Today 50 of Labour’s newest trainee organisers met in Parliament as part of their week long residential training course. Each organiser is responsible for one or two of the key constituencies Labour is targeting in 2015. I spoke about the importance of their job in the next 15 months in helping Labour meet its aim of being a one term only opposition.  

On 31 January 2014, Peckham Space re-launched under the new name Peckham Platform and I was pleased to be invited to open the new organisation. They will continue to deliver an exciting exhibition programme, in the same space opposite the library at the heart of Peckham’s community, working with local schools and partners to increase local public involvement in the arts. Joined by local councillors Cleo Soanes, Veronica Ward and Ian Wingfield, along with candidate Johnson Situ, it was great to see the new space packed to overflowing!

Following powerful new analysis by Labour of the unfair impact of council cuts in the most deprived areas, which compounds my concern about the impact of cuts to Arts Council funding, I raised this issue in Parliament.  As council funding is even more important for the arts than central Government funding, this will have a massive impact on the arts in deprived communities, especially as they are the least able to mobilise philanthropy and people have less money in their pockets to spend on participating in the arts.

Families and family relationships are being hard hit by the stresses of austerity and cuts to childcare, and to family services like women’s refuges.  Good relationships are so important and we need more reflection of this in family policy.  These were just some of the though-provoking views I heard at the Family Room roundtable organised by the Family and Childcare Trust and chaired by Sam Smethers of Grandparents First, and involving Chief Executives from across the family sector, including Anne Longfield of 4Children, Ruth Sutherland of Relate, David Holmes of Family Action, Fiona Weir of Gingerbread and Carol Homden of Coram.

Tessa Jowell and Simon Hughes joined me for an update meeting with senior Met police officers today to discuss progress on the police handling of allegations of rape and serious sexual offences following an IPCC investigation into the failures of a Southwark police unit to properly investigate rape and other serious sexual offences in 2008-09.

Peckham Platform is a public arts space next to Peckham Library that aims to increase local public involvement in the arts by working closely with community partners and established artists in Peckham. It works especially with young people and local schools including Harris Academy. This morning I met the Director, Emily Druiff and Richard Watts, Chair of the Trustees, to discuss how to widen local participation in the arts.

This evening was the launch of a new independent review for the Labour Party, led by John Woodward, of policy options for the Creative Industries with a particular focus on the Digital Economy.

The review has been asked to focus on opportunities and policy options to promote further growth in the UK's creative industries as well as looking at practical safeguards to promote and protect the interest of British Citizens more effectively in the digital world.

Progress held their ‘Third Place First’ conference in Watford on Saturday. The conference looked at how Labour can organise, campaign and win in seats where Labour is currently in third place.After meeting Matthew Turbaine, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate and team Labour in Watford to discuss local issues, I joined Richard Howitt, Labour’s Eastern region MEP; Darren Jones, Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol North West;  Keith Dibble, Chair of the Third Place First network and Angela Gunning, Councillor on Guildford Borough council for a panel discussion on the challenges for Labour in 2014 and 2015. I spoke about the fact that Labour’s aim is to win a majority and not to form a coalition with the Lib Dems. Talk of coalition undermines our candidates and makes us commentators rather than campaigners. It undermines the clarity of Labour’s message and puts people off politics. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/24/harriet-harman-labour-deal-lib-dems-coalitions

This morning over 20 local child care providers from Camberwell & Peckham and representatives from Southwark Council attended a roundtable in the House of Commons to discuss the cost and availability of childcare in the constituency. A number of important issues were raised including the rising costs of childcare and the impact this is having on working parents especially those on low incomes; the recruitment, training and retention of staff; and the difficulties these small businesses face finding funding for overheads and investment.

One of the things parents are most concerned about is secondary school choice. I met with the Schools Minister, David Laws MP, together with Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle, Southwark Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services, to raise my concerns. We discussed ways of improving the performance and perception of schools in the constituency and he offered to arrange further meetings including with Ofsted.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association fosters the cooperation and understanding between parliaments, promoting good parliamentary practices and advancing parliamentary democracy. The Tanzanian Women’s Parliamentary Group are currently on a visit from Tanzania. We spoke about how politics in Tanzania is changing and the importance of women working together globally.

Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, commenting on Nick Clegg’s comments on Lord Rennard, said:

“The Lib Dem women who complained about Lord Rennard did a brave thing in coming forward and making an official complaint. But now they are being hung out to dry and accused of suffering from "distress".

On Friday, in Cowdenbeath, along with Margaret Curran MP, Alex Rowley, candidate for Scottish Parliament and a great team of local members we campaigned on the doorstep of Rosyth. We discussed with local residents the cost of living crisis, the need for more & better quality childcare and more jobs and training for young people in the local area.

More people end up going to Accident and Emergency (A&E) during the winter - because there's more illnesses and accidents when it’s cold.  Most of us have experienced first-hand the excellent care given by Kings College Hospital A&E - or seen it on TV in "24 hours in A&E".  But with A&E’s already stretched with increased demand, this winter could be really tough and not just because of the weather.

For most people Christmas is a great time to get together and just enjoy spending time with your family. But for people who suffer from dementia and for their families, Christmas offers little respite.

Cllr Fiona Colley and Stephen Platts, Director for Regeneration, from Southwark Council came to discuss progress on the regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate. The Aylesbury redevelopment programme is a long term and ambitious programme to replace the existing estate with a high quality, mixed-tenure neighbourhood with new infrastructure, parks, open spaces, and community facilities.

On Saturday Labour held a cost of Cameron campaign day across the country to highlight the fact that  since David Cameron became Prime Minister real wages are down £1,600. I joined Mark Dempsey, Labour’s candidate for North Swindon, on the doorstep of St Margaret ward. We were joined by Cllr Jim Grant and Chris Watts to discuss with local residents the impact of rising fuel bills, childcare costs and rail fares.

Next stop was South Swindon to join Labour’s candidate Ann Snelgrove in the town centre. We met with lots of local people who shared their concerns about the cost of living crisis under David Cameron and discussed how Labour would help with a freeze on energy bills and expanding childcare for three to four year olds.

Following the sad death of Paul Goggins earlier this month there will be a by-election in Wythenshawe and Sale East on the 13th February. Labour’s candidate, Mike Kane and I met with Nigel Wilson the Chief Executive of Wythenshawe Community Housing Trust at the Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre to talk to local residents at the centre. We heard how the cost of living crisis is affecting people in Wythenshawe – bills are going up for food, energy and childcare whilst real wages in the North West have fallen by £1,685 since 2010. To read more about the visit please go to http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/harriet-harman-labour-not-looking-6605843 

The Dementia Memory Cafe is run by the Alzheimer Society in partnership with Southwark Council. I visited this morning to talk to the people who use their services, family members and carers, and the staff and volunteers.