online diary of Richard Corbett MEP

October 2004

Friday 1 October

Happy New Month!

I watch part of the Bush/Kerry debate. I am afraid that an American audience would feel that Bush held his own against Kerry, though the latter did have the most memorable quote of the evening: “invading Iraq in response to 9/11 is akin to invading Mexico in response to Pearl Harbor”.

Rest of the day on casework in my office.

Sunday 3 October

This morning I met with representatives of the Leeds Zionist Federation. We had a wide-ranging discussion, on issues such as international terrorism, use of EU funds, Israel's trade relationship with the EU and the Israeli/Palestinian peace process.

Monday 4 October

I attend Peter Mandelson's confirmation hearing as prospective Commissioner. Before his grilling by MEPs, he surprises everyone by starting his opening presentation with a couple of sentences in French, before continuing, naturally enough, in English. The BBC reported this as him "being given permission to continue in English"! Peter handled the hearing well, even surprising one of the Green MEPs by agreeing with them on a couple of important points. The UKIP member, Mr Farage, caused derision when he suggested that by accepting a post as Commissioner, Peter was somehow betraying his oath of loyalty to the Queen that he had taken as a Cabinet Minister and Privy Councillor.

The best question was from my colleague, David Martin MEP: "which of the three B's do you consider yourself to be accountable to: Blair, Borrell (the President of the European Parliament) or Barosso (the President of the Commission)?" Peter gave the right answer: as a member of the College of Commissioners, he is accountable to its President, Borrell - but they are collectively accountable to the European Parliament as they only hold office for as long as they enjoy the confidence of Parliament.

Tuesday 5 October

The Constitutional Committee meets to decide on its evaluation of its hearing of prospective Commissioners Margaret Wallstrom the previous week. Everyone agrees she gave an impressive performance but a discussion arises on a point on which she was somewhat cautious: how far should the Commission be involved in campaigning for ratification of the new Constitution? I was quite satisfied with her answer, namely that the Commission cannot actually get involved with campaigning, but can provide information on the draft constitution, can rebut incorrect information, can make copies available, can organise debates and so on. Some colleagues, however, wanted the Commission to go much further, seemingly wanting them to actually take part in the "Yes" campaigns in different countries and possibly help finance them. This, however, is not on the cards.

Wednesday 6 October

I go to a meeting of LUFPIG: the Land Use and Food Policy Inter-Group - an all party group keen on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The CAP has been subject to three significant reforms in the last twelve years and is no longer as bad as it used to be - but there is still much room for further reform. Spending on CAP has been capped at a level that will gently decline over the coming years - and within that ceiling all the new member states and, when they join, Romania and Bulgaria, must be fitted. This will put a real squeeze on agricultural spending, but at the same time that spending is itself shifting from price support, as it used to be, to rural development and environmental objectives. We elect Terry Wynn MEP as the new Chair of LUFPIG, replacing Jan Mulder MEP, a Dutch Liberal.

In the early afternoon the Commission presents to Parliament its assessment of Turkey's application to join the EU. It considers that Turkey has made enormous progress in meeting basic criteria concerning human rights and democracy and there is no longer any reason not to open accession negotiations with Turkey next year.

That being said, it will no doubt take many years before such a large and relatively poor country can join the European Union - and that is what much of the negotiating will be about.

There are those, however, who oppose Turkish membership under any circumstances and under any conditions. A large chunk of the Christian Democrat group in the European Parliament oppose Turkey on the grounds that it is not "European" - an issue that was settled years ago when Turkey was admitted to the Council of Europe. What they really object to, of course, is that Turkey is an Islamic country (despite being a secular state). Yet Europe is supposed to be about "unity with diversity" - we are not trying to harmonise our cultures or national identities but to find ways of working together despite them in order to find common solutions to common problems. Rejecting Turkey on principle is unacceptable.

Thursday 7 and Friday 8 October

A rare case of days without meetings and a chance to catch up on constituency correspondence and writing articles. I also make a start on re-writing a chapter of the book that I have co-authored on the European Parliament, a sixth edition of which will appear in the New Year - updated to take into account the new Parliament arising from the elections.

Monday 11 October

I attend a meeting of Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties which is considering its conclusions from the confirmation hearing it held with prospective Commissioner Rocco Buttiglione, who had made a number of controversial remarks about his views on homosexuality , the role of women and the family. Following a vote, the Committee decides by a majority of one that Mr Buttiglione is unsuitable.

