Getting Rid of the Politics of Fear

The politics of fear has been something that has been constantly present within the Middle East and rarely does the politics of bridge building get a chance whether it is through the press that hungrily looks for the ‘negative angle’ or whether it is through politicians who want to keep the status quo in place.

It is this politics of fear that has played a role within the Middle East for centuries and whilst there is a legitimate basis for many of the historical crises, the ingrained response of fear now shapes the language, discourse, outlook and character of governments in the area. Some of the Arab Governments blame the militarism of Israel whilst Israel blames Arab states for the military positions that it takes. The politics of fear within this complex relationship merely feeds off each party, like a bad marriage where each partner cannot really do without each other, yet where there is some twisted comfort.

Like any bad marriage, (for it is a marriage of neighbours based on history, geographical location and resources), there are a few routes to take. These routes may involve complete separation. It may involve mediation towards separation or it could include the continuation of a relationship based on some guidelines and frameworks; a kind of learning process where each partner learns to take a step back and think of the implications before acting, thereby creating a cessation in the cycle of abuse.

For those on all sides who have lost loved ones, rationalism and bridge building are far from the mindsets of relatives. Anger, pain and depression beset many and there are many in Gaza and the West Bank who undergo these emotions. Then there are those within Sderot, Jerusalem and other towns who grieve, who feel the same elements of grief and pain. These people who grieve cannot be asked to look at the future. They alone know their grief and they alone know the loneliness of placing their loved ones into the earth. The graveyards of Gaza are full with the early bounty of the dead and those within the West Bank, Sderot, Jerusalem and other towns and cities slowly take up the dead, cut short in their lives. Yet there are those groups like Combatants for Peace who through grief have learnt that there is another way than the gun and an alternative to the politics of fear.

The history and the dialogues of each community in the Middle East, of Arabs and Jews, or Muslims, Christians and Jews will always be seen through lenses that look upon the same events at different angles. Mix that differentiation with the politics of fear and the future looks bleak. There is therefore only one way forward. A route emancipated from fear is the only way to respect the futures of all communities in the region. The politics of fear is not the domain of one community and politicians and spin doctors have seen the vast potential of it within the region. The public relations battles continue, waged with ferocity and where ultimately the truth suffers.

My wish is simple. That we do not get caught up in accepting fear since it is something that feels familiar in discussions around the Middle East. The best decisions are free of fear, free of pressure and internalised reactions. In the end, you and I have a duty to each other, a bond of common protection and a respect for basic human rights. That being the case, we owe it to ourselves to liberate our thoughts so that a genuine peace based on mutual respect and acceptance can take place. Without that, we are part of the cycle of hopelessness and despair which hang around discussions on peace within the Middle East and between Israel and Palestine.

Living Islam Out Loud - American Muslim Women and Linking with British Muslim Women

I have just spent 5 days on the road on a project that is being run by Faith Matters, an interfaith and conflict resolution organisation that I founded in 2005. Faith Matters also runs Faith and Finance social regeneration projects.

The project entitled 'Living Islam Out Loud,' brought 4 American Muslim women to the UK to have dialogues and discussions with British Muslim women and to develop further trans-Atlantic links.

Well, what can I say? I have had the privilege of spending these days meeting empowered, focussed and courageous Muslim women who are working in social regeneration schemes, within promoting dialogue and cohesion and using innovative projects to reach out to other communities.

I have learnt alot from Saleema Abdul Ghafur, the editor of the book - Living Islam Out Loud, which was published in 2005. I was also enthralled, motivated and enthused by Samina Ali, Aroosha Zoq Rana and Shami e Ali Al Jamil. All four are great ambassadors for American Muslims and I learnt that:

- Civil society work within the American Muslim community is far advanced than work in the UK, even though UK Muslim communities are starting to get activated for civil society work,

- Because of the nature of migration to the US, identity is not seen through negative lenses and the migration does not cause fear and revulsion. Immigration to the UK is a hot topic and one that generates a vast divergence of views.

