Yesterday afternoon I was kindly invited by the BC Project (Integration of British Chinese into Politics) to attend a voter registration event in Chinatown. I was joined by Mark Field and representatives from the Lib Dems as we tried to get Chinatown residents to register to vote before the deadline at 5pm on Tuesday 20th April. It was a really fun afternoon and hopefully we were able to help get more members of the Chinese community at the polling stations on May 6th.

For anyone who hasn’t registered yet you have can still do so by 5pm tomorrow. Westminster Council are accepting applications by post, fax or as an attachment to an email.

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/councilgovernmentanddemocracy/elections/voting/contact/

You can find the registration form on the About My Vote website.

www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/

Over the last few weeks I have been been canvassing residents in Mayfair and Soho. Thanks to everyone who took the time to talk with me.

The nearly universal complaint I heard was that of the noise of rubbish collection at all hours, especially recycling collection with the clattering and breaking of glass bottles. I recognise that living right in the centre of London, as grand as that seems, can be a challenge as well.  In such mixed use areas some early morning deliveries and collections are inevitable.

One thing to be aware of is that many of the local businesses have contracts with their rubbish collection companies which stipulate the hours when the refuse can be collected.  Since the collections occur when the businesses are closed the owners and managers may not know the collections are not happening during the contracted hours.  Just letting them know might help solve some part of the problem. 

If there are ongoing problems in your neighbourhood feel free to contact me, or the Westminster environmental team.

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/environment/pollution/noisepollution/about/

On Sunday afternoon my campaign went out to support my political hero and inspiration – Karen Buck in the Westminster North constituency.   The purpose was to meet voters in the Church Street Ward.   The weather was perfect and over 20 people turned up on the day,  including Ken Livingstone.   I think some thanks are due to London Young Labour who helped round up an enthusiastic crowd for the event.

Our team canvassed near Lisson Grove.  It was certainly refreshing to canvass in some blocks with such enthusiastic Labour support.  But not surprisingly, when issues came up they were mostly about housing:  the lack of suitably sized housing,  or the conditions of the existing housing.  Just finding suitable, affordable, family size accommodation in Westminster is such a huge challenge.   I think we can be doing much more to help local housing management be responsive and focused on taking care of residents.

Remember that Karen Buck is in a tough election battle this year because of the changes to her constituency boundaries.  Karen will always be a stronger advocate for affordable housing in Westminster than her opponent,  any support you can lend her is always appreciated.

www.karenbuck.org.uk

The consultation period over the sale of some of the Crown Estates property has recently ended. Residents now face an anxious wait.

I have been appalled by the way this issue has been handled, and I welcome Frank Dobson’s lead in opposing the sale. The way Crown Estates have conducted the consultation period is nothing short of disgraceful. It has been way too short and the residents were denied the opportunity of a ballot.

I hope that the fantastic grassroots campaign that residents ran will have the desired effect of knocking some sense into the estates management. Housing is a real problem in our community and the sale of any affordable housing would be a disaster.

I hope to see some of you at the ‘Hands Off Our Homes’ show on the 28^th April at the Vauxhall tavern.

Last night the Government rushed the Digital Economy Bill through Parliament without proper scrutiny in what is known as the ‘wash up’ procedure. This procedure is designed to allow the government of the day to pass uncontroversial bills once an election has been called, to prevent the country grinding to a halt.

However, the Digital Economy Bill is far from uncontroversial. It contains provisions that allow users to be disconnected from the internet and websites to be blocked without any kind of judicial process. It is opposed by organisations as diverse as consumer groups, and the secret services.

The bill was promoted by the record and film industry, despite private admission by those involved that it would do little to halt the decline in their businesses. The potential unintended consequences of such a complex bill receiving so little debate may be disastrous.

All in all, yesterday was a poor day for democracy. See who voted for and against here. More information here.

In the US they had Puff Daddy and Mariah Carey. In Ilford they had, er, David Rowntree?

This is me speaking at the ‘Rock the Vote’ event on Saturday. Despite years of playing in a band, I’m still not entirely comfortable at the front of a stage, but they were a nice crowd. Of course you are preaching to the converted at these events. Who would come if they weren’t interested in politics in the first place? But they are worth doing, even if it’s just to show that there is more to being a Party member than sitting in endless committee meetings.

But I still cringe when using the word ‘rock’ to describe anything I do…

Saw this while out and about in E1 yesterday…

Well Done Karen Buck!

Karen Buck MP has been chosen for a second successive year as the Child Poverty Action Group MP of the Year for her work campaigning on behalf of low income families and children.

http://www.karenbuck.org.uk/

I have linked to a map of the Westminster councillor districts. South Westminster is held entirely by conservative councillors. Please take the time to vote this year and help get a local Labour voice back into the Westminster Council.

http://tinyurl.com/yg74psm

There is widespread local support for the campaign to reduce the speed limit to 20mph in some residential areas of Westminster. It looks on the surface like a minor change, but may have a number of far-reaching benefits.

First, the number of deaths and injuries on our roads is likely to be cut dramatically. In 2008, over 270 people were either killed or seriously injured on Westminster’s roads, but research from the British Medical Association shows that 20mph zones have been linked to around a 40% reduction in accidents.

Second, there may be financial benefits. The Department of Transport calculates that every death on the roads costs £1.8 million and every injury £59,700 in hospital and emergency services costs, lost taxation, working days and production. Up to £50 million might therefore be saved every year.

This is a great campaign, more power to their elbow(s)!

-Link to the petition in support of the campaign: http://www.petitiononline.com/wchron1/