They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and it is certainly fair to say that the last few weeks have flown by. The General Election was just seven weeks ago.

In that time, along with 349 other new MPs, I have sworn in as a Member of Parliament for the first time, I have had the privilege of being in the House of Lords for the State Opening of Parliament (my first time seeing the King and Queen which was very exciting), witnessed the first PMQs of the new Prime Minister and asked my first Question during Home Office questions. I already loved Parliament and its history and procedure, but all that I have witnessed as a new MP highlights what an incredible legacy we have in our Parliamentary democracy. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said in the church service for the new Parliament, where else do you go from the Exit Polls at 10pm to a new a government just 14 hours later. It may not be perfect, but inventing an alternative system that could pass muster seems impossible…

My priority for my first week as your MP, after getting my Parliamentary laptop and email address, was to get my staff team up and running. I am delighted to have employed an experienced team who have enabled me to hit the ground running. This means constituents like you have the service I promised during the campaign. We’re already getting things done for South West Devon. Do drop me a line on [email protected] if I can help in any way.

Locally, it has been great to be out and about across the constituency over the summer recess. The highlight so far was the 135th Yealmpton Show. I came away with a delicious ginger cake from Dame Hannah Roger’s School cake stall, a beautiful print of the Mewstone by local artist, Naomi Hulatt, a list of local campaign groups working on water quality in the Yealm and Erme to meet with and have a date in the diary to catch up with the NFU. Huge congratulations to the army of volunteers who made it such a phenomenal event. I can’t wait for next year!

Parliament returns on 2nd September for two weeks before we break again for the Party Conferences. I am looking forward to front row seats as the new Labour government deal with the backlash of scrapping the Winter Fuel Allowance for anyone not in receipt of Pension Credit (do get in touch if I can help you find out whether you might be eligible), new rail strikes after agreeing to vast pay rises for train drivers, and questions over the Future Hospitals programme which the new government have delayed. This leaves a worrying question mark over the delivery of the new Urgent Care and Emergency Centre at Derriford which was begun under the previous government and which will have a significant impact on the current pressures on A & E. I have asked the Secretary of State for Health for assurances that the delay will not impact Derriford.

However, I am also looking forward to my Maiden Speech and the opportunity to speak for the first time of the privilege of serving South West Devon in the House of Commons. I have booked a slot on Tuesday 3rd September and hope I do justice to our special piece of Devon in my short speech.