- There are many divergent views on the development of Muslim communities within women's groups in the UK. Muslims are clearly not one homogenous group and the diversity of voices and races within UK Muslim communities will lead to pluralism in a number of areas. It is a natural evolutionary process and I have seen some of the future leaders of Muslim communities across the UK. I have had the pleasure to meet some of these future leaders in the last 5 days.

- There seems to be a buoyancy and a greater sense of hope that came across from Saleemah et al. Within some of the group discussions it was clear that there is a feeling of despondency within some Muslim groups. It is up to us all to ensure that people feel included within political, social and civil processes. Without that, we are failing in our duties to fellow citizens.

- That US Muslims are far more diverse than those within the UK. There are Muslims from 80 different countries in the US than the UK and 1/3rd are from Black communities, 1/3rd from the Maghrebi and Arab communities and the rest are from South Asian countries. Within the UK, the vast majority of Muslims come from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, with some migration having taken place from East and Central African countries.

Finally, Faith Matters and I would personally like to thank the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP. A Government minister who has a strong grasp on her portfolio, I welcome her vision and her desire to develop communities where we all can play a positive role within.

Post Office Closures will Have a Devastating Effect on Local Communities

The recent announcements that seven local post offices will be closing in the restructuring of Post Offices throughout the Capital will have a devastating impact on local communities. Those that affect Haringey include Highgate High Street, 100 Alexandra Park Road (N10), Ferme Park Road (N4), Salisbury Road (N22), 89 Weston Park (N8), Page Green (N15) and 434 West Green Road (N15).

Post offices have long been at the centre of communities and their closure will be acutely felt by our vulnerable residents. Many of these vulnerable clients rely on welfare rights, including older people and the disabled. They see their local Post Office as a lifeline and a place where they can collect their entitlements.

They also use Post Offices to catch up with friends, so that they provide a platform where some form of human contact can still take place in an increasingly mechanized and information technology-heavy society.

Additionally, those who are financially and socially excluded within local communities have always been able to interface through Post Offices with Central Government departments like the Department for Work and Pensions.

But whilst the Government says it wants social inclusion, the actions it has taken in recent years have slowly deprived the Post Office of business. And by doing that, it has pushed the very individuals that it purports to assist to the margins of society.

Yet Labour councillors talk about saving Post Offices when the very Government they represent has been eroding the roots of the Post Office Network. I do therefore sincerely hope that they can lobby against these cuts and I welcome the letter from Cllr Meehan to the Consultation Team of Post Office Ltd stating that, “this Council voted unanimously at a meeting of Full Council on Monday 18th February to oppose the Post Office Ltd’s plans to close six branches in the Borough.” I hope that he continues to voice our opposition when he meets the relevant Government Ministers.

The current situation with Royal Mail has come about because it has been starved of investment by successive Governments : it needs at least £2 billion to invest in automation to remain competitive. Under the last Conservative Government, 3,500 local post offices were closed and under Labour another 4,000 have closed, hitting rural –and now urban - communities across the country.

Post Office Ltd are now implementing the new set of cuts through a ‘Network Change Programme’ that will see up to 2,500 branches close out of a network of 14,300. This means that nearly 20% of all branches in London will close.

As the ward councillor for Noel Park in Wood Green, I can tell you that the closure of the Salisbury Road post office will mean that residents in the area will have to travel to the main Post Office on the High Road, adding another half a mile on the journey to post something or to use other services on offer.

People with mobility problems will be affected and the already-long waiting times at the High Road Post Office will grow . The work-load there will increase and, more than ever, we will lose that personal touch in service delivery as we become seen through the counter grille as units to be served and moved on as fast as possible.

This Government talks about building and sustaining local communities. But between Post Office Ltd and the undermining actions of this Government it seems they are actually ripping the heart out of local communities.

