland ward, doing a residents survey with Cllr Sylvia Townsend. I had a lunch and catch up with the new Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Council, Steve Comer. I met with Bristol University Council's working group on "town and gown" issues to discuss the effect of large concentrations of students in some residential areas such as Cotham and Kingsdown. A new radio station has been launched in Bristol - Original Bristol and it's on 106.5FM. I went along to be interviewed about developments in St Pauls. I guess they are somewhere between Radio Bristol and GWR, pitched at an over 30s audience. On Friday after my surgery I went to @Bristol to watch a recording of Radio 4's Any Questions. My colleague Jenny Willott was on the panel for the Lib Dems. The panel had some fun with the Tory shambles of an education policy on grammar schools. On the weekend I visited the stalls at the Bristol Festival of Nature and fortunately the sun came back for June after the May washout!

In the previous week Parliament was sitting:

Monday 21 May

My train was delayed so I was a little late for an appointment at St Thomas' Hospital. The Education Select Committee will shortly be visiting China to take evidence on the international student market and the growth of Chinese universities. As I've never travelled anywhere exotic before this meant I had to have a full range of inoculations! So into both my arms went needles for diphtheria, hepatitis A, polio, tetanus and typhoid. For the rest of the day I had a temperature (though it was also sunny and my office is always boiling in the summer) and for two days I had a stiff left arm. I'm sure the trip will make it all worthwhile.

Later in the afternoon the committee had our normal meeting in our normal place, the Wilson Room of Portcullis House. We took evidence for our Post 16 Skills report from examining bodies and the City & Guilds. For the part of the rest of the evening I provided "front bench cover" for the second reading of the Further Education & Training Bill. Sarah Teather gave our second reading speech and I was meant to cover the standing committee stage of the Bill. But it now looks as though that may happen when I'm in China!

Tuesday 22 May

Day spent in and out of the office, with meetings with colleagues on different aspects of our education policy and planning and housing policy. During the evening I received messages that back in Bristol the Conservative councillors had done a deal with Labour, putting the party that failed Bristol for decades back in power after a 2 year gap of Lib Dem administration. This is quite astounding. Labour are not even close to being the largest party on the council, with 25 seats to our 31. The Tories have made a monumental misjudgement. I will repeatedly remind my constituents in Stoke Bishop and Westbury that their Tory councillors are responsible for Labour being back in the driving seat.

Wednesday 23 May

Morning meeting of Education Select Cttee was with the Specialist Schools and Academy Trust and its founder, Sir Cyril Taylor. Originally set up under the Tories to promote City Technology Colleges it now has a new lease of life under New Labour, promoting Academies, Trust Schools and other specialist schools. It was interesting to hear that the Tories only succeeded in setting up 15 CTCs (incl John Cabot in Kingswood) as the economic situation was so dire it was hard to find business sponsors. The hearing was also topical as the Tory row over selection was just kicking off.

PMQs saw Blair on good form in what will be one of his last appearances.

Later in the afternoon I spoke at a reception for NIACE - the group that campaigns for Adult and Community Education. I mentioned the health as well as educational benefits of life long learning.

Thursday 24 May

First business in the Commons chamber was the monthly Education questions. I spent the rest of the day catching up with letters in the office before getting the 4.30pm train back to Bristol. I was back in time to attend a special production of Harold Pinter's The Room. This was being staged by university drama students, directed by Simon Reade, performing his last duty as Director of the Old Vic. The play is all set in one room and has a cast of just six. It was performed in an old squash court deep in the recesses of the Wills Memorial Building (which looks stunning outside in its cleaned up and restored state), exactly where it was premiered 50 years ago. It was well acted but with an opaque plot. I was relieved to discover when chatting to the actors afterwards that they didn't understand it either!

Friday 25th May

To Priory Rd and the University's social sciences faculty for the opening of the new Bristol Institute of Public Affairs. The address and formal opening was by Ed Balls MP, who I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more of once Brown enters Number Ten. After my surgery we had a North Bristol Lib Dems campaign team meeting. We are now planning how to win a majority on the city council in 2009 as well as holding the new Bristol West and getting Paul Harrod elected in the new Bristol North West.

Saturday 26 May

Down to Anchor Square for the Children's Society walk, "footsteps for childhood". I made a short speech about the importance of child welfare charities and then cut the ribbon to start the walk around the city centre. Later in the afternoon I listened to the Radio Bristol coverage of the Bristol Rovers v Shrewsbury league 2 play off final at Wembley. I was delighted that Rovers won 3 - 1 and are now promoted. An excellent season with both of Bristol's teams being promoted. When I represented Horfield and Bishopston constituents' concerns about the expansion of the Memorial Ground I was attacked in letters by several Rovers fans. I have always wanted Rovers to do well, and in one of my previous jobs gave tax advice to the club and associated businesses. One of the challenges of being in an elected office is balancing competing interests. As it is, Rovers will spend their new season in League One playing at an alternative ground while their Horfield home is redeveloped. Let's hope they maintain their success before returning to their new stadium.