COLUMN: A genuine sense of optimism in the house
James MacCleary (Lewes), Ed Davey (Leader, Lib Dems), Jess Brown-Fuller (Chichester), John Milne (Horsham), Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) and Alison Bennet (Mid Sussex)
By John Milne MP as printed in the Thursday, 18 July 2024, print edition of the West Sussex County Times.
I’ve reached the end of my first week in Parliament, and what a week it has been! A blizzard of briefings on procedure, IT, personal security, how to set up my constituency office, and of course the location of the tea rooms and Terrace Bar.
Most importantly I’ve taken the Oath: “I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.” This represents the first official words on the floor of the Chamber for any new MP. It’s also the moment when becoming an MP takes on reality, and when we formally receive authority.
It's amazing to think of all the people who have said these words before me. While the rules of Parliament can at times seem bizarre and in need of updating, they do give us a sense of responsibility to the past and connect us to the deep foundations of our democracy.
It was a particular pleasure to meet so many of my new Lib Dem colleagues. We now have 72 MPs, the largest total in a century and enough to make a real impact. That includes near neighbours such as Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) and Jess Brown-Fuller (Chichester). In the future I anticipate working productively with them to address wider West Sussex issues.
One thing however does need urgent reform: the House of Commons family room. Frankly, it looks like they found a random room 50 years ago, threw a few toys in, never bothered to redecorate away from Parliament’s usual sombre colours, and left it at that. This is not a fair way to provide for the needs of MPs with young families.
But above all, my strongest impression from my first week is a feeling of hope. A majority of the new members are first time MPs. This matters. You can feel a genuine sense of optimism in the House. We’re all aware the image of Parliament has been damaged by the scandals of the last few years, but we’re not weighed down by it because we have a fresh attitude.
That optimism extends to Horsham. So many people have come up to me since the election to say thank you, because this is the first time their vote has ever counted for something. It’s an honour to take on the responsibility of representing the whole community, especially those who have felt sidelined in the past.