Responses to the Archbishop Do Not Look At the Facts On The Ground

Within 48 hours of the Archbishop making comments around religious inclusion and Shariah, there were press calls, comments and rabid responses for his resignation. This strain of fear is disproportionate and based on conjecture, myths and in some instances, xenophobia. But before I lay out these facts, there is something that I must clear up. The vast amount of Shariah Law covers financial elements, marriage and divorce and other codes for living life. It is not primarily around punishment. However, I for one as a Muslim and as a liberal to my very core, see Islam through the prism of emancipation and knowledge sharing. This means having the chance to question, to debate, to discuss and therefore Shariah is a theoretical and practical framework which must be looked through within a modern context. This therefore means ardently protecting women's rights, respect for diversity in all of its forms (the first convert to Islam was a black man), providing the space for dissent, education for all and emancipation from debt by taking out interest in financial transactions. These are just some examples of what I regard Islam to be about. It should be a driver against poverty, against fear and xenophobia and it should be a driver against ignorance. I have to also add, that I cannot accept two legal systems as a citizen of the UK and the resulting confusion and isolation for Muslims if this were to happen would in the long term, provide a foundation to those who want to portray Muslims as the 'other' and therefore somehow different. We should not give them that chance.

I make these comments on the basis of very real facts on the ground that we must all wake up to. The Archbishop does not want, nor did he state that two parallel legal systems should be set up. He picked up on something that is already taking place within our major cities. In places like Birmingham, Manchester and London for example, Shariah based mediation towards divorce is taking place. There are hundreds of these cases. Additionally, the UK has become the world's Ethical Finance / Shariah Finance base and has even outstripped the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia in the diversity of non-interest based financial products that are provided to Muslims and non-Muslims within and beyond the UK. Thousands of jobs for UK nationals are created and the billions of pounds of profit help our economy, yet this is gratefully accepted and there has been no outcry. Indeed, in some parts of the country the non-interest based programmes have been tailored for lending to Muslims and non-Muslims and have helped to assist local communities. Allied to this, lending has been focussed on getting people into business and thereby making them economically active.

You see, Shariah has many strands and the elements which talk about punishment need to be seen within a modern context and have no place today in modern societies. Islam is and must be about inclusion and it must be interpreted as so, so that women are not discriminated against, nor injustice served.

Fundamentally, what the Archbishop was getting at, was looking to find ways of using elements of what is within Shariah to help in for example, mediation in divorce. If two consenting individuals want to undergo mediation with someone who understands concepts of Islamic jurisprudence, then they should have the right to do so, though ultimately, any agreement must be presented within the common law courts of our country so that a judge can make a decision with responses from the two individuals. In the end, such Shariah based mediation is not legally binding and can only work on the basis of the two parties agreeing without coercion. The only binding element would be the courts decision and in the end, there should only be one legal system that is binding on us all.

There are therefore no parallel systems of law, just the facilitation of decision making with those who want to use community based services; participants can also leave the process at any point. To ensure non-coercion in the process, pre-mediation interviews with participants can be conducted with professionals who can help to tease out whether one of the parties has been forced into the process.

Even within financial packages based on Islamic finance, the contracts that are entered into must be in line with regulations laid out by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and within strict financial laws. There are no opt-outs and there is strict monitoring of processes.

So, I have provided some examples of facts on the ground already operating within the legal processes and boundaries of our common law. Finally, can I suggest that the real impact of the hysteria will be to give substance to those criminals who prey on the disaffected within Muslim communities and who want to carry out violence against us all. They will be smiling today and suggesting that Muslims do not have a home in the UK. They will no doubt point to the hysteria that has been whipped up. Collectively, we should ask forgiveness for what we have done by strengthening the hands of those extremists who promote violence. That is all what this storm in a teacup will achieve.

London is a Liberal City, That is Why We Need a Liberal Democrat Mayor

Who can forget the fiasco in which Ken Livingstone clambered to be taken back into the fold of New Labour when his principles and policy making resonated with the socialist guard which he accused Blair of sidelining to the touchlines of Labour's political field? Who can forget the rhetoric from Ken on how employment opportunities are better than they ever were, when the reality is that unemployment has grown in the last 6 years in the capital. Worryingly, Ken seems to have forgotten that London is not just about inner city boroughs and their problems, it is about those boroughs like Enfield who have similar concerns and issues and where inflows of migrant communities mean that the demographics of 'outer' boroughs are changing rapidly.

