Prime Minister's Questions

My MP (as in the one I work for) had the first question at PMQs today, which doesn't happen often! You can listen to it here.

For those of you who'd rather not listen to MPs shouting their heads off, here's the question (and answer in full):

Q1. [34265] Andrew George (St Ives) (LD): If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 19 January.

The Prime Minister (Mr David Cameron): This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

Andrew George: The NHS is facing massive reorganisation, while at the same time seeking the greatest savings in its 62-year history. Respected professional medical bodies warn about the risks to public service of giving private companies the easy pickings. Before pursuing that gamble will the Prime Minister reflect carefully, informed by clinicians and the coalition programme that we agreed last May?

The Prime Minister: We will listen very carefully to the professionals, but the reason for making modernisation of the NHS such a priority is simply that this country now has European levels of health spending but does not have European levels of success in our health service. Of course, what we want is a level playing field for other organisations to come into the NHS. What we will not have is what we had from Labour, which was a rigged market.

Thanks for reading,

The Evening Stanners

(P.S. Apologies once more for the gaps between updates: it's been very busy of late! I shall be going ice skating this evening, so hopefully I'll be able to tell you all about that tomorrow, barring any injuries I sustain.)

Interning: The Story So Far!

So then: what have I been up to these past three weeks? The short answer: working for Andrew George MP (St Ives and the Isles of Scilly) in his Westminster office, which is next to Big Ben.

Andrew George MP: representing Cornwall for over 13 years!

The long answer? Well, I could tell you, but I'd probably have to kill you. Or at least, make sure you never talked to a journalist. But I can confirm a number of things that the general public are probably aware of anyway...

1. MPs are, as a rule, EXTREMELY busy. This obviously depends on their role: if they're a new MP you will probably see them quite a lot; if it's Cameron or Clegg you're trying to spot, fat chance. You get used to seeing familiar faces after a while though: Alistair Darling and David Miliband have been spotted by yours truly from time to time.

2. An MP's diary is INSANE.

3. Cornish people write the nicest letters: one of them sent a typewritten letter. How awesome is that, eh? :-D

4. Movember (where men grow moustaches to draw attention to prostate cancer) has been well supported by many MPs: Mike Crockart, Roger Williams and Tom Brake to name a few!

5. You can work in Westminster for about six months and STILL not know where a room is.

6. I have lost count of how many letters we receive.

7. Bob Russell (MP for Colchester) has made a special chocolate bar for Lib Dems, and I have proof!



8. There are 650 MPs in total.

9. I have met... about 20, give or take. Mostly Lib Dems, like Charles Kennedy and Simon Hughes: but also Neil Carmichael (Conservative MP for Stroud), Nic Dakin (Labour MP for Scunthorpe), and Barry Gardiner (Labour MP for Brent North).

10. I am loving every minute of it, eeeeeeee :-D

That's all for now folks, but there may be more shortly!

The Evening Stanners

Constable Time

Curse you QPR! Or should that be QP Yarr? I think it would have been better if Ipswich had lost 3-0 to a team of pirates. Much more acceptable, Jim lad. Unless of course, you're a ninja, in which case it's unacceptable. But enough of pirates vs ninjas!

I am in Ipswich at present - visiting the gal, of course - and will shortly be heading to Manningtree in order to explore Dedham Vale, which is also known as Constable Country, due to its high concentration of policemen. I mean, because some guy painted there and everyone was like, "Check out the hay wain on that!"

So yes, more reports on that shortly. In other news!

1) I am in the process of getting my internship with Andrew George sorted, eeee! His assistant is just checking dates for me and will get back to me after the Lib Dem conference in Liverpool, which takes place this week.

2) I was in Zummerzet on Monday, visiting such awesome places as Dunster, Minehead, Williton, Cannington, The Quantocks, and, er, Taunton. Hmm. But if you do get half a day free, do visit Dunster: proper little old-school village with a yarn market, a whacking great castle and a deli that does good cornish pasties. Tasty times! It was also good to see Uncle Clive and his family: we went to the Tandoori in Williton, and if the chocolate mousses are always that good, I may have to move there, hehe.

3) I watched the IT Crowd with my cousins Thomas and Amy. It was awesome. "Damn that mash looks tasty!" And it turns out I can play "London Calling" on left-hand guitar! Who knew?

Thanks for reading, more this evening, with...

The Evening Stanners

The Quest For Work With MPs: Partial Success!

In a surprise new move, it appears I may well get an internship this August with Andrew George, the MP for St Ives (Cornwall). Which will be very exciting indeed, I should wager.

Am also currently trying to get

a) Bar work, or playing the piano in a nearby pub once a week to raise cash
b) Work experience with an MP in July
c) Some sort of employment in Cambridge, ideally office work

But it's not easy! Am having to work very hard to actually get work. Who knew?

Still, that internship (which is going to be finalised within the next week) is definitely a good start. Now to find work elsewhere! This will (probably) involve ringing up Stephen Gilbert's office, and then Neil Carmichael's, to see if they have any work going then.

Oxford on Wednesday as well: exciting stuff! Well, at least I'm excited...

The Evening Stanners