Westminster Diary - 21st October 2005

Thursday, 20th October 2005

Last Thursday, I spent the evening in a pub. Nothing remarkable in that you may think but in fact I was doing something which, as far as I know, has never been done before. I was there to enable any of my constituents who wished to meet me, to do so in informal surroundings and discuss any issue they wanted to raise. My intention was to reach out to those who would never attend a political public meeting, who would not need a private appointment to discuss a specific problem, but who still have a point of view and a point to make. I wanted, and still want, to find new ways to reach those I represent and to hear their views – only by doing so can I represent them better. Thursday evening was all about trying to find new ways of doing just that and I am pleased to say that, from my perspective at least, the experiment was successful. I did not spend the evening on my own, but was able to meet and talk to a number of constituents who wanted to discuss a variety of subjects and who, I hope, felt more able to do so in this informal setting.

I will certainly repeat the exercise in other parts of the constituency and continue to explore other means to make myself more accessible. Politicians are often accused of being out of touch, of being arrogant and uninterested in the views of those they represent unless there is an election on the horizon. I intend to challenge that perception. A lively political debate is vital to our democracy and I am as keen to contribute to it in your ‘local’ as I am in the House of Commons. So the next time I spend an evening in the pub, perhaps you will join me.

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Updated on Thursday, 20th October 2005