Despite problems, a good response

Despite what has been going on in Westminster over the last week or so, out on the doorsteps and streets in Yorkshire we have been getting a remarkably good response from people.

After starting today door-knocking in Huddersfield, where I only encountered one Tory (who after a long chat, promised me to vote Labour for the first time in his life on June 4th) and a quick sandwich in the delightful Great White Beare pub in Norwood Green, I joined John Prescott and Alistair Campbell's "Go 4th" minibus tour for a rally in Keighley town centre.

Together with Ann Cryer MP, who is retiring at the next election, and her successor as Labour candidate, the popular and hard working Jane Thomas, and my fellow euro-candidates Linda McAvan, Emma Hoddinott and Mahroof Hussain, we attracted quite a crowd with soapbox style speeches and discussion.

Then on to Bradford, where I had the honour to speak at the opend day of the Ahmadiyya Mosque, whose youth wing is carrying out an explanation and outreach campaign with local communities to increase understanding and diminish prejudice and fear.

Finally to Leeds to re-join the Go4th team where Hilary Benn, myself, Alistair Campbell and John Prescott addressed an enthusiastic audience in Leeds Civic Centre.

There is no doubt that mistakes have been made at Westminster, whether the culprit is seen as the government (the Gurkha issue) or all parties (MPs' expenses). But the public is also aware that there are substantial policy differences between Labour and the Conservatives, who on Europe want to isolate Britain (and force their own MEPs to sit with extremist fringe parties) and on the domestic front want to let market forces run their course rather than intervene to make the recession shorter and shallower and help people through the recession. (Correction: they do want to help the richest 3,000 families in Britain through their proposed inheritance tax cut.) These differences do matter and people are becoming increasingly aware of them.

Am at the Congress of the Party of European Socialists in Porto - an event that will no doubt be largely ignored in the British media (unless there is a tabloid photographer trying to catch people out at the post-conference reception!)

Among the speeches, I particularly enjoyed the contrasting styles of Segolene Royal and John Prescott. Sego was a model of French elegence, saying not very much but so very smoothly. John's style and unique way with words is well known, but accentuated by the fact that he had to curtail a 10 minute speech into 5 (always a challenge for the interpreters) and, in the middle, actually lost a tooth! His speech was well applauded (though not the standing ovation Sego got). It dwelt on climate change - an area where Britain is actually leading Europe into stronger common commitments to cut emmissions.

The conference gathers some 1000 socialists from across Europe (and beyond - Howard Dean was there from America) including about 30 from the British section, namely the Labour party. Labour is respected rather than popular, but it is interesting to see how widespread "New" Labour ideas have become, displayed not least in the speech of the young Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates.

Curiously, the town is full of Brits in the form of footballl supporters there to see their team play FC Porto in the Champions League. I doubt they've enjoyed the trip: torrential rain, a goalless draw, and their team is ...Arsenal. Poor devils!