Blog

1st-7th February 2010

PLEASE DONATE TO THE HAITI EARHQUAKE APPEAL AT

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Westminster, Sittingbourne, Murston, Sheerness, Milton, Maidstone & Twickenham

Monday (3 votes at 10pm; home by 1130pm)

Mike, my brilliant researcher, and I spent most of the morning catching up on the admin from our Washington visit last week. I had a quick lunch with Tim Cook, from Arqiva, before going back to my office to finish off “America”

Tuesday (a vote at 9pm)

As part of the NHS improvements, men aged 40-70 may have an annual check up and to help promote this I turned up to have mine! I was a little overweight, my heart was in very good nick (phew) and by cholesterol readings were very low……I could still do more in the gym. I went to another two photo shoots one for lower train fares run by Campaign for Better Transport www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk and another by Royal British Legion thanking me for signing “the pledge”. Our own Commonwealth Parliamentary Association then ran a full briefing for our visit to Bangladesh due over half term. I saw a constituent about an alleged child abduction case, then a group of young IT designers and entrepreneurs and finally attended

a Parliamentary UK-China group reception. The Chinese Ambassador Madam Fu-ling (who had a page write up in the FT last Saturday) kindly sent me a book to thank me for our friendship. She has already gone back to Beijing where she has been promoted. By some way she was the best Chinese Ambassador we have had here in London. Following our four day visit to Washington, DC last week, it occurs to me that America has very few levers to pull when she thinks China has stepped out of line. We are witnessing the passing of the baton from America to China in world affairs.

Wednesday (no votes)

I started the day with Sir David Walker, who gave us an insight into how he thinks the City must move in the corporate responsibility field. I missed PMQs as I had to prepare a detailed paper to Sir Paul Kennedy on why I did not agree with Sir Thomas Legg’s assessment of the amount of money I should pay back from my Expenses. These had to be in by 6pm. For most of the afternoon, I was at the Internet Governance Forum UK’s annual fest and I spoke about why I thought it was not worth renewing its mandate for another 5 years amongst a number of other matters.

Thursday (no votes)

For Bangladesh, we need a number of booster inoculations and so I was at St Thomas’s hospital to have those and collect some malaria tablets (which I am not so keen on). I walked back to Parliament and chaired a meeting of the National Moving Pictures Association (representing the Big 6 Hollywood film studios) where we discussed illegal file-sharing in the wake of the upcoming Digital Britain Bill. Otherwise, it was work as usual.

Friday (Constituency)

Bella at Feet First in Park Road has the unlikely record for having done my feet now for over five years……and she came in early for me so I could spend a little more time with Chief Supt Alasdair Hope at my quarterly update with him on issues constituents have raised with me. These are always confidential and I find them extremely helpful. I moved down to the Three Lakes Romany Gypsy site in Murston where I was met by Stewart Woods, Chairman of Tonge Parish Council, Gary Franklin from KCC (who administer the site) and Chris Sparks, the site manager. We met a number of residents and had a goodly chat but the site itself should have been closed some time ago. It is simply not fit for habitation. I had a quick cup of tea with Roger Truelove and Angela Harrison – part update on her campaign to win the seat on 6th May 2010 (my guess for the Election) – and part exchanging best practice. I then went across to Maidstone to meet the mental health team at Fant Oast responsible for adolescents. The facilities were simply outstanding and even better was the school attachment close by. Even so mental illness is still a taboo subject and politicians find it easy to cut budgets because there is no-one who will stick up for them….I attended the KCC Olympic Advisory Board where we have some excellent plans for 2012 (and before). In the evening, I chaired a Dinner given specially by the President of the RFU for his own members and those of the Welsh Rugby Union to celebrate the first international game at Twickenham 100 years ago. I shall miss the variety of my Fridays when I step down but not much else.

Saturday & Sunday

I watched Jack play hockey where they snatched a 2-1 win against what was on paper a better side; we then legged it to Twickenham rugby to see England triumph at last against the Welsh (it has been four years…) before popping in to the ERIC (England Rugby Internationals Club) under the West stand to see some of my very old friends.