This provides an interesting constitutional situation. The Commission can only take office if it obtains a vote of confidence from the Parliament, but the is a vote on the Commission as a whole. Just as national parliaments only take a collective vote of confidence on a government, rather than voting on each individual minister, so the European Parliament does likewise for the Commission.

The difference is that the European Parliament holds prior confirmation hearings with each and every candidate Commissioner - a level of scrutiny that few, if any, national parliaments have obtained vis-à-vis individual ministers. But what should happen if one or more candidates fail to come up to scratch?

The short answer is that the ball is now in the court of Mr Barrosso, President-designate of the Commission. He has a range of options. At one end of the range, he can ask Mr Buttiglione to step down and, together with the Italian government, choose a new nominee (although this would be a slap in the face to Mr Berlusconi!). At the other end of the range he could try and brazen it out and argue that this was a vote by a majority of one in a single parliamentary committee about one Commissioner and is not sufficient to question the vote of confidence by Parliament as a whole in the Commission as a whole. But there are a range of intermediate possibilities, such as reshuffling portfolios, adjusting them, making a statement as President to the effect that Commission decisions are collegiate and will be taken in accordance with the law, not affected by the personal views of an individual Commissioner.

The next few days will be interesting because we are in unchartered waters. But they do show that the European Parliament brings added scrutiny. At the very least, everybody is forewarned that Mr Buttiglione will need careful watching as a Commissioner if he is confirmed.

Tuesday 12 October

I hold a press conference for the Brussels launch of my pamphlet exposing UKIP. It is well attended.

In Britain, people are beginning to know (notably thanks to UKIP MEPs shooting themselves in the foot) what the true nature of UKIP is, but many of my continental colleagues have no idea - not least because they are not very visible in the Parliament. The three UKIP Members in the last parliament managed between them a single question at question time to the Commission, zero parliamentary reports and, for two out of three of them, no written questions. The new lot don't give the impression that they will do much better - they have not even taken up all the places they are entitled to on parliamentary committees, where much of the detailed work of the Parliament is done, and on the committees that they have agreed to join, they are often notable by their absence.

They simply intend use their position and the opportunities it provides to rubbish the EU in the British media.

But before people listen to them they should know where they are coming from. In this case it is a party on the right and, indeed the 'EXTRA right', where EXTRA stands for Extremist, Xenophobic, Terrorist-sympathising, Racist and Anti-immigrant.

They are extremist, not least through the links they have to other far-right/fascist groups. In public they deny this, but it beggers belief that they were unaware that one of their constituency Chairmen was simultaneously a BNP member, given that he was actually a BNP candidate in the General Election. In large parts of Yorkshire, they appear to have done an electoral carve up in the local elections with the BNP by not standing in the same seats in the various districts in which both parties were standing. Last but not least, BNP itself admit that there was a deal.

They are xenophobic in much of their literature and their leading figures even claimed that AIDSis spread in Britain by foreigners.

They refused to condemn terrorism when my colleague Gary Titley was the victim of a letterbomb attack which injured a member of his staff and damaged his office. They responded by issuing a press release in which they said that they could "understand the reasons behind [the attacks]". Their racism is well documented and not even hidden, with Kilroy-Silk stating "then racist I must be - and happy and proud to be so". They are anti-immigrant to the same extremist degree as the BNP.

Sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Their European election brochure states that the rise of the crime rate since the war in Britain was not because of "criminals. Not unemployment. Not poverty. Not social justice." But because "the police are becoming increasingly hampered in their duty of catching criminals by politically correct rules that originate in the EU..."! Similarly, the EU is, apparently, responsible for the London congestion charge (that will be news to Ken Livingstone!) and for privatisation of the railways (that will be news for members of the previous Tory government!). They make other ludicrous claims about the EU, such as that EU laws are adopted by EU bureaucrats, that the EU is to take control of our armed forces and that the fear of global warming is a plot to undermine Britain by making it difficult to use our own indigenous energy supplies!

They claim that a "UKIP government" (!) will cut council tax simply by removing Councils' obligations arising from EU membership (?!) and they promised to "hack away all legislation on companies and other corporate bodies."

They are saloon bar politicians, pledging at the same time to support zero tolerance policing and to remove all speed cameras. They promise to "massively reduce the number of targets imposed on schools" - presumably even literacy targets, because they would prefer the electorate to be illiterate in order to be more gullible.