Who can also forget the Conservative candidate, Steve Norris - friend of big business and who, remarkably, seemed to be falling in line with the policy making of Ken at the last mayoral election. I for one found it disturbing that both candidates were agreeing to such a large degree with each other even though they came from polar political ideologies. Additionally, more recently the 'caring and sharing Tories' voted against the Tenancy Deposit Scheme which we as a Party supported in Parliament. This scheme is supposed to protect rental deposits on assured shorthold tenancies being used by landlords on the basis that there have been breakages in the property. Many landlords have also hung onto the deposit for more than 3 months after the tenants have vacated the property. Few reasons have been given to tenants as to why they have hung onto the deposit which on average is about £1,500.

As the Chief Executive of a Citizens Advice Bureau with 3 bureaux covering Enfield, this issue has had a real impact on young people. It has also meant that many have had to receive advice on how to take their previous landlords to county court to recoup the deposit. Yet, the Tories voted against something as basic as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and they believe that they are in tune with the needs, desires and aspirations of Londoners? Clearly Cameron's spin machine has not caught up with the spirit and soul of the Tories which is pro-big business, anti-immigration and vehemently against the financially and socially excluded. As I like to say, the Tories remind me of a wolf in sheep's clothing and even then, the clothing just does not quite fit!
The time has therefore come for the capital to have a Lib Dem Mayor. That time is fast approaching and I hope that you like me, will work tirelessly for our Mayor to be at the helm of the most exciting, vibrant and dynamic city in the World. More than ever Liberal Democrat principles and policies are needed in a fast changing and complex environment and which are in tune with the needs of Londoners.

For God's Sake Musharraf, Free Imran Khan and Other Political Dissenters That You Have Detained

The fiasco in Pakistan continues. The strongman 'El Presidente' Musharraf continues to lock up anyone who dissents and the very basis of democracy is now gravely injured and lying on the side of the road somewhere between Lahore and Islamabad. The Analogy of Rome burning whilst we are all asleep is a very apt one. Who can forget history when today's 'friend' becomes tomorrow's rogue state and rogue administration. Yet, our own Foreign Office has not been robust in making it clear that dissidents like Imran Khan and the thousands of others detained need to be released and the General must never enforce martial law under the complete lie of an Islamist threat. It is clear that the Islamist threat was a smoke and mirrors routine where all opposition could be suppressed to keep Musharraf in power. What a manipulation of the powers of the State that was.

And for those who say that he is needed in the fight against terrorism, I say, what kind of an impression are we giving the world? One day we oust Saddam and then when democracy is trampled on in another country, we say that the leader is an ally and a 'trusted friend' in the fight against terrorism. The scourge of terrorism can be reduced (lets be real and stop lying to the public - terrorism can never be fully removed from the political landscape), though we should not do this at the price of our democratic principles. Yet, we are doing it again!

I therefore urge the Foreign Office to make representations to the Pakistani Government on those detained (for no other basis but on their political dissent). Today Mohammed Ali Jinnah (the Founder of Pakistan) must be turning in his grave at the militarism of the country and the way that State institutions have been turned against the people. Pakistan and it's people deserve better. Free Imran Khan should be our chant today, tomorrow and for however long it takes.

Remembering The Past For The Future

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, services right across the country took place to commemorate the fallen in the Great Wars and within others. It was a sombre occasion for many that brought home the horrors of war and the chance to reflect upon those not here since they truly had 'given their today's for our tomorrows.'

In a world where conflict is caused by the lack of access to limited resources, there will I am afraid, be more wars that spark up across the globe. As populations rise, resources dwindle and arms are more readily available, the chances of war and armed conflict rise and we should all be aware that many more young people will carry arms and die in the heat of battle. I for one want to see diplomacy used more often than not and post Iraq, the information to go to war must have Parliamentary scrutiny and a vote within the House. Oversight and scrutiny committees need to do their jobs and not rubber stamp calls for war and I am afraid that the juggernaut for war under Blair mean that key questions by were not asked by scrutiny committees overseeing the intelligence evidence presented to them.

