Westminster Diary

Financial Fitness provide an invaluable service helping people negotiate their way through the trials and tribulations of modern life during these days of Conservative government austerity. With Universal Credit taking six weeks to provide the first payment, PIP assessments appeals taking nineteen weeks in Inverclyde and food bank referrals up by nearly seventy percent.

I arrived in London in time to make the start of the select committee on transport. It was an interesting session with the Secretary of State for transport, Chris Grayling.

I also took the opportunity to quiz him about coastguard cuts.

Tuesday - Started with the select committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs (PACAC).

I then met with Sabrinna Valisce. She had been a prostitute working in New Zealand and had supported the decriminalisation of the purchasing of sex.

Once the law was changed she witnessed the horrendous consequences.

She now supports the Nordic model where the selling of sex is decriminalised but the purchase is still illegal. It is tremendously brave of Sabrinna to tell her story and she deserves to be listened to.

I had the great pleasure of meeting up with Emmanuel Cocher (consular general for France). We usually only meet during the wreath laying ceremony at the Cross of Lorraine on Remembrance Sunday.

This time we had time to discuss Brexit and the special relationship between Scotland and France.

I later dropped in to an event on responsible gambling and then attended a debate on the use of devolved powers in Scotland. The debate was no more than an opportunity for the Scottish Conservatives to talk down the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. Which was a great shame as it could have been a joint attempt to improve the powers at Holyrood.

Wednesday - I started the day with the devolved and constitutional powers group.

Most of the conversation was about the repatriation of powers from Brussels to the UK and avoiding a power grab at Westminster. I then met constitution Rob Behrens. Rob is the parliamentary and health service ombudsman and works with the select committee on public administration and the constitution, as well as being held to account by it. It’s an interesting situation.

I dropped in to Macmillan’s parliamentary coffee morning and managed a slice of chocolate cake before heading to Prime Minister’s question time. I should have stayed for more cake.

In the last year Inverclyde has received over £14 million in Big Lottery funding so I dropped in to their event to catch up and assure them it is being spent wisely.

The main debate in the House of Commons was to pause and fix the universal credit roll out.

It was an ill-tempered affair and having been roundly criticised the government then abstained on the vote.

At the end of the evening I caught up with a delegation from Catalonia that had come to report on the recent referendum there.

Thursday - First thing in the morning I travelled out to Glazier’s Hall at London Bridge where I chaired the Westminster energy environment and transport forum.

It was heartening to hear so many people cite the Scottish Government’s good practice in infrastructure, broadband and renewables, not perfect but moving in the right direction.

I caught a mid-afternoon flight home which for the young boy in the seat in front of me was a voyage of vomit, sick bags and wet wipes. I hope he is feeling better now.

Friday - I had my monthly catch up with Inverclyde Council chief executive, Aubrey Fawcett where we discussed a range of topics and I visited Cloch Housing Association (Care and Repair) with Councillor John Crowther. The remainder of the day was case work.