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Oxfordshire MPs' first week..

Oxfordshire MPs' first week..
Photo by Manuele Sangalli / Unsplash

It's a new dawn, it's a new day...

New Labour and new Liberal Democrat MPs assemble in the House of Commons

Have you missed the diaries? Reminiscing about rosettes? Perhaps you might like to see what Oxfordshire MP's- new and returning- have been up to this week; the first week of a new Parliament and a new government.  Some have got visibly stuck in straight away. Constituencies in alphabetical order, as always.

Banbury

New Labour MP Sean Woodcock has a new casework address.  Sean.Woodcock.MP@parliament.uk

He was sworn in looking very solemn but is now glad to be home.

Back in his constituency he hosted an event in Chipping Norton with former Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and been out at a fun day organised by Banbury Town Council, as well as out litterpicking in Banbury.

Side note, Jack Straw's Lane in Oxford, which the Clarion assumed to be associated with this Rt Honorable Gentleman's service, is apparently named after a 1930's farmer who lived there.

Bicester and Woodstock

Calum Miller will now be at Calum.Miller.MP@parliament.uk

Calum was sworn in with the rest of the Oxfordshire MPs on Wednesday.

He's not wasted any time getting cracking and has already written to the rail minister about the London Road crossing in Bicester and started to campaign on OfWat.

Didcot and Wantage

Olly Glover is now at olly.glover.mp@parliament.uk

Lib Dem Olly Glover was sworn in last week. Olly’s priorities for the constituency are 'holding the government to account during the cost of living crisis, improving access to healthcare, and ensuring our schools are properly funded'

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a former rail transport consultant, Olly's first statement on policy that we can see concerns the railway..

He tells his own story of his first week

And he was interviewed on Ed Vaizey's podcast- Olly being Ed's new MP! Ed asked Olly how he was getting on in his first week, so you can hear it in his own words here.

Train enthusiasts may be interested in his tracker for his train commute from Didcot to London...

Henley and Thame

Freddie van Mierlo (casework now at freddie.vanmierlo.mp@parliament.uk) snatched a few moments post campaign and pre-Westminster to attend Henley Regatta, and used it, unsurprisingly given his party's campaiging on the issue, to talk about sewage.

Speaking to the Clarion van Mierlo said:

In my first week I joined my 71 Lib Dem colleagues to elect the speaker of the house, as well as take part in various onboarding and inductions. I also worked on urgent case work already coming through to my inbox, now set up and working thanks to the excellent team at the House of Commons IT. My immediate focus is to get my team up and running to serve residents of the constituency and get to work resolving issues for residents.

Oxford East

anneliese.dodds.casework@parliament.uk

After an alleged kerfuffle according to the New Statesman at the beginning of the week, Anneliese Dodds has been appointed Minister of State for Development and Minister of State for Women and Equalities and will attend Cabinet.  

She has started fast in both roles. Here she is talking about aid and development.

And here talking about violence against women and girls. As befits a longstanding senior member of Starmer's team, Dodds is on point with the 'Change' messaging we saw from her and her Labour colleagues throughout the election campaign.

Speaking to the Clarion the Oxford MP commented:

I am extremely grateful for the support of the people of Oxford East in returning me as their Labour & Co-operative MP.

Last week was certainly a busy first week! First, the election count at Oxford Town Hall, where yet again the elections team did an excellent job.

I then travelled in to London, where I was honoured to be asked by the Prime Minister to serve in his Cabinet as Minister for International Development as well as Minister for Women and Equalities. This means that once again, Oxford is at the heart of a Labour Government. It is a particular pleasure to be in these roles given Oxford's traditional role in the delivery of UK aid, and our pride in our diverse and vibrant city.

At the beginning of the week, I outlined my priorities: rebuilding our development reputation with genuine partnership with the Global South; promoting economic growth and climate action; and empowering women and girls in both of my ministerial roles.

I have spent my first week receiving briefings on the work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and that of the Equality Hub, and preparing for the upcoming King's Speech.

I am proud to remain the MP for Oxford East – speaking up on behalf of local residents and communities. This work continues. On Saturday, I was out on the doorstep talking with my constituents in Marston, and supporting a local concert which involved youngsters from Oxford's twin cities.

I will continue to push for the reopening of the Cowley Branch Line to passengers, for the continuation of car manufacturing in Oxford (especially the electric mini), for climate action and for more local social and affordable homes. I will also work for the improvements to public services that we urgently need to see, with our local NHS on its knees and many local schools struggling, as well as the reductions in community policing we've seen over recent years. Above all I will press for local peoples’ voices to be heard in Parliament.

Oxford West and Abingdon

Casework at layla.moran.mp@parliament.uk

Clearly ecstatic aboqut her increased majority and the new Lib Dem MP's in Oxfordshire, Layla gave this interview to BBC Oxford, saying 'Wow, just wow.'

Before Parliament even started back Moran was stuck into casework,  this time about a BMW lodged in the Botley Road pedestrian tunnel.

On Thursday, Moran faced into a different type of Oxford Station challenge as Network Rail announced a delay to the re-opening of Oxford's Botley road due to challenges in the bridge project. We reported on this here.

Moran is the Liberal Democrats' Foreign Affairs spokesperson  and wrote to the new Foreign Secretary on Palestine immediately, and also called for (again) an immediate bilateral ceasefire.

All the Lib Dem MP's appear to have watched the football together...

Witney

Last but by no means least, Charlie Maynard is another one off the blocks fast...

He seems to have taken lesson 1 to heart very quickly...

And he's already started to take action on his campaign promises of dealing with the issue of sewage in the Thames.

Around the country...

Oxford is of course an exporter of politicians as regular diary readers will know...  here too are some snippets of politicians of Oxford past, making their way in the House of Commons.

Perran Moon, a former councillor in Banbury was elected MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, and took the affirmation in Cornish.

Luke Akehurst, former (?) Oxford resident was affronted that the BBC got the name of his constituency wrong at his swearing in.. (no pictures of his dinner in the HoC tea room yet though)..

But he has been marching with the Durham Miners Association.

Tom Hayes former councillor for St. Clements now represents Bournemouth.

And is very excited to be reunited with his former city council colleague Marie Tidball....

...who  now officially represents Penistone and Stockbridge....

And finally..Antonia Bance, former Oxford City councillor is now MP for Tipton Wednesbury and Coseley.

Good luck to all of them, We're willing them on and wishing them every success. Our county (and also  for our 'exported MPs', our country)  depends on it.