To sum it up, hidden behind their appearance as a single issue anti-EU party, there is a not very sophisticated extreme right wing agenda. As Chris Patten said yesterday, they are "particularly unattractive xenophobes". Frankly it is time people became more aware of that.

In the evening, as a result of my press conference, I go head to head on Radio 4's PM programme with Roger Knapman, the Leader of UKIP. It is a lively exchange in which he fails to rebut any of the points made in my pamphlet, preferring to change the subject.

Wednesday 13 October

More media frenzy on my pamphlet - and a rush of emails to my office, both from people agreeing with me and some people disagreeing with me, including a few abusive ones from UKIP members.

UKIP has tried to intimidate the press into not reporting my pamphlet by implying that it is somehow sub-judice - claiming that a reference to Ashley Mote MEP having been suspended by UKIP for failing to disclose to them that he was facing charges in Court was somehow unmentionable. Although the pamphlet mentions no details of the case, they still seem to have scared off some newspapers from covering it.

They also, as Mr Knapman did the previous evening, falsely claim that my pamphlet has been published using taxpayers' money - which it has not. Britain in Europe, who have published it, is financed entirely by private donations and not taxpayers money.

Anyway, on with normal work with a meeting of the Socialist Group in the morning and a Parliamentary debate in the afternoon.

During the meeting of the Socialist Group, we were visited and addressed by Leyla Zana, the Kurdish member of the Turkish Parliament who had been imprisoned for nearly 10 years on account of her (peaceful) actions on behalf of the Kurds and the Kurdish language.

In 1995 she had received the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought from the European Parliament, whilst still in prison. Starting with Pauline Green MEP, then the Leader of the Socialist Group, who managed to visit her in prison soon afterwards, a regular stream of visitors from the European Parliament had kept her in the public eye. She was finally released as part of the Turkish Government's reform programme which is aiming to gain approval to start membership negotiations with the EU.

Leyla is an impressive and dynamic woman who gives a stirring speech to the Socialist Group. Her eyes sparkle despite the years in prison. It is also an optimistic message: she says the Turkey she discovered upon release from prison bore no relationship to the climate that reigned when she was imprisoned. Although further progress is necessary, huge steps forward have been taken.

In the afternoon, Romano Prodi makes his last speech to the Parliament as President of the Commission, which offers the spokespersons of the different political groups the opportunity to pay tribute - of varying levels of enthusiasm - to him for his work. Although not the most dynamic President of the Commission we have ever seen and not the best communicator (except perhaps in his native Italian) Prodi's term of office has nonetheless seen the successful launch of the euro notes and coins, the enlargement of the EU to ten new countries and the drafting of the proposed new constitution - historic achievements by any standard.

In the evening off to a presentation by the UK's Federation of Small Businesses and then to a reception with the Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett MP, Secretary of State for DEFRA. After nine pm, I catch up on paperwork.

Thursday 14 October

A day in London at the Foreign Office, the Cabinet Office and No. 10 Downing Street. I have discussions on the Constitution, the referendum, the appointment of the new European Commission and various other current European issues.

I am delighted to discover that civil servants in the Foreign Office are putting together a document for the public that will give an objective description and analysis of the new constitution. Of course, it has been double checked by lawyers to ensure accuracy and PR people to make sure it is not open to accusations of spin.

Just make it in time to Kings Cross to catch the 1733 to Shipley. Thought I would be able to sleep on the train but I had so many cups of coffee during the various afternoon meetings that sleep eludes me.

Friday 15 October

Office day. Paperwork and appointments.

I am interviewed by Leeds Student Radio, and also phoned by a journalist from the Daily Mail. An extraordinary letter has fallen into her hands – it was sent to the president of the European Parliament by a member of Godfrey Bloom’s visitors’ group from a few weeks ago (see my press release). The letter makes a number of allegations about misconduct on Mr Bloom’s part. UKIP have not had a good week!

In the evening, to Leeds West CLP and then to a fundraising social of Leeds Central CLP.

Saturday 16 October

I catch up with some documents and some newspapers and a few things catch my eye:

The EU and the USA have each taken the other to the WTO Tribunal on the issue of subsidies for aircraft construction to Boeing and Airbus respectively. This mega clash has prompted the following anonymous ditty:

Twinkle, twinkle, little Boeing, how I wonder where you’re going. Up above the clouds so high, like an airbus in the sky.

