On Saturday I captained and played in a charity rugby game ahead of the England v Wales game at Twickenham.

The Parliamentary rugby team exists to play fun rugby, foster international relations through sport and raise money for various charities. I reckon last year we raised about £40,000+ from our 7 games.

This weekend it was the turn of the Welsh Assembly to come to London and enjoy our hospitality and have a bit of fun.

It didn't quite work out like that though. I always forget just how much the Welsh want to win against England at rugby - at whatever level. I am at that age where I am still glad to be running around on a rugby pitch and enjoy the experience. Winning makes it a bit sweeter but it isn't everything any more. After 5 minutes on Saturday I had switched. The agression and then breaking the spirit of parliamentary rugby by kicking a penalty turned me into a ruthless win at any cost captain!

Everyone loves to play wide expansive running rugby (apart from about 8 forwards that is) but it was clear our strength was our pack. We could out muscle the Welsh. I ordered we revert to plan 'E' for England. ie keep it tight, rolling mauls, break and start another one. I moved Ikram Butt our hard hitting Rugby League inside cenjtre to No 10 with instructions to take it bak up the middle and no wider. We then dominated and the penalty came. We were 9-7 down after the Welsh had kicked 3 penalties. There was 10 minutes to go but the idea of losing meant for the first time in 13 years of fun rugby I gave the ball to our Kiwi Scott Divine to lick the penalty and take us 10-9 up. He slotted it from 35m out. It was so sweet. I have never thumped my fist in the air with such determination at this level of rugby. I told our pack to play out the last 10 minutes in their 22 and as near the try line as possible. I was sure their defence couldn't hold us out. Sure enough the forwards with a little help from the backs scored the vital try 4 minutes from time. Victory was ours 17-9.

Wondering what this has to do with a political website? Look at the similarities.

For me the arrogant Tories are the same. Their personal attacks on Gordon Brown today show that distasteful streak they are capable of both locally and nationally. The problem is it has the effect of inspiring me to play the game and play to win. The more they play dirty tricks the more I rise above it and inspire those around me to play to win. As the tide shifts away from the Tories in the polls expect to see more of this desperation. You see it in sport. You will see them at it too.

As the series of public meetings about the reorganisation of Loughborough Quorn and Barrow schools continues there is so much happening it is difficult to keep up to speed for everybody.

As well as the public meetings I have met with various Heads and governors. I chaired a meeting of the Loughborough Heads and the OneThroughSchool team to develop the option C alternative for parents to have a realistic alternative. I have had quick discussion with the Tory Lead spokesperson on education at County Hall and met the Director of Education again. I have spoken to numerous parents from across town and have received hundreds of emails and facebook messages. This issue is very much alive. It is not just the parents at the schools now but I am also keen to engage parents of those in primary schools who will be the first to be affected by this proposed change.

I have also met with the Schools Minister Vernon Coaker MP and raised the issue of closing down an outstanding school in the Commons Chamber. I had to laugh when a supporter pointed out I was being attacked by a Tory Councillor for raising our schools in the Commons! Clearly they have no idea about the important role of an MP and the need to work at every level - community right through schools, councils and to Westminster. Although I am aware this attack dog does this quite often apparently – an irrational hatred leads to quite bizarre attacks. I never read or see the stuff but it is all quite pathetic I am told and slightly sad and a poor reflection on the local Tories. Perhaps they should state more clearly that they support the closure of Limehurst and Garendon. Stating their position more clearly would be very helpful for parents.

So where does this all leave us. Well I am still wanting to get a consensus at local level that makes our bid for BSF even stronger. You see I have not invented or created the hostility to the plans put out by County Hall. I am reflecting that anger and have all the way through this tried to be measured in my response. There are so many people who say “if it means closing Limehurst then stuff the £80m on offer” I don't want to see this. I want to see a reorganisation that retains the best of what we have with the chance of modernising our local schools. The BSF team will be well aware that the current options up for consultation are getting a rough ride from parents. They don't need me to tell them that. That's why I have taken an active lead in trying to bridge the gulf that exists between County Hall and parents opposed to their plans. Sometimes it takes a bit of leadership and courage. I have been prepared to give that. It is what I enjoy about being an MP. I can make a difference. I am hugely passionate because as a parent of two children who will be affected by this I know how local parents think. I am also by nature a consensus builder.

There are some who are now being spun a line that if just shut up and somehow pretend there isn't any real opposition to these plans then County could push ahead and get the £80m and push ahead with option A or B. This is fanciful thinking.

The only way forward is some compromise and a consensus. It requires people to give a little from each of their corners. We can save Limehurst and make the case to the BSF and Ministers for a small good school if everybody really wants to. We can't hide behind guidelines. Making a passionate and reasoned case with community support would be so powerful.

I will continue to throw my energies into bringing the opposing parties closer together and lobbying Ministers about the great community involvement in this process. I could criticise the County Hall process at putting in this mess by springing an unpopular set of options without building any local consensus throughout the process - but I will leave that for another day.

Our job now is to all pull together around a viable option C.

As so many people know Limehurst was visited by Ofsted again last week. Some conspiracy theories were floating around the local blogosphere as it certainly wasn't their turn to be inspected again.

