A happy new year to you, and I hope Christmas was better this year than last; and that this year will be better than last. I heaved a sigh of relief every day over the holidays on which the Government declined to introduce more restrictions.
Last week a minor but significant reorganisation of the Army was announced. This follows the commitment of £24 billion over the coming years, but a small reduction in headcount.
This week Parliament voted to ban MPs from taking political consultancy jobs, of the sort that got Owen Paterson into such deep trouble, and to ensure that we give our constituencies and Parliamentary duties the time and attention they need.
Sewage and sleaze… Tory MPs have been wading through both for the last few weeks. I’ll address both in a moment, but a more edifying and honourable occasion should come first.
They say Guy Fawkes was the only man ever to enter Parliament with honest intentions. Last week the Owen Paterson business has ignited a controversy over the honesty and intentions of all MPs, and particularly those of us on the government side.
As an aide to the ministers in the oddly-named Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) I have spent Tuesdays and Thursdays through October sitting behind Kemi Badenoch MP in a committee room upstairs in Parliament.
I had a normal Friday morning, with meetings with constituents to talk about a range of issues affecting them and the wider world, including the energy transition, and local planning. At midday I headed to Tidworth where I was to have the honour of opening the new Early Years Centre.
This week was the Conservative Party Conference - more party than conference, perhaps, but also a useful chance to exchange views and news with a whole range of people from inside and outside the Conservative family.
Like everywhere in the country we have long queues for petrol in Wiltshire, and some eye-watering prices. I’m confident the supplies will get through, and demand will tail off once enough people have filled up earlier than they would have if there wasn’t a panic on.
