I have taken a while to digest the full details of the Pre-Budget Report - otherwise known as the emergency Budget.  So staggering were the levels of borrowing, the debats which will be passed to future generations, that I hesitated before commenting in case there had been some terrible mistake.

Nobody disputes that there's a worldwide crisis in the banking sector which has led to a huge economic downturn.  But Britain is far disadvantaged by the burden of debt amassed over the last decade - while the economy was doing reasonably well.  Quite simply, the Chancellor - now Prime Minister - squandered the nation's wealth in the good times and left nothing to help us through the bad times.

Permanently raising the taxes on holidays, fuel, a pint of beer, cars, and increasing the basic tax rates of millions through NI is not in any way compensated by a minor temporary reduction in VAT.  If discounts of 20-70% don't entice shoppers, a few pence reduction in VAT is hardly going to kickstart the economy.  And whilst I support help for young families, children and pensioners, none of the changes announced yesterday will adequately compensate for huge increases in household utility bills, council tax rises, increased public transport costs or the decline in pension values.  Nor was there help for single people who work hard but don't have children or the vast majority of middle classes who work hard and live reasonably modest lives. Nor any help for house buyers or people trying to get a first step on the housing ladder.

In short, this was a purely political series of measures aimed at making Labour backbenchers feel a bit more comfortable over Christmas.  Pity more people couldn't be allowed that same happiness during the festive season, especially the 2 million unemployed, the elderly and sick too poor to afford to heat themselves and those who can't feed themselves adequately.  Whether you call it New Labour or Old Labour, it's a heartless government out of ideas, and out of step with public opinion.

With a dedicated team of volunteers I was able to call at a considerable number of households in Blackheath Park last weekend - an area which will become part of the Eltham constituency at the next general election thanks to boundary changes.

I was alarmed by the number of residents who had no idea of the change, and have received a number of emails since.  Most people were grateful that their vote would potentially make a significant difference as, in the past, they may have felt that Nick Raynsford had such a strong majority.  However, I think people were justified to feel a bit irritated that they had not been formally told of the change.

Perhaps even more importantly, few people living in Blackheath feel closely associated with Eltham - which raises the question, maybe the new constituency should actually be called Eltham and Blackheath Park.

A very strange evening at the O2 last night.  We went to see the spectacular Monkey - Journey to the West, a Chinese opera style production mixed with cartoons.  I couldn't tell you for all the money in the world what the story was about but it was impressively staged.  What was also impressive was the heroic prices charged in the bar next door.  For one and a half cans of Diet Coke (we watched the barman pour the drinks) and a small cup of rice crackers (which came with free random bits of popcorn and a stray beer cap...) we paid the grand total of £7.50.  Recession?  Apparently not in Greenwich.  Next time I'll take a flask and a sandwich.

Ms Smith says she is constantly approached by people who "can't wait" until 2012 to register for their ID cards.  Clearly these are the people rubbing their hands with glee at the massive contracts to implement this mad scheme at vast expense to the taxpayer.  The people who approach me ask how soon we can have a general election, get rid of this lot and get more police on the streets.  She should get out more.