Again I am writing from the train home as we pull into Watford Junction!
This week we have been debating the Queen’s Speech (which is the Government’s programme for the next year) in the House of Commons. This has allowed many Members to make their first speeches in the Chamber. Maiden speeches traditionally follow a format in which the member praises their predecessor (regardless of party) and then talks about their constituency and how they intend to serve the communities there.
I have heard a number of inspiring speeches from my new colleagues and I have to say I am both very impressed but also a little daunted by their oratory. The maiden speeches from the other side of the Chamber (Labour, Lib Dem and others) have also been inspiring, even if I haven’t always agreed with absolutely everything they have had to say! Regardless of party, I firmly believe that all MPs have entered Parliament to try to make society a better place.
I have asked the Speaker if I can make my maiden speech on Monday during the conclusion of this multi-day debate. Assuming nothing major happens over the weekend (which might mean Urgent Questions are asked, or Ministerial Statements given), my request should be accommodated, so look out for that.
Outside of the Chamber, my major news is that I have both been allocated an office, *and* recruited an excellent candidate to staff it. The office even comes with a window, which is something of a luxury for new MPs!
I had 72 applicants for my Senior Parliamentary Assistant role and ended up interviewing 5 of them on Tuesday. The standard was so high, I would have been delighted to employ any of them. I hired a young lady named Ella, who had previously been working for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. She starts at the beginning of February and will be a tremendous asset to my office and, by extension, Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Amongst all the various events I have attended this week, two related ones particularly touched me. First, I visited an exhibition by a charity called Open Doors, who highlight the persecution of Christians around the world, in countries like Syria, North Korea and China, and seek diplomatic assistance to prevent this. Their work is extraordinarily valuable and I know it will be particularly appreciated by all the churches in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
A short while later I was honoured to attend a reception arranged by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, in advance of Holocaust Memorial Day itself on Monday 27th January (the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz). I spoke at length with John, who was originally from Hungary but is long since British. His mother survived a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, and he himself managed to escape from Hungary after the Soviet suppression of the revolution in 1956.
Being a Member of Parliament is a true privilege, and meeting people like John and hearing their stories is perhaps one of the best examples of that. We must not forget the lessons of the past and we must today fight against religious persecution around the world, and the unwanted resurgence of anti-Semitism here in Britain.
Next week, after the conclusion of the Queen’s Speech debate, we will be considering two new Bills (proposed laws):
First is the Direct Payment to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Bill, which should provide medium-term certainty to the agricultural community after Brexit.
Second is the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill which should make it easier for leaseholders to install phone or broadband lines where they are currently having difficulty securing consent from the ultimate freeholder.
Neither Bill should be that contentious but we shall see!
Tomorrow I am in and around the constituency, meeting both the YMCA and the British Ceramics Confederation, and also finalising my shop location.
Have a great weekend.
Best, Aaron