100 days as an MP
It’s hard to believe it’s been 100 days since I was elected as an MP, the first-ever MP for the new constituency of Waveney Valley. The first 100 days of any job is a good time to reflect both on what’s been achieved so far and the many tasks ahead.
So what have been my first impressions as a new MP?
I don’t think anyone can visit the Houses of Parliament without feeling the weight of history and a sense of awe at the grandeur of the Palace of Westminster, despite all the scaffolding surrounding it.
Navigating around the building and getting to grips with the many arcane ways of doing business here is quite a challenge and I was very grateful to be allocated a “buddy” by the parliamentary authorities. It was my buddy’s job to show me where everything was, make sure I didn’t get lost (easy to do in the many labyrinths of the Palace of Westminster), explain some of the parliamentary processes, how I could table an urgent question, or add my name to an early day motion or apply for an adjournment debate.
When I arrived at Parliament on July 8th, four days after the election, I was one of hundreds of new MPs all trying to find somewhere to work, get connected to the IT system and get to grips with the role. All this without a group of staff as the recruitment process could only start once the election was over.
And all the while, the constituency casework in the constituency has continued to pour in. In fact, it started within moments of my election being announced – that is the level of need left by years of Conservative-led austerity and under-funding of public services. Many of the issues raised are ones that I was hearing about on the doorstep during the campaign – issues like the number of children with special educational needs or disabilities who don’t have school places or the lack of vital NHS services like dentistry.
I’ve had the opportunity to raise some of these issues in Parliament already. I spoke in a debate on healthcare provision in the East of England last month, pointing out that East Anglia is the Sahara desert of dental services. It is shocking and completely unacceptable that in the 21st century people are reduced to pulling out their own teeth because they cannot access NHS dental care. The dental contract is clearly broken and needs urgent reform.
When the Government has such a huge majority, I know it will be difficult to force a change in government policy. Even a few Labour rebels will not be sufficient to block a bad law.
But it is does create one advantage for smaller opposition parties like the Greens. Parliamentary protocol demands that the Speaker switches between government and opposition benches in debates and when the government benches are so crowded, those of us on the opposition side have a much greater chance of being selected to speak and I have more opportunity to put Waveney Valley’s voice directly to ministers and raise issues in the House of Commons chamber which might otherwise not be heard.
It was though luck rather than numbers which saw my name come up in the draw to ask a question of the Prime Minister within three weeks of being elected. I wanted to know what steps Keir Starmer would be taking to reverse the catastrophic depletion of nature in Britain. It was an opportunity for him to show leadership on this vital issue to our common future. Needless to say, he didn’t answer and just chose to score a political point. The collegiality which I saw during the first few days of this Parliament didn’t last long.
It is the privilege of my life to serve as the first MP for Waveney Valley. I hope constituents will bear with me as I build a team so I can deliver the best possible service as your MP.
I promised in my election leaflets that I would be Waveney Valley’s voice at Westminster, nor Westminster’s voice in Waveney Valley. That is my aim over the next four or five years of this Parliament.
