They Blog For You

  My pre-election expectations range from realism to pessimism. I anticipated the results of all my six General Election results except the last one in 2011 and the first one in 1987.  I could have lost both. Today's poll on the Assembly Election is an extraordinary one.  The only worthwhile analysis was [...]

The Lloyds TSB Foundation wrote to me recently to let me know about the £194,800 it had invested in local community groups in 2010.The grants, which ranged from £15,000 to £36,300, were given to nine charities serving Edmonton and the Enfield area, including the Enfield Women's Centre, Crossroads Care Enfield, [...]

                    I visited a public library recently. It was not in my constituency. It was housed in a great new building, in a large and well appointed room. I was told it was not about to close. It was run by friendly Council staff. Money had been found to set [...]

                    This week-end has seen numerous briefings against the Health Secretary. I have found him to be one of  the best informed, and  most accessible of Cabinet Ministers. He knows his brief well, is aware of the problems of piloting through change to the NHS, and has already secured the [...]

You're no doubt sick of me going on about the Budget now, but I did want to draw attention to a small victory. Last Wednesday, the Chancellor announced that he would not abolish Community Investment Tax Relief, despite being advised by the Office of Tax Simplification to scrap it. I [...]

I'd like to talk about sewage for a bit. Don't fear, I won't go into graphic detail. Even though I did have to get booted and hard-hatted for my recent visit to Deephams sewage treatment works on Picketts Lock Lane, I didn't have any close encounters of the unmentionable [...]

                     I am against the waste of money on the census. The government tells me they do not like it either, but it was too late to cancel it. They are  still going ahead spending more on sending it out and collecting it in. A picture of dumping the forms [...]

Can you spot me in the picture on the left - another suit muscling in at the back?!I was up at Green Lanes to "help" with the cutting of the ribbon at the opening of the new Turkish Community Football Federation offices at the weekend.Federation Chair, Turgut Esendagli - who [...]

Mr John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): I remind the House that I offer industrial business advice to a Swedish, quoted international industrial group and investment advice to a British investment company. Some Opposition Members have expressed displeasure that Government Members should have mentioned the circumstances in Greece and Portugal. The Opposition rightly [...]

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, will be running the latest seminar in the series of her 'Next Generation' business seminars. Begun last year in collaboration with City College and Howes Percival LLP, these meetings bring together Norwich students, entrepreneurs and established local firms to discuss the skills and business [...]

  Former pal and MP Gordon Prentice reports from Canada:  "Michael Thompson, an inventive councillor in Toronto, has claimed $300 expenses to cover the cost of a pastor  “blessing his workplace” at City Hall. His office is blessed at the start of every new Council term. Even Westminster’s most ingenious and resourceful [...]

The news from Fukushima is dreadful. But some of the honeyed words and contrived deception persists. 'Smoke' is reported from an unknown source. No radiation measure is published. There is no smoke without fire. Here there is smoke without a radiation leak. What is burning? Spent fiercely contaminated fuel rods are [...]

I have been informed that Transport for Buckinghamshire, working with the District Councils, has lifted the necessary temporary traffic regulation orders in order to permit street parties to celebrate the Royal Wedding. Applications for road closures will be accepted for 29 April (the day of the Royal Wedding), as well as the three days following it.  I hope that this decision will [...]

CARDIFF West MP, Kevin Brennan, has welcomed a major bank's decision to give grants to four local third sector organisations in the constituency.Pedal Power, Pen yr Enfys, Re-Create and the Cardiff and Vale Parents Federation will all receive grants of over £10,000 to help with their community work.The money will [...]

KEVIN Brennan MP and Rhodri Morgan AM recently visited the Grand Avenue Times' women's group to see the work they have been doing in Ely.The group is well known in the area for the publication of their newspaper but they also provide groups and classes for women in the community [...]

Total of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 359   Lobbyists attack lobbyists. The house journal of lobbyists describe the lobbying body UKPAC to present a weak register. On a very busy day, I called into their woefully unimpressive presentation. I'm glad I did.  The Public Affairs Journal report:   "The register launched on 1 March [...]

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, will on Friday 11th March be visiting the Nationwide Building Society as part of her ongoing campaign to improve financial services and advice in Norwich. Chloe has been working locally with the Citizens Advice Bureau and other local organisations in the private, public and voluntary [...]

  On March 3rd, the Public Administration Select Committee heard from Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude. here are a selection on uncorrected exchanges. Tremble for the future of the country.     Q194  Paul Flynn: I think I feel inspired by this born‑again socialism that we are hearing this morning.  You do not believe in [...]

*Or rather yesterday but I didn't have time to write this then!As I'm sure you will have figured out if you've been reading this blog long enough, I am strongly in favour of making finance more easily accessible for those who need it. I was therefore more than happy to [...]

BRITAIN'S first ever Bangladeshi MP visited Cardiff West this week to meet members of one of the city's most multicultural wards.Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, was invited to Riverside by local MP, Kevin Brennan, to meet residents with Kevin and Labour's candidate in the Riverside [...]