Lambeth talk  A horse! A horse! Jonathan Myerson waves a spear
in a tragicomical power play  My youngest son is studying
Richard III at school. So we've been talking a lot about power -
what people will do to get it and keep it. But, to be fair,
Richard only murdered children in order to secure absolute
power. Here in Clapham, it is surprising the lengths people will
go to just to guarantee themselves a year as chair of a
committee.  Most evenings, my diary offers a clash of meetings.
I choose one, grateful for a clean excuse not to attend the
other. But tonight is a rare occasion when I need to be at both:
a general meeting of an estate that governs itself as a tenants'
management organisation (TMO); and the first meeting of the
Metropolitan police safer neighbourhoods panel. I decide to show
my face for the first 20 minutes of the community safety
meeting, cycle up Lavender Hill, answer crucial questions at the
estate meeting, and shoot back down in time for the panel to
reach some conclusions.  I'm a fan o