Westminster Diary - 26th July 2005

Tuesday, 26th July 2005

I read in the papers that I am about to enjoy an 80 day holiday. I wish it were so. It is true that the House of Commons does not now sit again until the 10^th October, but it is clear even to a new MP like me that there is plenty of work to be done in the meantime.

Living the double life of a Member of Parliament means being in London from Monday to Thursday and trying to compress all the casework, visits and meetings which take place in the constituency into the remainder of the week. It can be a tight fit. The Parliamentary recess will allow me to meet the people and do the things I have so far not had time for and I am looking forward to that.

Opposition backbenchers in particular may have little direct or personal influence on legislation at Westminster, but we can have a huge impact on the lives of our constituents. The most rewarding aspects of my job beyond question are the times when I can help to solve a problem and thereby change a life for the better. It doesn’t happen in every case, but it does happen and it happens mostly when I am working in the constituency. I have been lucky enough to have that experience a few times already and those cases remind me that the idea of being an effective advocate for my constituents is what brought me to this job in the first place.

Apart from a couple of weeks rest and some time with my new family, that is what I will be spending my summer on. I can think of few things I would rather do, so maybe I don’t wish I really had 80 days holiday after all.

---

Updated on Tuesday, 26th July 2005