My first day in Parliament was a bit like arriving at a new school. The staff could not have been more helpful and returning MPs very welcoming and chatty in the corridor and tea room.
The discussion was about who lost their seat, who won and the size of their majorities (of course, as a new boy, I was too humble to discuss mine. 12,265 incidentally).
Since then, I’ve had several advice surgeries now which I hold in both Selby and Tadcaster and I do enjoy getting back to Yorkshire on a Thursday evening or Friday. Despite having been the candidate for four years before the election, nothing is quite the same as being the actual Member of Parliament. People in authority now seem only too pleased to provide me with information or look into individual cases for me as I try and assist local residents.
Back in Parliament, I managed to get my maiden speech done fairly quickly and was pleased that it was the newly elected Deputy Speaker, Nigel Evans, who called me to speak. Last week I was elected by my peers onto the Select Committee for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which will be a very interesting role as the new constituency is a largely rural one. I’ve also got the opportunity to put forward a private members bill, so there hasn’t been much time to take stock.
It is fair to say, no two days are the same as an MP. It is challenging, exciting, very hard work but can be very rewarding and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to do the job.
( 1 comments ) Tags: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Member of Parliament, Selby, select committee, Tadcaster
Comment by Susan Payne on July 5, 2010 at 3:34 pm
How refreshing to hear that. Keep upthe good work and here’s hoiping all the other new MPs are doing likewise