Phil Bateman Meets Prime Minister

Well it was an interesting evening last night and the opportunity to attend a reception at 10 Downing Street at the invitation of the Prime Minister and Mrs Brown was much too good to miss!

I had a bit of a fright travelling down because the Virgin train service took a hit at Milton Keynes when a power outage affected signals, which then disrupted services badly. A quick change of plans and a return dash to the car and a drive to Warwick Parkway then a journey on Chiltern Trains proved to be a winner. In the end I arrived at 10 Downing Street in plenty of time.

During the course of the evening I met with the Prime Minister we shook hands, we chatted about the local election results. He had of course visited the City during the local election campaign.

The speech he made at the reception was well received, he spoke of the loyalty of those present and he reminded us of the importance of the Labour Party. He spoke with passion about Labour, and about the need for fairness and social justice. He also spoke of the global economic conditions that we were facing and the way that the current conditions were affecting the British economy. He gave a very assured performance and said that we would come through these conditions.

It was a big gathering of local politicians, and I feel very privileged to have been invited to attend what is not only an iconic address, but also such a world famous venue. It was a thrill to climb the staircase passing pictures of the Nations Prime Ministers all of whom adorn the stairs leading to the reception rooms. Tony Blair's portrait being the last on display right at the very top of the stairs!