A Week in Parliament

Covid and Westminster and Working

With covid cases and deaths increasing across the UK, and the call for people to work from home where possible, then it makes sense for Westminster to return to a full virtual parliament. They already have shown the system works, and that remote electronic voting works too. I have signed a cross party letter calling for the reinstatement of this. I will be minimising my travel wherever possible.

Surgeries

All my physical advice surgeries are obviously still cancelled. I continue doing “virtual” surgeries with appointments available via telephone, Zoom or Microsoft Teams. I am pleased at how many people have engaged this way, and have only had a few minor IT glitches! Hopefully constituents appreciate I still try to be as accessible as I can.

Constituent Casework

I repeatedly say one of the joys of being an MP is representing constituents and assisting them to resolve problems. It can involve contacting agencies multiple times; writing to Ministers or raising the case in the main chamber. Often it is all of these actions. I did this for one constituent who contacted me to say I raised the case with such empathy they felt like crying - they had all but given up hope on a solution. That appreciation was so humbling although it is frustrating that it sometimes takes pushing it all the way and effectively shaming the UK Government into action. A happy outcome is worth dogged determination.

Covid Politics

Ideally during the crisis politicians can work on a cross party basis. It’s good when the different governments can work together. However, rank hypocrisy can get in the way....when Nicola Sturgeon announced the additional restrictions for parts of Scotland, Labour and the Lib Dem’s were furious. Douglas Ross of the Tories complained businesses needed a minimum of one week’s notice then the UK Government gave less notice and he backed their strategy.  At Westminster, Labour demanded the SNP support their call for a full two week shutdown! A week after the Lib Dems at Westminster demanded the curfew on pubs is lifted, they want more restrictions. The Welsh Labour Government are looking at travel restrictions and preventing people from the higher infected areas of England (and Scotland) from travelling there. When this was suggested in Scotland of course Scottish Labour was furious. Devolution within the parties is fine. But arguing the opposite at Westminster and the Welsh Assembly while attacking the Scottish Government is just bad politics.

Child Poverty

Child poverty is a scourge of society and of course the children themselves are helpless to remedy their situation. Hungry children clearly find it harder to concentrate on schoolwork and so they are at a disadvantage regards qualifications and future jobs. Too many in our area are in poverty. In a briefing I received from End Child Poverty coalition, one chink of light is that Scotland has the lowest child poverty percentage of any nation or region in the UK. This is because of the Scottish Government’s efforts to mitigate Tory austerity. We could do even better with more powers.