Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 6th February

BBC 2 this week aired its first episode of a four part documentary series: ‘Inside the House of Commons – lifting the lid.’ The aim of the programme is to give everybody an exclusive behind the scenes glimpse at what really goes on in Parliament - the heart of our democracy.

The programme was highly praised and I for one thought it did a great job of showing people elements of Parliament that many on the outside don't get to see. 

When I first arrived in Parliament in 2010 it was quite a daunting experience. The new intake of MPs (of which there were 225!) were greeted by Parliament's ushers and quickly given a security pass. For the first weeks my office was run from a committee room which I shared with 11 other MPs. This was whilst the handover of offices was taking place between the old MPs and the new ones. 

Parliament itself is an awe-inspiring building. I still feel extremely privileged to be able to walk in there on behalf of the residents of North Swindon. It is also huge!With 1,100 rooms, 3 miles of corridors and 6,000 people working across the Parliamentary estate it is a hive of activity and very easy to get lost.  Even now, I am still finding new rooms and corridors I didn’t know existed.

The documentary did a great job in emphasising the history of the palace of Westminster, and how this history provides the foundations for our modern democracy. The building itself always throws up a few surprises. For example when building work was being undertaken a few years ago, a clump of feathers wrapped in a ball was found in the roof of Westminster Hall. On closer inspection, the builders discovered it was a tennis ball that had been used by Henry VIII! 

But what I thought the programme did best was to show the perspective of Parliament from the angle of two novice MPs, who like myself are in their first term. Rather than speaking to Parliamentary veterans who have sat on the green benches for decades, the programme got across the importance of treasuring Parliament and honouring the position that voters have put elected MPs in.

Representing the residents of North Swindon has been the biggest honour of my life time. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is giving tours of Parliament with the very people who put me there in the first place. The documentary was a great way of lifting the lid on the way our democracy works, and how the building exists to serve every single resident here in the UK. ​