A Place to Hang My Sword
When you arrive at the House of Commons as a newly elected MP you start an induction programme. It is safe to say there was a lot to take in with presentations ranging from the etiquette around speaking in the Chamber to details about employment of staff and registration of interests.
A few people have asked where my office is in Westminster. Sadly I still do not know as I write this column as previous MPs defeated in the election were still moving out last week. At the moment what all I have is a pass to get in the building, a small locker that looks like one many teenagers have at school and a place to hang my sword in the members cloakroom!!
Getting In Touch
I am delighted to be receiving a very large amount of e-mail post and social media traffic since my election, yet with the constituency office in the process of being established it is a struggle to deal with it all so please accept my apologies if you are waiting for a response.
I have held my first three surgeries and will be getting more in the diary soon, along with some drop in sessions if you just want to come along and have a chat.
Unlike in other walks of life an MP has to recruit their own staff and does not inherit them from a predecessor, although I now have an assistant at Westminster, Nick Gray and a Caseworker here in the bay, Dan Godfrey.
If you need to get in touch just give my team a call on 07985 446 803 or e-mail [email protected]. You can also write to me at: Kevin Foster MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Battle for Seats
Whilst we all talk about taking our seat in parliament, only the Speaker actually has a seat they can truly call their own in the Chamber.
The Chamber is far smaller than it looks on TV, with only 427 seats for 650 members. This means that picking a seat for particular debates is a must, but a seat on the benches can only be reserved for Prayers which mark the start of business each day, not for a particular debate. Yet if you attend prayers having reserved a seat it is then yours for the rest of the day’s business.
Most seating arrangements for debates are done by convention, rather than fixed rules, other than the Government sitting on one side and opposition members the other, with Ministers and Whips occupying the so called “Treasury Bench” at the front of the government benches.
An upshot of this system of informal conventions has been the rather interesting battle this week between Labour and the SNP for seats. Whilst this was talked about during the election campaign, it took on a whole new meaning as the Commons assembled to elect the Speaker.
As the third party in Parliament the SNP are looking to secure seats on the front of the opposition benches, but are running into some formidable opposition in the form of Labour Firebrand Dennis Skinner, whose heckles during the Queen’s Speech Ceremonies are almost as much a tradition as slamming the Chamber Door in the face of Black Rod.
Whilst I may disagree with his politics the Commons should be a place where the Government is strongly held to account, hence why Dennis should win the fight for the best position on the front row to heckle the government from. So far it appears he is winning the battle so we can look forward to some more colourful interventions from him over the next five years.
Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
The sight of flower beds in key locations being grassed over is not a good one and came as a surprise to many, including me.
Local Councils are facing difficult choices with their budgets, yet many are being proactive about seeking sponsorship for key displays\roundabouts that make a difference to not just the look, but the economy of their area. Torbay Council should do the same.
A Weekly Update From Your MP
I run a weekly update service via e-mail that covers local news and events, along with the work I am doing.
It operates under a no party political point scoring rule and 2,800 people receive it each week. If you would like to be added to the list just e-mail me at [email protected] with “Subscribe” in the subject box. I do not pass on details of subscribers to third parties, including my own political party.
Finally if your church, charity, community group or residents association is doing an event that you would like promoted in my updates, just let me know.