I also enjoy "Jim’s diary", a column written by Jim Gibbons who reports that there is a leadership struggle among the Tory MEPs in order to succeed Jonathan Evans as their Leader. He has announced he is standing down at the end of the year. Apparently there are a number of candidates who fancy their chances. But as Jim says: " the successful conclusion won’t be marked by a puff of white smoke from the chimney, as at the Vatican, but more by a flow of blood under the door".

Another good value columnist is Tom Spencer, former MEP and former Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament. Tom was a staunchly pro European conservative and it is bad news for the Conservative party that he is no longer there. Commenting on the current political events he writes, (with sadness as a lifelong Tory) about the decline of the Conservative party and says it will be a "long and lonely wait" until the party appeals again to the middle ground. He reflects wistfully that "each year I have wished for my party all those "re" words: a ‘recovery’… maybe a ‘rebirth’… and now with increasing depression a ‘resurrection’. The only state beyond is ‘reincarnation’!"

He draws attention to the vicious circle of decline with falling party membership meaning that "those left are unrepresentative of the electoral coalition necessary to form a Conservative government". The remaining party membership "find it difficult to make contact with the centre ground of politics", yet control the choice of party leader. The result is that the press at Tory party conference "want to interview provincial businessmen with money rather than potential cabinet ministers with ideas". And faced with UKIP "the weak kneed leadership of the Conservative party has managed to pay a heavy price in credibility without achieving an electoral breakthrough".

I also pick up on an interesting article in a couple of national newspapers. It seems that UKIP have put their foot in it again, this time in a major way - a student at Cambridge University has brought allegations of sexual harrassment against Yorkshire MEP Godfrey Bloom. A letter has been sent to President Borrell of the European Parliament, and we will all be watching his investigations with interest.

Monday 18 October

To Brussels. Meeting with the Labour MEPs in the evening at which we agreed to follow the Socialist Group line on the unacceptability, as things stand, of Mr Buttiglione as a member of the European Commission responsible for justice and equality issues. We also overhaul our "links system" whereby each one of us is responsible for liaison with a particular government minister to take account of the committees we now sit on in the new Parliament.

Tuesday 19 October

First meeting of the morning is with the ETUC, the European Trade Unions, on the subject of my draft report on the constitution. The ETUC is overwhelmingly supportive of the new constitution, despite what they regard as its timidity in some aspects of social policy, and they adopted a statement with the full support of the British TUC to this effect. The British TUC is conducting further studies on the matter and many British Trade Unions are organising debates on the subject.

Over lunch I join Glenys Kinnock and representatives from "BOND" the grouping of overseas development NGOs such as Oxfam, NCVO and WWF where we focus our discussion on the proposals for the multi-annual EU budget currently being negotiated. This has considerable potential implications for development policy.

This runs on so I miss almost all of a meeting organised by my colleague Terry Wynn MEP on the future of nuclear energy and I go to various Socialist Group working groups in the afternoon before meeting a delegation from the Federation of Small Businesses Yorkshire Branch.

In the evening I go to the British Beer Club to hear a presentation from the British Pubs Association, CAMRA and the Portman Group on trends in the consumption of alcohol in Britain and the measures being envisaged to encourage responsible drinking. The Chairman of the Beer Club, the amiable Tory MEP Robert Sturdy, hands the Chairmanship over to me (I am Vice-President) as he has to leave early. Not a UKIP member in sight!

I then go off to join the Federation of Small Businesses Yorkshire Branch for an enjoyable evening meal also attended by Tim Kirkhope, Tory MEP.

Wednesday 20 October

The Socialist Group discusses all morning the question of Buttiglione and our vote on the Barroso Commission. Can we give a vote of confidence to a Commission containing a Commissioner whose views on non-discrimination, which would be within his portfolio, are totally contrary to the stated objectives of all 25 member states? The answer is a resounding no. Furthermore, it seems that enough other groups in the Parliament share our views for us to have a majority in rejecting the Commission next week in Strasbourg. Something will have to give.

In the afternoon fly back to Yorkshire among other reasons to talk in the evening at the Guild Hall in York on the constitution. Lovely building to have the meeting in and the audience is lovely too. Toby from my office came with me to the meeting which is in his home town.

Thursday 21 October

Flight back to Brussels at 7.00am is cancelled due to fog. We get shipped by bus to Manchester and put on the SN flight to Brussels where I arrive too late for my morning meeting but in time for an interview with BBC television on the constitution which will be shown next week on BBC Breakfast.

