Wear Your White Ribbon with Pride

Sunday 25 November was UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the White Ribbon Campaign -16 days of action on stopping violence towards women.

The campaign calls on men everywhere to make a personal pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence towards women. It started in Canada where a group of men decided to speak out against violence against women and to encourage debate and discussion on the issue of men’s violence. They organised the wearing of a White Ribbon for the campaign, and there are now White Ribbon Campaigns operating in many countries around the world.

The UK White Ribbon Campaign is an educational organisation which encourages discussion that leads to personal and collective action among men. They distribute education and action kits to schools and encourage men to do educational work and support local women’s groups.

Domestic abuse still goes on behind too many front doors and it’s a crime which destroys families, terrifies children and leaves its victims frightened and vulnerable. I will be wearing my White Ribbon with pride to signal my support for this campaign and I call on men everywhere to make a personal pledge never to commit violence towards women and never to keep silent if they know about it.

More details about the International Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women and the White Ribbon Campaign can be found here.

Edmonton Gets into the Christmas Spirit!

On Saturday I went to the Edmonton Green Shopping Centre Christmas Celebrations. It was a great day, with everyone getting well and truly into the festive spirit.

One of the highlights of the day was the unveiling of a 60 ft-long mural by Eldon Junior School in the North Square. This was followed by a Christmas procession, starring pupils from Cuckoo Hall Schools, wearing their creative new costumes which they designed themselves. Mayor Dogan Delman was the guest of honour and switched the Christmas lights on.

It was a lovely afternoon and Edmonton Green looked lovely, all lit up with its Christmas tree!

70th Birthday Celebrations for an Inspirational Local Resident...

On Wednesday, I met local Edmonton resident Mrs Isabell Coates, of the Friends From Across the Sea charity, on her 70th birthday. I wanted to congratulate her on her hard work and dedication to charities in the local area over the past 40 years.

Mrs Coates founded the Enfield-based charity Friends From Across The Sea 40 years ago and is now chair of the board of trustees. The charity was set up to help relieve hardship among children, young people and families principally from African and African-Caribbean communities, by providing goods and grants to help relieve hardship. In addition, the charity encourages educational achievement in Enfield’s Primary schools by awarding prizes to pupils identified by teachers to be high achievers and those who have shown the most improvement. So far pupils at Churchfield Primary School and All Saints Primary School have been recognised.

Mrs Coates’ dedication to charitable work was recently recognised by the Enfield Racial Equality Commission when she was featured in the Positive Images Project booklet entitled Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives. She has also been an active member of the All Saints Church in Edmonton for 33 years, doing an enormous amount of voluntary work there for the church and the wider community.

I was delighted to meet Mrs Coates today on her 70th birthday. I have the utmost admiration for her and the invaluable work that she has done, both in the local area and further a field, in Africa and the Caribbean. Mrs Coates has worked tirelessly for local charities for the past 40 years, dedicating her life to helping others. It was a privilege to meet Mrs Coates and celebrate her 70th birthday with her – people like her are truly an inspiration and make such a difference to so many people’s lives in the local area.

To find out more about Friends From Across The Sea,
contact Mrs Coates on 020 8803 1718
or e-mail the charity at ffats15@googlemail.com

Below: Here's a photo of me with Mrs Coates (right) and Dr Elizabeth Jordan (left) - both from the Friends From Across the Sea charity.

Get Spotty!

I’ve been happy to wear my best spotty tie this week for Spotty Week, which runs from 19th – 23rd November. The week is designed to increase awareness of bowel cancer – the UK’s second biggest cancer killer – and educate everyone about the importance of screening in saving lives.

The Spotty Week campaign is run by Lynn Faulds Woods – former Watchdog presenter- who was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer. She survived it and now campaigns relentlessly to educate others about this cause. Bowel cancer affects 1 in 10 families and the UK has, in fact, got the worst rate in the whole of the EU for surviving this disease. 46 people die every day from bowel cancer yet the disease can be prevented by a simple screening check.

I was shocked to learn that many lives could be saved if people got screened for bowel cancer. I find it very distressing that so many people die needlessly from this disease because they don’t get their symptoms checked out early enough. That‘s why I’m happy to promote this campaign and I’m urging my constituents to dig out their fun, polka-dotted items of clothing for Dress Spotty Week too!

You can find out more about Dress Spotty Week here.

