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ROSIE DUFFIELD EXCLUSIVE 013


I’D WANTED TO BE IN PARLIAMENT SINCE I WAS A CHILD AND IT’S SOMETHING I THOUGHT I WOULD ALWAYS LOVE TO DO


are suffering, which affected the vote,” The newly-elected MP says the


process of being in parliament is “still all very new” in her first month in office. While she admits there’s a fairly steep learning curve, she is quickly acquainting herself with its particular quirks. Though under no illusion of the array of challenging tasks ahead, the opportunity for her to play her part in politics on a national stage is something she has long sought.


“I’d wanted to be in parliament since I was a child and it’s something I thought I would always love to do. But living in Canterbury, it’s not something I thought would ever happen, and that it was just a daydream. “You see some people here with


property portfolios – but I have had trouble buying a place of my own in my own constituency, so it’s a real culture shock,” adds the MP.


In terms of life away from politics, she says that her two teenage sons, Jasper, 14, and Toby, 18, have been particularly proud of her achievement, but being typical teenagers they’ve plenty of their own pre-occupations to focus on. “With my boys being in their teens,


childcare is not so much of an issue, but if I had young children, even though there is now a creche in Parliament, I think it would be a hard thing to manage.” However, a third of Parliament is now made up of women, so things are changing. “I have had contact with the 50:50 Parliamentary group, which is working towards an equal amount of women represented in the House of Commons – with 50% of the population being women.” As for her immediate priorities, she


says there are a number of vital matters she intends to take up. “Hospital services are one of the main things that people have been in contact with me about – especially as we don’t have an ambulance service that stops at Kent and Canterbury hospital,


so things are tough. I am also concerned about the impact Brexit will have on our economy, which is a huge worry, and there are a lot of people who are suffering out there over PIP (personal independence payments) assessments, as well as receiving a lot of letters about mental health concerns, which are all issues of national importance,” adds London-born Rosie, who has lived in the Canterbury area for the past 20 years and says it has been a fantastic place for her family. “There are so many good things about being in Canterbury, there are the area’s fantastic beaches and villages, it’s a very caring kind of place.


“Everyone knows it for its historic


centre and people have a good lifestyle here,” enthuses the Labour MP, who says she has plenty of causes to campaign for within the course of this Parliament – however long or short it turns out to be with many observers predicting yet another general election looming in the near future.


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