News From Westminster When you become a Member
of Parliament there is no job description. We are left to judge for ourselves how best to divide our time between London and the constituency. I have written in the past about life in the constituency, so here is the alternative side of being
an MP – “A Day in the Life... in London.”
On Monday mornings I drive from Dorset to London, and usually catch up on the news on the way. I sometimes use the time to call my offi ce staff to discuss upcoming meetings and appointments, so that I know what’s happening in the week ahead. Once in London, I head to the fi rst meeting of the day. Now that I am a Parliamentary Private Secretary, this may be with the Ministers in my Department to prepare for the week’s debates, or with the team in my offi ce to ensure we are as ready as we can be for the week ahead. On other days this might be a meeting with constituents or schools who have come to Westminster, or perhaps with a charity that wants to highlight their work in Dorset or the South West. After this I pick up some briefi ngs from my staff, and I try to head to the library.
Parliament is a very busy place, and there are always many hundreds of people bustling around. The Members’ Library is a quiet oasis which is ideal for studying draft legislation, reading briefi ngs and for writing speeches. Before I speak in the House, I like to be well prepared, and this takes time.
At some point I eat my lunch. There is no set lunchtime and the House sits throughout the day, but at different times depending upon the day. Monday 2.30pm (to allow Members to travel in from constituencies) until 10.30pm; Tuesday and Wednesday 11.30am until 7.30pm; Thursday 9.30am until 5.30pm; and on 13 sitting Fridays per year 9.30am until 2.30pm. There is a health warning for these timings though: for certain Bills there is no debating time limit and the House can sit until any hour, as it has in recent Brexit and Finance debates, or indeed right through the night!
As I walk between the Chamber and various meetings I may return a call from the constituency offi ce – my caseworker wants some advice on how to progress a tricky case, and we agree to meet the constituents concerned in a surgery at the end of the week.
Walking into the House of Commons Chamber still gives me a thrill as well as a sense of responsibility, and it is an honour to be able to walk into such a special place where our country’s leaders have debated and decided our laws over the years. When full, it can be a struggle to fi nd a place to sit – there is only enough seating for around 450 people although there are 650 MPs!
If I have been drawn in the ballot to ask a question or 14
if I have put in to speak in a debate, I need to be ready when the speaker calls me. During debates, the time limit for speeches is often amended – so I may have to cut my carefully crafted 10 minute speech down to 7 minutes, then 6, then 5. If another MP intervenes, I may gain an additional minute – but the most important thing is to get my point across clearly and succinctly. Whilst in the chamber I might also scan through my emails again for anything urgent. The division bell rings when it’s time to vote, and we all fi le through the lobbies to be counted. Each vote takes about 15 minutes, and there are often several votes, so it can be a long drawn-out process.
Debates can go on until quite late. Once I have voted, I head back to my fl at in London before returning early the next morning. No day in Parliament is ever the same, but I try to make the most of all my time here.
I continue to hold regular surgeries for constituents. If you have an issue, please do get in touch.
Michael Tomlinson MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole
michael.tomlinson.mp@
parliament.uk 01202 624216 •
www.michaeltomlinson.org.uk @Michael4MDNP
www.facebook.com/michael4MDNP
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