I arrived into Heathrow early on Friday morning after a visit to Finance Ministers in Asia. After travelling back to Newham, I went to Brampton Manor School were I met with a group of teachers and governors to discuss problems faced by pupils whose families did not have leave to remain in the UK.

I then met with representatives from the Olympic Delivery Authority. It was a constructive meeting and gave us the opportunity to talk about one of the most important aspects of the 2012 Olympics – the benefits for local people. We discussed employment opportunities for residents of the Borough. I was pleased to discover that currently 9% of those working on the Olympic Park live in Newham, which is the highest figure of the 5 host boroughs.  I am due to have another meeting with the ODA in the New Year when we will discuss the legacy of the Olympics post 2012.

I then met with Angelique Grygorcewicz who is the Skills for Life manager at the Adult Education Service for Newham Council.  Angela is attempting to set up a community garden.  The garden will be designed and looked after by those enrolled on adult education courses. It is a tremendous idea and will allow those involved to develop skills from gardening to budgeting to learning about sustainability as well as allowing them to give something back to the community.

I then held a surgery at Beckton Globe before heading off to open a fish and chip shop in High Street North – an enjoyable and delicious end to the day!