Asking Questions about Northern Rock

Here's what I said in the Chamber this week after the Chancellor's statement about the Northern Rock situation. This is taken from the theyworkforyou.com website.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2007-11-19a.959.0&s=speaker%3A10372#g973.7

Stepping up the Battle Against Climate Change

I receive more letters from my constituents about climate change than anything else, and it really seems an issue close to people's hearts at the moment. I was delighted to hear this week that the Government has published its landmark Climate Change Bill - the first of its kind anywhere in the world! It sets out Britain’s plans to tackle climate change for the next 50 years, and includes legally binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050 against 1990 levels.

This Bill is a landmark in environmental legislation and will set us firmly on the path to the low-carbon economy we know is fundamental to our future. We need to provide the framework that will give Government businesses and individuals a clear idea of how we're going to tackle climate change. The Bill also includes a requirement for the Government to report at least every five years on the current predictions for climate change impact, as well as policy proposals to tackle the issue. I'll keep you posted on developments.

Here's a photo of me discussing Climate Change with a Friends of the Earth polar bear last year:

Interesting bit of Political History...

This week saw the introduction of new "open questions" and "topical debates" in the House of Commons. In an effort to make Parliamentary business as topical as possible, regular question times for major departments will now include a 15 minute slot when MPs can put questions to ministers without giving them any prior notice.

Previously, questions to departmental ministers had to be tabled at least three days in advance, which meant issues that cropped up in the meantime could go undiscussed. The new innovation, alongside weekly topical debates on Thursdays, means that ministers can be held accountable by MPs on the hot topics of the day. I think this is a great idea!

The Labour government has supported these new measures as part of its broader commitment to strengthen Parliament and make the executive more accountable to the British people. I'll make sure I use these topical questions and debates to get across the day-to-day concerns of my constituents in Edmonton.

Increased Nursery Education for Every Child

I was delighted with the announcement this week that free nursery education funding for every 3 and 4 year old would be extended from 12.5 hours to 15 hours by 2010. Already, 6,950 children in Enfield benefit from free years early provision. However, Enfield local authority (like every local authority in England) will now receive increased funding to ensure that it can deliver 15 free hours of education per week to every child, with as much flexibility as possible. The education will be delivered through a mix of voluntary playgroups, private nurseries, maintained schools and other providers.

We've already seen the number of childcare places double since 1997, and this increased funding goes even further to ensuring that every child gets the best possible start in life. It will also enable as many local families as possible to escape poverty and help them balance their work and family life as effectively as possible.

Meeting a young reader in my constituency, below.

A Time of Change for All of Us

It's been another busy Parliamentary session at the House of Commons. As the new Parliamentary begins with the Queen's Speech, I wanted to take a look back at some of the Bills I've voted for this session and give you an idea of what legislation I've been working on down here, most of which will affect my constituents.

The Concessionary Bus Travel Act meant that everyone in Edmonton aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people will now have free off peak bus travel, from 1 April 2008. Meanwhile, the Further Education and Training Act has given our local further education sector the means to play its part in delivering the skills Britain and Edmonton need for the 21st century.

As you know, there has been a great deal of public consultation on health in our local area this year. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act will give a stronger voice to local communities in the commissioning and provision of health and social care services, enabling people to influence the services they use.

The over-60s in Edmonton have also gained from several changes to the state pension this year. The Pensions Act had measures in it to make the basic State Pension more generous by restoring the link with earnings during the next Parliament. It also reduced the number of years it takes to build a full basic State Pension from 44 years for men (39 for women) to 30 years for everyone. At the same time, it streamlined the regulation of private pensions, making it easier for people to plan and save for retirement.

I think you’ll agree, these are all important and far-reaching measures, which will make a real difference to many of my constituents’ lives. This year has seen many changes, with the handover from Blair to Brown, and so many new Bills coming through Parliament. But I believe that this Queen’s speech is an opportunity to bring about a period of renewed vitality and enthusiasm. I’m looking forward to the next Parliamentary year, which I’m sure will see even more positive changes!

Over 55 % of Adults in Enfield do no Physical Activity!

I was very concerned by statistics released by Sport England last week that show only 19 % of people in Enfield take 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per week – below the national average at 21 %. This ranks Enfield a disappointing 20th in the regional ranking of 33 local authorities for sport.

I was shocked to learn that so few of my constituents take part in any physical activity at all. The benefits of sport are numerous - from physical well-being to self esteem and confidence – and it would be great to see more people in Edmonton taking advantage of our sporting facilities. With the newly opened leisure centre at Edmonton Green, and the Olympics coming here in 2012, there’s never been a better time for us to get active!

Here's a photo of myself (together with MPs Shahid Malik, and Gwyn Prosser) getting ready for the Sport Relief Mile last year. We looked a lot worse after the mile!