I was one of a small number of people in the public gallery last night for the first Full Council meeting since June. It was a rather limited agenda when one considers how many issues need tackling in this borough, but we have come to expect that in recent years.  Before the meeting I met delegations of residents who wished to hand petitions to local councillors on issues including parking around Avery Hill Park and traffic calming measures needed on Montbelle Road.

I was struck by the obvious discomfort of the Council leader who, when invited to say whether he has discussed any cuts to Council spending after the next election if he remains in charge, seemed unable (unwilling?) to answer the question.  For those who don't remember, after the last election Labour slashed £24 million in spending and introduced a swathe of new charges for residents.  

I was more impressed by the young lad, Danny Harris, who came to present a petition of over 140 signatures for a new skateboard park in Avery Hill Park.  He asked to address the meeting because he never received a reply when he submitted his previous petition.  The Labour Cabinet Member said she'd never received it, but was keen to make amends.  He spoke more eloquently than many of the elected members who spoke last night and with more conviction.  I have long said we need more facilities for young people in this area.  I was pleased to see Cllr Spencer Drury also call for the existing skateboard park in Horn Park to be restored (the only one in Eltham).

As usual, questions about the manner of treatment dished out to residents of the Ferrier Estate were handled with a mixture of evasion and denial.  And we were told that Greenwich has had great success in getting kids to go to school - despite having one of the highest truancy rates in the country!  No wonder so few residents bothered to watch 'democracy' in action last night.

Not everyone among my friends thought I was right to say the BBC should have Nick Griffin on BBC Question Time.  Some thought it would win him new fans.  It certainly won the BBC more viewers if it's true that more than 8 million people watched last night (compared to about 2.5 million usually).  Personally, I found the programme a bit like the scene of a car accident.  Horrible to look at but impossible to take my eyes away from.  I draw the following conclusions:

1. Mr Griffin failed to deny many of the accusations about his and his party's true agenda or beliefs.  He admitted he was a Holocaust denier, a racist and white supremacist, a homophobe, and an associate of the Ku Klux Klan (though it's news to me that they're a non-violent organisation).
2. The BBC turned the event into the Nick Griffin show.  I had assumed that whilst the first question would centre on him and his party, we would see him invited to answer questions on the broad range of issues the public deserve to know his views on - for example, the continuing recession, youth unemployment, illiterate children, rising taxation.  We did not.
3. The anti-fascist protests outside Television Centre seemed more like anti-freedom of speech protesters. Millions of people are so disillusioned with politics they have supported the BNP.  That's why the BNP have 2 MEPs and nearly 60 councillors.  Denying them a platform has not worked thus far!  And invading the BBC hardly gives them the moral high ground.  The likes of David Lammy and Peter Haine have clearly learned nothing.
4. Jack Straw ducked and dived the question on immigration and social justice.  The fact is this: Labour have been in office over a decade and promised to support the poorest and most vulnerable in society.  Over a million young people are out of work and without training, pensioners are starving or dyeing of hyperthermia, there is a crisis in housing and education.  Is it a coincidence that the BNP has gained ground under Blair and Brown?

If nothing else, this programme made politics a little more interesting for a lot more people.  Suddenly there's a real debate about the future direction of this country.  

I visited the farmers' market today, as I usually do if I'm around when it's on.  However, I think today's market was the smallest yet.  There were so few stalls the entire market neatly fitted in the furthest corner of Passey Place.  That said, I bought some goodies including freshly baked tomato bread, fresh vegetables, garlic cloves in oil and chilli - and a hot sausage baguette!  But my point is this: it seems the market is shrinking and becoming less popular.  Perhaps it is too much of a luxury in the current economic climate or maybe the timing of the market (one Sunday a month) is just not right.  Either way, I fear for the future.

I was delighted that the Shadow Immigration Minister, Damian Green, has just cited my public meeting in New Eltham as an example of how to expose the racism of the BNP.  As he said, I deliberately made sure that my meeting was open to all sections of the community and the BNP naturally wanted to see if it could score some points.  Certainly, some members of the audience on that occasion were leaning towards the BNP until they heard more and more from their representative.  The meeting exposed them for the vile racist bigots they are.  That would never have happened if we had not had a proper public debate.  I do not like the BNP but while so many have lost faith in politicians generally, there will be a temptation to look to the fringes - that is why 2 BNP candidates were elected to the European Parliament.  It is a failure of all the mainstream political parties that has led to this situation.  We must have a proper debate about issues such as immigration in a grown up and sensible manner.  That will strengthen democracy - and I believe it will help the public trust their politicians once again.