For those countries who choose the bullet rather than the soft pressures of diplomacy, we should make it clear that they will be harming their future and the future of their country. War and the terrible ravages of it need to be consigned to the past, yet the awful truth is that arms sales and the atrocities of war will continue. Yesterday was a chance to remember the courageous and the bold who should not be forgotten. Let us remember today those who were lost so many years ago. They may have gone, but they are not forgotten.

Pakistan is Convulsing Through Dictatorial Measures

The decision by General Musharraf to impose martial law has set back Pakistan in the eyes of other nations, especially when so many nations realise that military rule is not only socially counter-productive, it is also leads to economic disaster. Today, Pakistan is virtually overwhelmed by the economic powerhouse that India has become and frankly I cannot conceive that India would ever tear up their governance framework and turn to the imposition of martial law. In fact, India has moved on and does not spend the enormous sums of resources on being a counterweight to Pakistan and this position came about 5 / 6 years ago when India realised that constantly worrying about military conflict with Pakistan was actually damaging the nation. Since then, it has moved on, though Pakistan is still convulsing from one military dictatorship to another.

What is even more revolting about the imposition of martial law is that the Prime Minister has stated that it will be imposed indefinitely and where a ‘code of conduct’ for the State must be imposed. The Prime Minister also went onto say that Pakistan cannot have the media moving into ‘unchartered territories,’ a clear threat to the press suggesting that the State will censor and challenge press freedoms. Today, the very tiny shoots of democracy that were trying to grow within Pakistan have been trampled upon by the jackboot of militarism and dictatorship. In fact, General Musharraf in his public statement to the nation made it clear that Pakistan should not be judged by the yardsticks of democracy used by other nations. Such a nauseating statement should get only the contempt that it deserves and this medal clad dictator should be publicly berated for the illegitimate stance that he has taken.

Opposition leaders like Imran Khan and a whole swath of others have been put under house arrest and have been moved to detention camps whilst the Prime Minister and his henchmen spin the sorry tale that so many dictators have spun. “The nation is in danger from terrorism, it deserves the introduction of harsh measures for national security etc etc.” This rhetorical nonsense is a mere cover for the lack of governance and leadership that General Musharraf has shown and where he has resided on growing inequalities in Pakistan. Poverty levels and factionalism has grown exponentially under his administration as have sordid deals with the very extremists that he says he is fighting against. Today, Pakistan’s pride and standing globally has been severely injured and I am afraid that it will take at least a decade or two before it can be taken seriously by other nations.

General Musharraf certainly deserves an accolade as a leader who belongs in the 1970’s and 1980’s South American hall of fame for autocrats and dictators. Even South American leaders have moved on and are instigating social change for their people and trying to develop sustainable regeneration and national projects that drive economic development. Yet, Pakistan slips further into being a failed State and one which is far from the open and democratic society that its founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah wanted. This great man had a vision that must not die and which can and should be implemented. That vision can come to fruition if we now stand up and make our voices clear that we will not buy the spin of repression and political manipulation. I hope that we can all shout out loud at this time of change in Pakistan so that the nation does not have any more military leaders and clumsy wannabe politicians who make the lives of citizens unequal in a whole range of areas.

The Mayor's Strategy For Supporting English as a Second Language (ESOL Courses) in London is Bankrupt

The Mayor recently announced a £15 million injection for 9 further education colleges in London that were facing sharp cuts in funding for English as a Second Language courses. The announcement in May 2007 shores up provision and does not provide extra ESOL spaces in these colleges even though need has dramatically increased due to the migration of communities like the Somali, Turkish Speaking and Eastern European groups.

I have investigated and talked to ESOL providers in the last 4 weeks. I found severe shortages in some areas and further Government pressures by the introduction of heavy fees to cover administration costs, other expenses and overheads. Also, support and assistance from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) used to be regarded as being a qualifying benefit for free ESOL courses. More worryingly, this is not the case now and more and more people are ending up on waiting lists, some of whom cannot afford the courses and others who simply cannot get a place.

