MP's Column - Week one

Week 1…

I keep on having to remind myself that it was just one week ago that I was standing at the General Election count waiting for the results…

Since then, it has been a whirlwind.  Up to London, meeting many new colleagues, being shown round the House of Commons, learning how things work, getting lost in the corridors and stairways, and sitting on those green benches voting in the Speaker for the next five years.

There is a huge amount to learn in a very short time.  An office to set up to help constituents, and to work with local and national organisations, and getting to grips with a weekly commute up to London.

I would like to thank the voters of Newton Abbot Constituency, the amazing Lib Dem team that worked so hard during the campaign, the police, the officials and helpers who ran the election and of course my family - without whose support none of this could have happened.

It would be easy to get wrapped up in what happens at Westminster but for me the focus of the job as an MP has to be strongly in the constituency.  I was delighted to start in my first week by writing to the Secretary of State for health about the issues with Teignmouth Hospital and the proposed health and wellbeing centre in Teignmouth.  But it doesn’t stop there, I asked for his help and intervention in other issues across Devon that mean it is so difficult to get a GP appointment or to see an NHS dentist.   On Friday I took those same issues to the Torbay NHS trust along with fellow Lib Dem Devon MPs, starting to build working relationships to help solve issues.

One surprising thing from the last week has been the internet and media interest in Torbay MP Steve Darling’s lovely guide dog Jennie.  After finding that she had a new X/twitter account – Rt Hon Jennie (@rthonjennie “Leader of the Opawsition”) she now has over 17 thousand followers!

It will take a few weeks to get everything in place, and to have an office up and running, so I ask for your patience if you need help, but please do email me on my new parliamentary email Martin.Wrigley.MP@Parliament.uk

Thank you.