Another record breaking voting session!

9.30 Arrive in the office and spend the morning on voting lists. Amidst all the work on my own dossiers and speeches we are still having to do the whip's job of checking all the voting lists and getting information in from colleagues.

11.00 I do a radio interview on payments.

11.30 Votes start. We apparently have another biggest ever voting session with 827 votes to take. This includes lots on criminal sanctions, which by about 100 votes goes the wrong way for me so we vote against at the end, but it is passed by about 100 votes. The voting list is marked to follow my lead. I did get one useful amendment in, but it is over to the council and national governments now. Damages actions is also voted and everything goes as planned and the EPP are outvoted. There is a break in the voting session for an address by the Indian Prime Minister, which is interesting and unusual in content. We do not finish voting until just before 2pm.

14.00 Straight to my office for a meeting with Microsoft. We discuss competition policy, the latest communication to Microsoft from the Commission, criminal sanctions and EPLA.

15.00 Another meeting, this time with the European Digital media association on Rome 1.

16.00 I have a telephone discussion with Tony Clayton about the Statistics Advisory Board. This gives me useful background information about how the statistical system works.

17.00 We get summoned to go to plenary by Sarah as there is an attempt to vote out the homophobia resolution from the agenda. Reasonable numbers of us turn up and the vote is won to keep it in the agenda.

17.30 I do a television interview on criminal sanctions.

18.00 Back to the office, start clearing away redundant papers and contemplate a joint draft letter to the commission on the audio visual media directive. Have quick discussion on this with Sayeed Kamall, then go down to Group at 7pm. Stay to the end when we have an update from Ignasi on the latest on the audio visual media directive. Leave at 21.00 and after getting back to my hotel go on a walkabout for half an hour to remind myself that there is such a thing as outside.