Helena Kennedy QC has been made a Baroness to boost the brains in the Upper House's Labour contingent & due to be exploited by Tony Blair, the way everybody else has, including Charter 88, where she has had to stand down as Chair as a result of being part of the Government's visible support & the Charter having to maintain its cross-party image. Pity, she was a great Chair & took no nonsense from anyone, including (alas) Ken. The shine was slightly taken off by our local Liberal trouble-maker, Sarah Ludford also being raised to the Upper House for no better reason than the paucity of talent in the Little Middles. What, asks Avis, has Sarah ever done for Islington, apart from try to claim credit for Chris Smith's successes?

Cancer has taken yet another of our nicer friends. Chris was a valued colleague of Ken's at Reuters Marketing in the 80s. He was very bright & it is a sad irony that he got brain cancer. After seeming to recover in 1996, it or the treatment took him away in January. Ken valued his advice, as Chris could make huge, imaginative leaps & was adept at avoiding the sometimes acrid office politics of a large firm. Ken attended the memorial service with many other ex-colleagues. He leaves his wife Tricia and four children, to whom our best wishes.