Friday 22 October

Come back to Yorkshire via London where I stop to speak at the Local Government Association Conference who have a whole session devoted to the subject of the EU constitution.

I give a speech focused on the changes the new constitution would bring. But I am followed by Heathcoat-Amory, the Tory arch-eurosceptic MP, who not only speaks against the constitution but comes up with some points that I can only describe as wilfully misleading. As I couldn't come back the rostrum again I undertake to write to him challenging his view: (link to be added soon)

Get the train from Kings Cross to Leeds and arrive in time to meet the students from Café babel in Leeds.

Cafe babel Leeds is part of an umbrella organisation (cafe babel International) that has offices in 16 cities across Europe (in Prague, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Bratislava, Warsaw, Strasbourg, and Dublin to name but a few). Head Office is in Paris.

It was set up in 2001 by a group of students studying at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Strasbourg. Its goal is to provide a platform for Europe's civil society. Activities centre around an online magazine www.cafebabel.com, which publishes articles written on a variety of topics (but all with a European theme). These articles are translated into the six current 'official languages' of cafe babel: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Catalan.

However, journalism is not cafe babel's only activity: in addition to representing a new genre of European media, it has recently developed a series of projects. These include the exciting 'coffee storming' project, a series of monthly debates which provide a focus for the entire network (one member from each office is invited to attend each debate), and which have attracted a great deal of attention both from the media and the general public in those cities which have participated so far.

In the evening to a Labour Party meeting in Wakefield.

Monday 25 October

Off to Strasbourg for what promises to be an exciting Parliament session focusing on whether or not to approve the new European Commission. The Commission requires a vote of confidence from Parliament to be able to take office and, as followers of this blog will know, there are concerns about a number of commissioners and controversy in particular about Buttiglione, the Italian Governments' nominee.

That will come to a crunch tomorrow and Wednesday. Today I start with a meeting with the President of the Parliament on how the Parliament should handle the issue of the EU constitution. We rapidly agree that, although it is not up to Parliament to take part in the referendum campaigns in different countries, it should publicise its own view when it votes on the constitution in December and it should provide information (and rebut inaccurate stories).

In the evening, a meeting of my Parliamentary committee which looks at the amendments that have been tabled to my report.

Tuesday 26 October

President-designate Barroso presents his Commission and their programme to Parliament but gets a cold reception. He has done too little too late in response to the criticisms of MEPs concerning Buttiglione. He does at least envisage removing Buttiglione's responsibilities for non discrimination and equal opportunity and give them another Commissioner, but Buttiglione would remain responsible for Justice and Home Affairs matters.

In a dramatic meeting that evening the Socialist Group decided unanimously - without even a single dissenting member - to vote against the motion of confidence in the Commission. The prospective Socialist members of the Commission (Peter Mandelson, Margot Wallstrom and so on) attended the Socialist Group meeting and Wallstrom spoke for them expressing full understanding for the Group's position and stating that they themselves had told Barroso that Buttiglione was should go.

Earlier in the day Peter Mandelson had met the Labour MEPs. He had heard, wrongly, that Gerhard Schroeder was telling his German SPD MEPs to vote yes and Jose Luis Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister, was doing likewise to the Spanish Socialists. We assured him that this was not the case: both were leaving it to the judgement of their MEPs. Indeed, someone commented, if Zapatero had asked Spanish MEPs to vote yes, then they all would have, such is their party discipline. Peter was very interested in this, repeated what had been said and then said "wow, I think that's… (pause)… disgusting!"

After the Socialist Group meeting, Linda McAvan MEP and I go to join a dinner for Yorkshire and East Midlands MEPs hosted by Yorkshire Television and the lovely Charlotte Milligan. No UKIP members (probably for health and safety reasons) but much banter and repartee among the rest of us.

Linda and I sneak away early to join the tail end of the EPLP's goodbye dinner for Neil Kinnock - but if we reject the new European Commission tomorrow then the current one will have to keep on in a caretaker capacity, so maybe there will be another goodbye dinner in a month or so!

Neil was in great form with his elephant sized memory pouring out anecdotes and reminiscences from the past. It was also an emotional occasion. It's amazing to think that it is already ten years that he has been a European Commissioner and he was generous in his praise of the work of Labour MEPs during this time. He was also fully behind our position regarding tomorrow's vote.