Some cynical locals thought it may be to make sure that by the end of the consultation period we wouldn't be talking about Limehurst being talked about as an 'Outstanding' school. I personally don't believe OFSTED could be manipulated in this way but you can see why cynical parents and teachers were thinking such thoughts.

However, unconfirmed rumours (as the full report will not be available for another 2-3 weeks) suggest that once again they have been judged 'Outstanding' the top judgement you can make.

Let me put this into context. Under the new OFSTED inspections only about 3% of schools will be judged Outstanding. These new controversial measures are really though.

So if there was a conspiracy it has backfired. If these rumours are confirmed then during the consultation period Limehurst will have been judged an Outstanding school. This is a remarkable achievement. Well done to the Head Jon Mellor, governors teachers and support staff as we ll as parents who make this place very special.

I was back in school again today. I seem to be spending lots of times in local schools at the moment talking about how they should be organised mainly.

Today was different. I was listening to the children. The year 6 School Council representatives have been meeting across the Barrow Development Group to decide what they would like to see as part of their extended schools services.

As one of my friends on my Sport Board said tellingly a few weeks ago - us adults are very good at deciding what children want.

In this case it worked. The children came up with ideas that I wouldn't have naturally put as priorities but they had also thought through issues like cost, delivery and safety - all very impressive. They then 'presented to me and parents ad the Head. Again a very impressive PowerPoint and case made.

When I hear that people think education is not 'as good as in our day' I wonder how many even bother spending time is modern schools. But the real lesson from today is that we need to listen to the children more!

I did an interview this morning on the Christian radio station - Premier radio. A made the statement that I don't actually enjoy politics. It threw them a little as I was there to get people interested in politics and voting in the general election.

But I do mean it. I still dislike the way politics is done in not just this country but in democracies all over the world.

Today I have had a good day. I have been speaking in the Chamber of the Commons about an issue that is important to my constituents - dealing with studentification and its consequences on local residents. I followed this up with a discussion with the Minister. I then took part in votes on the Bill before the House before leading a delegation from the RNIB College in Loughborough to see the Minister for Disabilities at the DWP. There is an issue that needs sorting. By making democracy work - I get involved and convene a meeting to prevent the issue disrupting funding.

At the same time I am taking calls about the Shepshed Incinerator, and the BIG issue of the day in Loughborough for thousands of parents - school reorganisation!

You see politics does matter. Politics is only about the way we organise our society and people DO care about that. The numbers of people turning up to protest at the Tory County Councils handling of the school reorganisation is testimony to that.

You see I love getting stuck in with local issues that need a national voice and the skills I have developed to 'get things done'. I am at my best when there are all these issues buzzing around and they need my intervention to help move them on. That is what 'politics' is and should be about. It's a pity the forthcoming election makes petty party politics get in the way again as if that is all we do.

I understand there is growing support for the alternative Option C on local school reorganisation.

I know it is not perfect as there will always be some who see things slightly differently but it does seem to have much wider support than the current options on the table.

I will know be working though with the County Council on how we take this forward TOGETHER. I know they feel they have to go with their options - but they also must understand that we won't get any BSF money of there is not widespread support locally for their plans. I am not the one who has generated the level of anger at the current two options. That has come from the local communities the schools serve. I have just put my efforts into supporting parents, governors and teachers in expressing that concern whilst not losing sight that £80m of funding is a possibility to refurbish our schools.

This is a tightrope we walk. But for all our sakes we have to get this right. And I am trying to keep us all on the tightrope still!

I came across this site recently www.mydavidcameron.com It is great.

I love the use of humour to get across complex political messages. This website gives us all the chance to mock David Cameron and his airbrushed posters! Some are funnier than others but best of all you get chance to download a blank poster and make one yourself. I just don't know where to start... something about being, smug rich and clueless about what real life is about as my starting point with the lust to slash public services whilst trying to pretend all is well and telling anybody anything they want to hear... oh plenty of material.

Just a few seconds on the news highlighted the massive problems Cameron has got into with his family policy and an attempt to cynically exploit the child torture case for pathetic political gain. His smug grin really wound me up today!

The news story ran... Cameron telling us how great the Tories are at social cohesion (lol) and reminding us how great marriage was... linked to the story of the youngsters who tortured other children. Then voice over - "of course the parents of the torturers were married"

One simple sentence highlights the stupidity of pretending people being married will solve all societies ills! I personally believe in marriage but as a simple solution and social policy it is fraught with danger.

You have to laugh at the pickle Tory Councillor Peter Lewis has got himself into this week. In the letters pages he tried attacking the Labour party for not putting up a candidate in a local by-election in my old home village of Birstall. The only problem was that nominations hadn't closed when he wrote his letter and in fact Labour had already selected its candidate to fight he by-election and was/is standing a candidate. Always a good idea to check the basic facts (in this case very basic!!) before pontificating to the press or you may look a little foolish.

The letters from Cllr Lewis are always amusing because you are never quite sure what he is trying to say. This time he was actualy pretty clear but it was more than nonsense it was an attempt that clumsily gave the BNP some air. Nice one Peter! Perhaps a little more time spent explaining why you want to close down Limehurst and Garendon schools would be time well spent.