Letter from Westminster and Bristol, 29th June 2008

Published on Mon 30th Jun 2008

Letter from Westminster and Bristol, 29th June 2008

Nick Clegg made his first visit to Bristol West as Lib Dem Leader. We travelled down from Paddington together and met some local rail activists at Temple Meads. We caught the Severn Beach line train to Redland, highlighting the newly enhanced levels of service that came about as a result of the Lib Dem council budget in 2007.

Taking the train to Redland was the easiest way to reach the next stop on Nick's visit, Colston's Primary School. This is a school with a diverse social intake but does not have the fair funding level it needs to make sure every child achieves. We visited one of the reception classes and took part in a "jolly phonics" lesson. This helps children to sound their letters by looking at the playing card pictures we were holding up and shouting the first letter. The Lib Dem policy of a 'pupil premium' would attach more money to children from poor backgrounds. This would enable to schools to buy in extra intensive support.

It was then down to the Centre to meet campaigners against identity cards. Nick and I both signed pledges not to take up an ID card and to all we could to frustrate Labour's huge extension of the heavy hand of the state.

Up in Westminster I ticked off another Parliamentary procedure first.

This was the handling of House of Lords amendments on the Sale of Student Loans Bill. This is the final stage of a Bill, when it has been through its Commons stages, then gets considered by the Lords, who send it back to us with amendments. The amendments are discussed in groups and if necessary voted on. My main concern was to make sure that the assurances Ministers were giving to potential purchasers of blocks of student debt would not adversely affect the repayment terms of graduates.

In the monthly departmental oral questions for Innovation, Universities and Skills I asked about the flat lining of apprentice places for 16 -

18 year olds.

This period saw Gordon Brown's first anniversary as Prime Minister.

Generally he's having a pretty wretched time. Disastrous poll ratings for him and Labour, dreadful by election results and uninspiring performances at PMQs give the impression of a PM in meltdown. But the business of government goes on and it was interesting to observe a more relaxed and confident Gordon Brown outside Parliament when he launched the Congo Basin Fund. Last year I tabled a motion drawing attention to the deforestation of central Africa and the threat that this poses to climate stability. So I was invited to sit in the opulent surroundings of Lancaster House (where the Rhodesia peace deal was signed in 1979, how things have gone so sour nearly 30 years later...) to hear our PM plus the PM of Norway and representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo launch a fund for sustainable development of the forest. Let's hope for success, but in a lawless region with rapacious logging interests it won't be easy.

Back home in Bristol it's noticeable that the students have all gone home. Parking in Kingsdown is a hell of a lot easier (and let's hope a residents parking scheme gets agreed this year) but on the downside there are piles of rubbish and abandoned bits of furniture outside several properties. I think landlords are probably more responsible for this on street fly-tipping. Up in Westminster I went to another meeting of the cross party Balanced and Sustainable Communities Group that was set up last year to consider the planning and housing law reforms needed to control the distribution of houses in multiple occupancy. We met the consultants who have been undertaking a study for the local govt department. They will shortly announce proposals for change in the planning laws. Ironically it may well be that the "credit crunch" does more to control the buy to let market than any change in the law.

Nick Clegg's visit highlighted the Severn Beach Line. During this period I did an interview with Radio Bristol arguing the case for re-opening the Portishead railway to passenger trains. I was also on the radio talking about the arrest of another person in Bristol for alleged terrorist offences.

In London I took part in a media event to highlight the underachievement of deaf children in schools. This was first brought to my attention last year when I was the party's schools shadow minister. I was familiar with the depressing results obtained by other social groups (white working class boys being the biggest group of under achievers) but was surprised that deaf children also struggle. This may not be just resources; it's also a matter of the appropriateness of the curriculum and learning styles. Anyway I posed for a picture with a little boy holding a toy stethoscope to show that any child should be ambitious.

In Bristol I went to City of Bristol College to do a one man question time with A level politics, history and law students. I sat in a 'Mastermind' black chair at the front for an hour and a half answering their great questions. This is quite mentally exhausting but really enjoyable too. It's also more evidence for me that extending the vote to 16 and 17 year olds is reform that must come soon.

The city's primary schools face a period of uncertainty and upheaval after the publication of the City Council's Primary Review. Labour seem to believe that small schools are old fashioned and large ones will deliver better results. They clearly don't spend enough time visiting

schools. A small primary (one class for each year is roughly 210

pupils) can have a great personal ethos as the teachers and pupils will all know each other. Larger schools run the risk of being depersonalised and some children feeling marginalised, although good pastoral systems can help. Labour have condemned to closure the city's oldest primary school, St George's on Brandon Hill. I've visited twice before but went there again this week to meet some parents with the excellent head Claire Gundry. The proposed closure is so short sighted.

The huge expansion of housing in the city centre means we will surely need an extra school, not one fewer over the next few years.

The indifferent weather this summer must make the planners of the city's calendar of events rather nervous. Fortunately, as the rest of southern Britain was deluged with rain Bristol was an oasis of dryness that allowed the international cricket between England and New Zealand to take place. As a guest of Gloucestershire Cricket Club it was great to see sixteen thousand people pack the County Ground for a day out. The Club appeared to have gone to great efforts to make sure local residents weren't inconvenienced by car parking. All that went wrong was the result...

Down on the waterfront it was warm but blustery for the city's first commemoration of Veterans' Day. We are all familiar with the annual Remembrance Sunday in November to mark the sacrifice of those who died in war. Although the USA honours its veterans, Britain has never had a similar event for those who served and survived. In recent years all MPs have encouraged constituents to apply for a new veterans' badge that they can wear at all times. Now there will also be an annual event to show our gratitude and to bring together veterans and their families.

I enjoyed walking round and chatting to the many Bristolian veterans who were wearing an array of medals as well as their veterans' badges.

It was also pretty blowy up on the Downs as I started the mass sponsored walk for the Parkinson's Society. They are keen for Bristol to have a second dedicated Parkinson's nurse to give home support and advice to patients.

Medical changes were also on the minds of the local GPs' medical committee when I met them to discuss their concerns about government plans for "polyclinics". These will be large health centres where

anyone can turn up without being registered with a doctor. GPs are

concerned that the centres will be staffed by inexperienced doctors and there will be no continuity of care or detailed patient and local knowledge.

Finally, this period saw the Henley by election. I helped in the campaign three times and I know many other people went from Bristol. At a time when the Tories are enjoying their best national poll ratings for over 15 years, the safe seat of Henley would have been the unlikely scene for a classic Lib Dem by election victory. We managed to increase our vote. But the real story of the election was the complete humiliation of Labour. A lost deposit for a party that started in third place was not a major shock. But coming fifth and behind even the odious BNP is a truly dreadful result of which I hard placed to think of a precedent. I guess the champagne must have been warm and flat at Gordon's first anniversary party. He must now be wondering if he'll have a second anniversary at the end of June next year.