Wednesday 27 October

Crunch day for the European Commission. Sensationally, Barroso, facing certain defeat in the vote of confidence on his Commission, withdraws his proposed team of Commissioners and promises to come back with a new proposal within a few weeks.

I regard it as a victory for Parliamentary democracy. Under the treaties a Commmission must enjoy the confidence of Parliament to take office. Barroso was right to recognise that, as things stood, his Commission would not win that confidence and has drawn the necessary conclusions.

This also is a powerful illustration of the watchdog role that the MEPs perform on behalf of the electorate.

Having checked out the proposed team of Commissioners and found them to be wanting, we were able to block inappropriate appointments. Unlike the leading figures in any other international structure (WTO, World Bank, IMF, you name it…), the head of the EU's administration is accountable to an elected and pluralist Parliament containing MEPs from right across the political spectrum, government and opposition, left and right, pro and anti Europe.

It was, apparently, the unanimity of the Socialist Group meeting the previous evening that convinced Barroso that he had no chance. Until that point he had hoped that a minority of Socialist MEPs would back him.

The Liberals had been divided, with a majority opposed but a minority, including apparently their Leader Graham Watson, in favour of giving confidence to the Barroso Commission. This provoked a wonderful line in the debate from Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the Leader of the Greens who said: "the feminist movement has rightly taught us that when a woman says no she means no. Today we have learnt that when the Liberals say no they mean yes!"

I do a debate on BBC TV and a live interview on Sky News lunchtime edition, followed by a phone-in on BBC Radio Leeds and a few other radio interviews. In general the press reaction is sympathetic to Parliament, as is the bulk of email messages and letters that my office is receiving.

Thursday 28 October

We hear that Robert Kilroy Silk has announced he is no longer taking the UKIP whip in the European Parliament, though curiously wants to remain within the UKIP party. Whether that is possible under their rules, heaven only knows, but it is a bizarre situation.

Kilroy had already disgraced himself the previous day in the Parliamentary debate. Following Barroso's statement of withdrawal, the President of Parliament called on the Leader of each political group in turn to speak. Knowing that this debate was covered by television crews from across Europe, Kilroy attempted repeatedly to butt in ahead of his group`s turn, and kept on interrupting speakers until the President threatened him with removal from the House - but that, of course, is exactly the sort of publicity that demagogues like him thrive on.

Friday 29 October

Arrive at Leeds Bradford airport to be met by wind and rain. Straight off to Wakefield to address the Regional Council of the GMB. I spoke about forthcoming European legislation, the row surrounding the Commission and the signing today, by Heads of government, of the new EU constitution.

Staying in Wakefield I go to the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Office of the Labour Party to work out some of the details of the Labour Party's European Regional Policy Forum which is to take place next Saturday in York - party member welcome!

Back to the office to tackle an ever-growing stack of correspondence and email - please that many of them back our opposition to Buttiglioni.

The event in Hull that was scheduled into my diary for this evening has been cancelled! This gives me a rare Friday night off. Probably go shopping with the family instead.

Saturday 30 October

Even on a wet autumn weekend like this there are still thousands of tourists in Saltaire, mainly to visit the mill which is packed. Obtaining world heritage status through UNESCO has certainly increased the numbers.

While walking round the mill with the family, the news comes through that Buttiglione has withdrawn his name as a candidate for membership of the next European Commission – confirming the victory for Parliamentary scrutiny represented by this weeks events in the European Parliament. What remains to be seen is who he will be replaced by.

Hike up Bingley hill in the afternoon with the family before watching Bolton against Liverpool in the Ring ‘o’ Bells pub.

In the evening, Christine Hesketh and her husband come around. Chris was one of four children who liveed up the road from me in Southport when I was a kid. Years later, we found out our fathers had been parachuted together on D-day. She is now a successful businesswoman in Leeds. Apart from once, 5 years ago, this is the first time we've met up since we were eight years old! Lots of news to catch up on.

Sunday 31 October

Off to the Dales to do the Malham - Janet's Foss - Gordale Scar - Malham Tarn - Malham Cove walk with the family. We're lucky with the weather, as the sun comes out just as we stop for our picknick lunch at the tarn. This is one of our favorite walks and we usually manage to do it every year, but this year we left it rather late!

Back home in time to go out to dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday, which is tomorrow, again with the whole family. We are joined by Lol to make the ideal number of six at the table.