• Attended an Eid Reception hosted by Ian McCartney MP, the Chairman of the Labour Party
• Attended the commendation of local Special Constable Fred Ahmed MBE. I recommended Fred for his Commissioners Commendation and Sir John Stevens presented him with it on 24th November in the presence of Wandsworth Borough Police Commander Jauch
• Ran the Nike ten kilometre night-run
• Attended a meeting at Ernest Bevin School about the redevelopment of land at the school, where all residents who objected to original plans were present. At the subsequent Council Planning Committee meeting, I managed to defer the plans to allow more consultation with the community on this contentious application.
• Attended an 'International Fair' organised by the reception class of Fircroft Primary school
• Attended an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPPC) meeting with the family of a Tooting lad, Babar Ahmed, who suffered serious injuries in an arrest that took place in 2003. Until April 2004 there was no Independent Police Complaints commission: we now have one because of the Labour Government. As a Solicitor I gave evidence to Home Affairs Select Committee back in 1998 arguing for an independent PCC
• On 2nd December I attended the SHARE Community AGM: you can find out about this important local organisation at their website: www.sharecommunity.org.uk
• On 4th December Tooting Labour Councillors and I drummed-up a petition outside Tooting Library demanding an end to the Tory Council's neglect of this, the most-used library in Wandsworth. Tooting Library hasn't had a penny invested in it for years - and the Tories currently don't plan to even consider improving it until at least 2009! In an hour or so over 200 of you gave us your support: thank you! We're winning several converts to our cause, including the Tory candidate for Tooting, who has gone to the trouble of trekking from his millionaires' pad in Chelsea to join us in demanding action from his Tory council chums.
• On 9th December, I met with Communications Workers Union General Secretary Billy Hayes, to talk about Wandsworth Post Office closures and other topical issues relating to the Post and Telecommunications industries.
• On10th December I went to Fircroft School's Christmas Fair organised by the school's Parents & Teachers Association.
• Over the weekend of 12th-15th December, I must confess to having taken time off from campaigning to take the family to Disneyland Paris. Despite bitterly cold weather, the kids loved it and got to meet Mickey and Goofy (no, not my Conservative opponent!)
• In the past few days, I've attended several carol and church services, and some community group Christmas Parties.

There are a few outstanding events before I take a break over Christmas and the New Year, then it'll be back to the business of representing the communities of Tooting, Balham and Earlsfield in 2005. Have a brilliant festive season - if I haven't met you this year, I very much hope I will in the forthcoming weeks.

Sadiq

# posted by Sadiq @ 7:23 PM