Letter from Westminster 8th Nov 2009
November 8, 2009 12:00 AM
By Stephen Williams MP
By Stephen Williams MP
Letter from Westminster and Bristol, 12 Oct to 8 Nov 2009
Welcome to my account of the first month back at Westminster. The first Prime Minister's Questions on 14th October was a solemn occasion as Mr Brown read out the list of 37 dead in Afghanistan since Parliament went into recess. Almost all of the PMQs I have attended since 2005 have started with Blair or Brown marking the fatalities endured by our forces.
What is rarely mentioned are the many more who suffer terrible injuries.
I assume that rising public concern explains the larger than normal crowd at Bristol's Remembrance Sunday parade yesterday.
The third PMQs of this session was a first for me. I was drawn in the ballot for the first time and so decided to raise what for many people is the most important issue in Bristol. I mentioned Bristol's poor public transport, high bus fares and too few trains. An integrated transport authority covering the old Avon area would help. Brown said he would look into it. The Lib Dem administration in Bristol is very keen - we need to persuade our neighbours.
In the House of Commons the Health Bill passed its final stages. I voted in favour of tough new anti-smoking measures. Cigarette vending machines will now be banned and tobacco will not be on display in shops, customers will have to ask for it. What is missing is the extra resources to crack down on smuggling.
Westminster activity usually occupies me from Monday afternoon to Thursday afternoon each week. The rest of the time, often including Sundays, I am bust at constituency events in Bristol. In this period I visited the Bristol Foyer, near Bristol Bridge, where young people are given accommodation and training to help them back on track. I attended a fascinating private lecture in the series to mark Bristol University's centenary. Fellow graduate Jonathan Evans is the Director of MI5 and he gave a fairly candid talk and answered questions about Britain's security.
Climate change continues to be a major presence in my postbag. I was the guest speaker at Oxfam's event for local schools at Broadmead Baptist Church. I also had a stall at Oxfam and Christian Aid's countdown to Copenhagen event in Millennium Square.
Immigration and asylum is a major feature of my local casework and for the last 4 years I and my staff have been helping Cameroon musician Alphonse Daudet Toona. He has a legal case against the Home Office and I went to the fundraising event at St Werburghs community centre. It was great to see over a hundred people turned up to help him cover his legal fees.
Also in this period I spoke to the university's Public Speaking Society, met health officials re drugs and alcohol in Bristol, supported Avon Riding Centre for the Disabled and attended the Panjabi Association's annual Diwali dinner. I had a really enjoyable visit to the world renowned Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Clifton and met many budding actors and technicians. In the evening I saw their performance of a new adaptation of JB Priestly' The Good Companions. To get a ticket go to www.oldvic.ac.uk
In my shadow higher education and skills role I hosted the Helena Kennedy awards giving bursaries to disadvantaged students and also led for the Lib Dems in a general Commons debate on higher education. I spoke at a Guardian breakfast on technology and learning, at a Local Government Association conference on re-engaging young people in training and also to the Association of Sector Skills Councils.
Finally, it was groundhog day on our first day back at Westminster. MPs' expenses dominated the summer session and it looks as though it will overshadow the autumn one too. I have always supported reform. But we must make sure that a new system is not just transparent but also does not become so draconian that people from poorer backgrounds struggle as MPs.
The rich always have and always will have easy access to Parliament. It would be strange indeed if in the 21st century we turned back the democratic clock and made Parliament less representative.
As always, feedback welcome! Best email is my Parliament one, as below.
Stephen Williams MP
Bristol West (Liberal Democrat)
Parliamentary email - stephenwilliamsmp@parliament.uk
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