Tuesday 9 December 2008

Other things I did today

So, the rest of the day including chairing a meeting of the APPG on Credit Unions, with a Treasury Minister as guest speaker. Part of our discussion was about whether credit unions could work more closely with post offices to help them offer more services and ensure their survival. I later discovered that the APPG on Post Offices had been meeting at exactly the same time, with a DWP Minister in attendance, to discuss way in which post offices could expand their range of services.... Typical example of joined-up working!

As for my stint in the Chamber - I actually managed to arrive only 30 seconds before Bill Cash sat down, which is about the right length of time to listen to Bill Cash on Europe, and got to hear an excellent speech from Natascha Engel, about how growing up in West Berlin, till she came to England at the age of nine, shaped her views on 'the European project'. Some of it - the interaction with the Euro-sceptic Tories on the benches opposite - was really funny, but Hansard will probably tidy all that up.

Also made the tail end of a meeting today at which Friends of the Earth were launching their new 'What's Feeding our Food' campaign, which is really good stuff and hopefully I'll be working with them on it in 2009. They want people to put pressure on MPs... you might be pushing at an open door in my case, but feel free to push!

6 comments:

Steven_L said...

The legal competition to credit unions (the doorstep loan companies) tout door-to-door once they've got people hooked.

If credit unions want to break the debt-cycle they should tout door-to-door too if you ask me.

Chris Gale said...

Perhaps 'Friends of the Earth' could embrace not eating meat at all? Instead they peddle the nonsense that somehow its ok because the 'organic' chicken or pig died with a smile on its face. At their fringes at Labour conferences they have meat sandwiches etc. When several of us who attended to ask why they play down meat consumption (a huge part of the cause of escalating climatic change), pointed this out, they quickly tried to change the subject.

Remember Remember said...

So you're not out saving the world, eeer... banks today either then, you are out saving farm animals from being born in the first place. Marvellous...

Glenn Vowles said...

Great to see this campaign from Friends of the Earth. I welcome you working with them Kerry - what will you be doing?

The green movement as a whole should be doing much more to address the social and environmental pros and cons of different types of diet. Low meat or no meat diets are much more ethical, healthy and ecological.

Anonymous said...

'What's Feeding our Food'

Oil apprently :S
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7774618.stm

Kerry said...

First step Glenn is to set up a meeting with them in the New Year, then possibly a debate. That's what we discussed yesterday. Think there might be a postcard campaign, people writing to MPs. And will be following up on my written questions, maybe at next Defra or DECC orals. Also spoke to Elliot Morley, chair of the new ECC select committee (tho' not sure that's official yet!), who is v. interested in the issue, but depends whether it falls in DECC's remit I guess or Defra's. It's a bit of both.