Private Members' Bills
27 Jan 2012
Now and then, an individual MP has the chance to change the law by proposing a “Private Members' Bill”. Getting such a Bill through both Houses of Parliament is hard because it is easy to object and block a Private Members' Bill. Most people might expect that it takes 325 MPs to stop a Bill in its tracks - that is half the number of MPs – or that a majority of MPs could push through a Private Members' Bill.
In fact, it takes only one individual MP – often a Government Whip – to shout “object” at the right moment, and the Bill is dead.
Boundary Changes in Wales
20 Jan 2012
We have now seen how the Boundary Commission for Wales’ proposes to redraw the boundaries of Welsh Parliamentary constituencies. Wales is losing ten of its MPs – that’s 1 in 4 - so there are bound to be big changes. It means less representation for Welsh people in Parliament, and the Boundary Commission has no choice but to cut across valleys and mountains to meet the very restrictive requirements within which it has to do its work. So Cynon Valley has been split in three and Anglesey is linked to Bangor after 400 years as an island constituency.
A Game of Two Halves
13 Jan 2012
Any MP’s work is inevitably “a game of two halves” – representing the constituency in Westminster and being in the constituency to be available to and work with individuals and organisations. So my life is divided between the two ends of the M4, as is my office. My four staff help to manage the mailbag, co-ordinate my diary and act as a first port-of-call when constituents or organisations contact me. They also provide the back up for all the work that it is expected an MP will do in Westminster – scrutinising legislation, sitting on a Select Committee, and taking part in debates.