Parliament wasn’t sitting this week, but I was in Westminster on Monday together with my Parliamentary colleague Steve Reed MP to meet with the Executive Director of Local Education and Economic Development Organisation (LEEDO), a not-for-profit organisation working to help vulnerable street children in Bangladesh. Forhad Hossain was visiting the UK to build relationships with the Bangladeshi community here and, as a result of our conversation, I have written to Priti Patel, the new Secretary of State for International Development to ask what support UK DFID programmes provide in Dhaka to third sector groups working in the vital area of street homelessness.

I was back in Westminster on Friday to host a conversation with the American author Thomas Frank, who was visiting the UK to mark the publication of his latest book Listen, Liberal: Or whatever happened to the party of the people? For those of you who weren’t able to make it, you can catch him on Newsnight here talking about the rise of Donald Trump -; and what Democrats need to say and do differently to win back blue collar support.

Back in the constituency, I spent a wonderful morning with students from Hornsey School for Girls on Tuesday as they rehearsed for their performance at the Arts Depot next month as part of this year’s Shakespeare Schools Festival. On Saturday I dropped by Wood Green Library to see some of the film screenings and discussions they’d put on to commemorate 50 years since the founding of the Black Panthers as part of this year’s Black History Month celebrations. There are events going on all month and you can view the full programme here – well worth stopping by if you get the chance.

Finally, lots of people have been in touch with me since Haringey Council announced their preferred bidder for Hornsey Town Hall. I will be responding formally to the Cabinet Report when it’s published and will be in the café at Hornsey Town Hall next Thursday 13 October at 4pm if you’d like to share your thoughts with me in person. Or you can come along to my regular advice surgery next Friday 15 October from 10am -; 11.30am at Wood Green Library In the meantime, you can read some of my previous correspondence on this issue here.