Tuesday 13th July 2010

05:10 I woke up early this morning so I decided to get up and leave even earlier than yesterday. Despite the early start it was surprising how many cars there were on the roads, still once again I escaped the Dartford Crossing tolls and the Congestion Charge!

06:45 At my desk and sorting through my emails. My Number Two part time secretary, Carol Freeman, is starting and I wanted to clear as many of the emails as possible before she started. I didn’t get very far because there were several emails from offender educators that needed my immediate attention. The conflict between prison tutors and The Manchester College is hotting up and I decide to contact the University and College Union later that morning to find out what progress is being made in their negotiations with TMC.

09:30 Carol arrives and gets stuck straight into the mail. She is South African with a legal background in the human rights field and I know that we are going to get on famously.

11:00 Drop in on a briefing session with the Post Bank Coalition (the idea of coalitions must be catching!) who are campaigning for the setting up of a publically owned post office bank that would help save thousands of small rural and urban sub post offices by providing them with additional business. I promised my support and agreed to sign an Early Day Motion the Coalition was drafting.

12:00 There are still strong rumours that we are in for a very late session tonight so I went out shopping with Jo-Anne to buy a few essentials in case I needed to stay over at her Chelsea flat.

14:00 I am a member of the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group and today I attended my second meeting.

14:30 I popped to the Chamber for prayers.

14:40 After prayers I went back to the Justice Unions Group meeting safe in the knowledge that my seat was reserved for the rest of the day.

15:30 The Home Secretary made a statement today so I was in the Chamber to lend my support as part of her ad-hoc backroom team.

17:00 I tabled my Early Day Motion on the Thames Estuary Airport. The latest rumour is that we will not be as late as expected and I went off to get some dinner hoping that the rumours were right!

19:00 I attended a reception organised by the Conservative Friends of Israel at which Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, made an excellent speech.

20:00 I spent an hour in the Chamber catching up on the Finance Bill debate.

21:00 Back in my office to tackle yet more paperwork, whilst keeping track of proceedings in the Chamber, which prepared me for the votes which regularly interrupted my evening’s toil. The latest word is that we will adjourn at eleven o’clock and I sense this is probably about right.

23:10 The House adjourns and I am soon on my way.

00:15 It is Wednesday and I am home.