Order, Order! ME ER M B M E R R O S F H S O N U Order, Order! S O E M OF COM The Newsletter of the Association of Former Members of Parliament Winter 2013 Photo: James Stringer / Flickr Tristram hunt mp Writes ABOut PUGIN THE MASTER •ALSO IN THIS EDITION• PETER SNAPE GarY Waller MICHAEL HURST ON DRINKING WHERE ARE YOU NOW? IN THE STEPS OF OUR IN PARLIAMENT ANCestORS •AND MUCH MORE• Order, Order! The problem had been around for a Little did I know... that long time but nothing was done until sewage would become a the stench reached Westminster and consuming interest in my was so terrible that Parliament could retirement. barely function. Parliament responded by commissioning the engineer, Joseph Bazalgette, to design a vast new Eric Moonman was doing with his sewerage system to improve the health parliamentary outreach project, with & sanitation of London. At Crossness colleagues going into schools and four magnificent beam engines were colleges to share their knowledge and built to pump London’s sewage into a experience. reservoir before being discharged into I felt that former MPs also had much Executive Committee the Thames on the ebbing tide, thus to give on the international scene in Member John Austin carrying the waste downriver to the promoting good governance. With North Sea. writes: Geoff Lawler I have been exploring The old pumping station is one of ways in which members might I chose to stand down in 2010, the finest listed industrial buildings volunteer in overseas programmes so leaving parliament was less in London which, along with the aimed at strengthening democracy. So traumatic for me than for some engines (last used in the 1950s) and far, four members have been involved colleagues, especially younger the remarkable Victorian ironwork are in programmes in Libya and South ones, who hadn’t chosen to leave. being lovingly restored by a team of Sudan. Geoff and I have recently had I had planned to have a fairly leisurely volunteers. One of the engines, Prince discussions with the IPU and CPA, retirement. Having served 24 years on Consort has been restored and there DfID, the Westminster Foundation and a local council before becoming an MP are several steaming days open to others to take this work forward. The I was determined to resist invitations the public. Work has now started on New Zealand Association of Former to stand for the local council and to try restoring a second engine “Victoria”. MPs has established a charity to do this to say no more often to other requests These are believed to be the largest kind of work. The Executive has asked for my time. rotative beam engines in the world. me to explore the possibility of AFMP When boundary changes affected After 2010 I was invited to join the doing likewise with the aim of raising me in 1997, I said that I had lost the Board of Crossness Engines Trust and money for the administration and Thames Barrier, the Royal Artillery and more recently have become Chairman. expansion of our outreach work which the Royal Arsenal but gained Thames With Lottery and other funding we our members are willing to undertake Water’s sewerage works. Little did I are hoping to open to the public as an voluntarily. know, at that time, that sewage would accredited museum in 2015 with an Finally, an issue that has been raised become a consuming interest in my exhibition of The Great Stink. If AFMP with me is Associate Membership of retirement. members cannot visit in person they the CPA and IPU, and what this means The sewerage works at Crossness were can have a virtual experience at for our members. Until recently the built in response to the Great Stink of www.crossness.org.uk only benefit has been an invitation to 1858. At that time, raw sewage was The Association has also kept me the Annual Meeting. discharged directly into the Thames busy. When I joined the Executive, We have asked the CPA and IPU if creating a major public health problem. I was impressed by the work that there are any other ways in which associates might participate or contribute. The IPU does have a number of activities which are open to non-MPs, some of which are advertised on their website, although there are often limits on numbers. It might be possible for AFMP members to contribute to some of these activities and we are discussing how to circulate details to our members. Hopefully, we will have something positive to report at the next All Members’ Meeting. John Austin, Labour Member for Woolwich 1992-1997 and Erith and Thamesmead 1997-2010 Crossness – the Cathedral on the Marsh Order, Order! TOWER HAMLETS SCHOOLS’ PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION Mildred Gordon, MP for Bow and Poplar, 1987–1997 writes: Nearly time to retire – what I used to take the finalists to lunch at the House of Commons, legacy could I leave behind followed by a question and answer session and a tour of the when I was gone? I racked building. When I retired, luckily the Tower Hamlets Education my brains. I had been a school and Business Partnership undertook to run the competition as teacher for many years before one of their Secondary School projects, even though they had entering Parliament so I decided no extra funding for the work. that something to stimulate Some years later, Lloyds of London Community Programme the emphasis on oral English became very interested in the scheme, offering their lovely teaching, helping the next library as the venue for the Finals, helping with the judging generation to be articulate, and the funding. was the answer. This, the 17th year of the competition saw 11 of the 14 I approached the Heads of English Departments in Tower Secondary Schools in Tower Hamlets taking part. We had Hamlets Secondary Schools and was pleased with the three subjects to choose from as there were so many support my idea received. We decided that 5th year pupils, entrants. They were: 15 year olds, would be our target and the subject for the first competition would be “Are you better off than your 1. Is going to university still the best path to success for young parents?”. Each class that entered pupils would receive people? What are the alternative paths, and are they better? workshop training in subject research, speech structure, 2. Are we a celebrity-obsessed society and what effect is this presentation, delivery and timing. having on young people? Should there be curbs on young The heats were in the Borough Town Hall and the Finals at people’s exposure to celebrities? Queen Mary College. I acted as one of the judges, presented 3. Do young people today have better or worse social mobility the prizes, and made a five minute speech. I was astonished than their parents? Is it the Government’s responsibility to and delighted by the standard of presentation and the create social mobility? students’ self-confidence in speaking to a hall full of parents, teachers, and their peers. Let’s face it, most adults are scared About 4,000 15 year olds have now had a shot at public stiff at having to make a public speech! speaking and have grown in confidence. Some have been offered work experience by the increasing numbers of The winner’s school holds the cup for a year and gets £100 companies who are sending representatives to the Finals. for books. The three top finalists receive money vouchers, and all finalists receive a certificate and trophy. There is also a I was 90 in August, but will continue to speak at the Finals trophy for the pupil who has shown the greatest progress. each March as long as I am able to do so! Parliamentary Studies Module Last year, a new Parliamentary Studies higher education module was launched as part of the services and resources made available for universities by the Houses of Parliament. It is being rolled out to a small It has been piloted at the University ground-breaking number of higher education of Sheffield with other universities Outreach initiative institutions to deliver from 2013/14. having been chosen by a judging continues to The module is approved and panel to deliver the module from arrange visits from co-taught by staff at the House 2013/14. They are: our members to of Parliament. It aims to provide Birbeck, University of London, Bristol, schools, colleges students with a detailed knowledge Cardiff, Edinburgh, Hull, Leeds, and universities, to of how Parliament works, with Leicester, Manchester, Nottingham, talk to students about parliament and students having the chance to visit Strathclyde, Swansea, and Ulster. answer their questions. He has always Westminster, as well as receiving talks But our thanks and our been a champion of the need to at their university from Parliamentary congratulations must go to Executive engage and educate our young people clerks. member Eric Moonman, whose own about how our democracy works. Order, Order! LET’S DRINK TO DEMOCRACY! Writes Peter Snape After the seemingly non stop revelations about MPs’ expenses the great British press has recently switched its concerned attention to the demon drink and its apparent non stop consumption within the Palace of Westminster. Following a well reported fracas in the Strangers’ Bar uneven gait amongst their Lordships can invariably earlier this year much concern has been expressed about be attributed to age and infirmity, some of it perhaps Parliament’s supposed ‘widespread drinking culture’ and tempered if not cured by a medicinal tot.