Parliamentary Comment by Bambos Charalambous MP
8th July 2017
On Thursday 8 June 2017 I was elected your
new member of Parliament for Enfield
Southgate. It is a huge honour and privilege
to have won the support of the majority of
voters and I have already started doing
casework and attending community events.
People have asked me what’s it like being a
new MP and I’ll do my best to give an insight
here. Being at Westminster is very much like
starting your first day at a new school where
you meet new friends and learn new ways
and discover your new surroundings. As with
all new starts there are a number of things
that have taken some getting used to.
The first thing has been getting used to a new
work environment. Most MPs have offices in
the very modern Portcullis House which is
directly above Westminster tube station. MPs
get an allowance to run their office and which
covers stationery, equipment and separately
staffing. New MPs have to wait weeks,
sometimes months to get allocated an office
and in the interim new MPs have to find
space to work in. At the time of writing I am
still without an office but luckily I have been
able to secure a temporary perch in another
MP’s office. The other place I will often be
required to attend is the House of Commons
chamber which is so familiar with its green
benches and dark veneer wood and yet so
odd with its unusual procedures such as
turning with your back to the chamber at
prayers before debates.
Another thing that I am getting used to is that
more people recognise you than ever before
and you are sometimes asked for selfies
which although I find it flattering to think that
anyone would want a selfie with me I am
always happy to oblige.
A further thing is that I now get lots of media
requests ranging from interviews with the
print media to live radio and television. I seem
to have had slightly more interest than some
of my new colleagues but many of the new
MPs seem to be asked to do media requests,
primarily because we are all new.
Finally, although I was used to getting
casework e-mails, letters and phone calls as a
councillor the volume is significantly higher
and every day the casework comes thick and
fast. I try to answer them as quickly as
possible and as thoroughly as I can.
As with all elections one person’s triumph is
another person’s defeat and I pay tribute to
David Burrowes dedication to Enfield
Southgate and his 23 years of public service
first as a councillor and then as an MP. All
MPs try to the best they can for their
constituents I know that David worked hard
for his constituents in his time MP.
I want to thank everyone who voted on 8
June 2017. I know that there are big
expectations on me as the new MP and I will
work hard to ensure that all the people of
Enfield Southgate are well served by having
me as their MP.