The Mayor has prided himself on work around integration and gave himself a pat on the back for finding money to shore up ESOL classes in 9 further education colleges in London. The reality is that asylum seekers who need English as a basic tool for integration cannot afford the courses and NASS support is now no longer a qualifying benefit for free ESOL classes. The Mayor has also given the impression that he is throwing further resources to support ESOL provision. The fact is that waiting lists are getting longer and places are limited, especially at low level ESOL classes. How this helps integration baffles me and this shows that the Mayor is out of touch on integration issues.

It is time that he left his office, move out of Zone 1 and listen to further education colleges in outer London Boroughs where outward migration from Central London is having major effects.

The Chinese Community Marches in Soho!

China Town

was awash today with the young and the old, the angry and the sad, the shopkeepers and the restaurant owners. They were marching side by side and for the first time, Chinatown was awash with placards. ‘Don’t target the Chinese community’, ‘don’t penalise migrant workers’, said the voices of this normally silent community.

And what had brought them out! It was a raid by the Home Office with the police and the BBC who were filming. Yes, the BBC came in on the act and were filming the arrest of migrant workers who were thought to be illegal. Restaurants were raided in Edgware in North London and employers also suddenly found themselves looking at the potential of being in prison for over a decade! Five restaurants were raided last week in the middle of the lunch hour by over 130 officers in body armour and helmets and 52 people were arrested and taken away on suspicion of being illegal immigrants. 3 were later released though the rest have pretty much been deported to Vietnam and China.

Immigration rules mean that the shop owners who had employed the migrant workers may be liable to 14 years imprisonment. Yes, you heard me right, 14 years of imprisonment, a longer sentence than some sexual offenders get! Those who were arrested were refused access to lawyers and the Police’s Chinatown unit was not informed of the raids which undermined years of support and community liaison that had been built up. In addition to this, the Chinese community felt that it has been humiliated through the filming of the raids. So you can see why they were all out in force and why I was there, marching with them.

So why did I decide to march when the voice and supportive actions of our current Mayor were missing. Well I will tell you why? Since when have we decided to overlook the basic rights of people to get access to legal support when in detention? And when have we overlooked the community police liaison groups so the first that key leaders in the community learn about the raids is when they have taken place and where individuals have been placed into custody? This goes against the norm of community policing which informs key community leaders if there are to be a series of raids in a certain area. And why was the basic dignity of people undermined by a BBC camera crew being there? These are the reasons that made me turn out in solidarity with the Chinese Community today.

After the rally, it was clear that the Deputy Director of the Borders and Immigration Section was genuinely sorry for the BBC crew being there and made clear that in future, there would be no documentary crews and he confirmed that allegations around the lack of access to legal advice would be fully investigated. He also suggested working more closely with the Chinese community and a system to check documents with employers will also be set up. So, today was a landmark for a normally quiet and hard working community. Today, they realised that the power of peaceful demonstration can make a difference and they exerted that right. I am proud of everyone who took part in the demonstration that was around the protection of the dignity of human beings and around the protection of employers who in many instances do not know how to tell the difference between forged immigration papers and the real ones.

I would like to thank Neville Farmer and Merlene Toh Emerson for standing up with the community. Chinatown will never be the same again and the community has had its first taste of political success.

Ramesh Kallidai - The Hindu Forum of Britain

A few days ago I received a phone call from Ramesh Kallidai who is the driving force behind the Hindu Forum of Britain. A charismatic and driven individual, he has single handedly helped to form and create the Forum and has recently been appointed onto the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.

Ramesh had called to inform me that there was a young man of Muslim origin who had been robbed of his life savings and who was now desitute. The young man was sleeping on the streets and was living off charity. Yet, Ramesh had taken it upon himself to help this young man and had consistently called around trying to get someone to help.

In the end, it was Ramesh's perseverence and insistence to help a fellow human being in trouble that shone through. I assisted in trying to get the young man out of his dilemma and this incident showed me how people from different faith traditions can work together.

