| ‘Britain’s Biggest Breakfast’ |
| Tuesday, 14 February 2006 16:41 |
|
On Monday, I had an early breakfast with Martin
Linton MP and children from High View School, at the L.A.R.A Community Centre in
St John’s Hill Battersea as part of Cancer Research UK’s ‘Britain’s
Biggest Breakfast’ campaign. More information about the campaign is
available online.
I had my usual advice surgery at Earlsfield Library between 10.30 and 11.30am. In the afternoon, I attended the inaugural Associate Parliamentary Limb Loss Group meeting, and also the Public Accounts Committee (of which I am a member) where we looked at supporting elite athletes. Since 1999, UK sports have used National Lottery money to support elite athletes competing at the highest levels of sport for Great Britain. Our performance at the Olympic and Paralympics Games have improved since the start of UK sports world class performance programme. Since 1997, and since Sydney, the rate at which our elite athletes are funded has increased by more than 33%. I had asked a related question to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell MP, during Oral questions the week previously, which you can read here. On Tuesday morning, I was part of the MPs football team that trounced the Police 4-1. A photo from the game is here. I also recorded a session of ‘The Surgery’ for LBC Radio with Richard Midson. On Wednesday, I took part in the telephone hearing check with RNID, More details about the campaign are available here, and a photo here. I also took part in a post PMQs panel of MPs with Simon Mayo on Radio 5. Unfortunately, the political experts who went on before the MPs had spent a considerable time talking about how the Prime Minister had demonstrated quite clearly how opportunistic and unprincipled the new Conservative leadership is... which meant there was no need for me to crow as much as I would have liked! On Wednesday, the Public Accounts Committee meeting examined faster access to better stroke care. I had the opportunity to raise the fact that St George’s has a world class stroke care unit, and Sir Nigel Crisp, Chief Executive of the NHS, praised the measures (excellent stroke care, new medicines, fast turnaround times) that were being used at St George’s, which are far above the national average. At the close of formal business, Labour MPs packed out the House of Commons chamber for a centenary photograph. You can see this online here. 100 years ago, the first 29 Labour MPs formed a Parliamentary Labour Party, and it was a good opportunity to honour the occasion and reflect on our values and goals for the future. On Thursday morning, I attended an informal seminar at No 10 Downing Street on Trust Schools. Businesses, faith organisations and education experts were there, and there was a good discussion about the education reforms. In the evening, I undertook the 4th in the series of Just Listening exercises. The meeting in Furzedown Primary School was extremely well attended with excellent contributions from all who came. You can still contribute to the Just Listening process – more details here. On Saturday I attended the peaceful rally at Trafalgar Square. I made a short speech to all those who came to peacefully disassociate themselves from the extremists who the Friday previously had held placards that were inciting murder and glorifying the attacks on July the 7th. I emphasised the need for it to be made clear that there is no clash of civilisations nor did the events of recent weeks in relation to the publication of the offensive cartoons and the response from fringe elements mean the Islam was incompatible with the West. There were thousands of British Muslims and non Muslims present demonstrating and attending the rally in an exemplary manner. On Sunday, I canvassed parts of Furzedown ward with the local campaign team. |
Promoted by Tooting Labour Party on behalf Sadiq Khan and Tooting Labour Party, all of 273 Balham High Road, London, SW17 7BD. Hosted by 34SP.com, 349 Bury Old Road, Manchester, M25 1PY.