You know, when I campaign and work on social programmes in London, I also hear about divisions between the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities. Yet, I have to shout out loud that the more people like Ramesh there are, the better! Our common humanity, respect for each other's narratives and a desire for social change can act as a glue to bringing us to common ground.

Levels of Poverty Need to be Addressed

Spent last night at Edgware Road where many were celebrating Eid Al Fitr, the end of the fasting period for Muslims. There were many people who had come to celebrate and there were many young people hanging around the streets laughing, smiling and greeting one another - far from the ASBO generation promoted by some sections of the press.

The sheer diversity of Muslims and Islam is positive and something that is wonderful to see and what was also exhilarating to see was the sheer vibrancy that comes out from such religious events. The vibrancy is something that I also feel when I attend Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist and Christian celebrations since I am one of those who believes that spirituality can be felt within all faiths and especially where many people congregate to praise.

However, last night I was also struck by something else. The levels of poverty within communities like the Somali community! It is clear that this community is one that has been hit particularly hard and integration has been difficult. High levels of poverty, family breakdowns and a gang culture has hit the community head-on and more needs to be done to assist in giving young Somalis a vision of hope and inclusion.

The Somali community nationally and internationally is a hard working one; it always has been and it has survived through some of the toughest periods of its nations history. No doubt, it will be able to play a strong pro-active role in London's development, though it needs local authorities to look at solutions of what works well with other such communities and implement it with young people. That is why I am suggesting that new innovative approaches be taken in policing in London for example.

One of these bold innovative approaches is to place seconded detached youth workers with Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT's). What a difference this would make to the work of these teams. It would help penetrate youth groups and reduce the juncture between the Police, Community Support Officers (CSO's) and young people. It will also help to tackle the causes of crime as well as criminal incidents. Together we must think about integrated approaches and one that will build for the future through simple common sense solutions. Detached workers with SNT's is one of those common sense solutions.

Nick Clegg is Certainly a Formidable Force

Having spent this evening with members of the Liberal Democrat Youth & Students, I was privileged to hear Nick Clegg talk about the openess, transparency and vibrancy within the Party. Nick talked about this being a strength and it is this strength which means that we will always be the Party to talk straight and to make policy decisions that are relevant to people and communities.

It is clear that Nick is more than a 'rising star,' he is a formidable force and leadership oozes out from every word that he utters. And what a formidable group of Parliamentarians we have; Sir Menzies Campbell, Nick Clegg, Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne, Lynne Featherstone and there are many more. I am clear about one thing. The future holds many successes for the Liberal Democrats. God knows, if we ever needed Liberalism in politics, it is now and there is no stronger team than Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians.

Ken and His Posturing?

The Mayor of London is going to be making a trip to India very soon and no doubt his visit will be used as a posturing opportunity in a vain attempt to garner support from Asian communities in the UK as the London mayoral elections draw in. Interestingly when there is an election, Ken starts to travel to far flung places in a vain attempt to gather support though this is not a knock box against Ken since he has stood up on minority issues and has been vocal on them. What I object to is the use and abuse of the same communities that he states he supposedly stands up for. Come on Ken, don't do it and should you not be campaigning in London instead of enjoying the delights of India.

Avtar Lit to stand as Mayor for London?

Rumours are abound that the King of Sunrise Radio (Avtar Lit) is to stand as an independent candidate for the Mayor of London elections. Avtar who has singularly built up the station and who now owns numerous stations across the country, has stood for elections before at a national level. He stood as an independent candidate for Ealing Southall a few years ago and has a core voter base within the Asian community.

I personally like his style and manner and he is warm and very receptive. He is also incredibly politically able and I salute anyone who has the guts, strength and ability to try to be a candidate. I can tell you that it pulls on all of your skills and abilities.

I also believe that the more people should put themselves up for selection processes. If you live in London, want to make a change and believe that you have the inner strength and skills, go for it. And more than ever, we need more women candidates and those from Black and Minority Ethnic communities to put themselves forward