Westminster Life: Family life is what keeps me grounded

During parliamentary recess I normally knock on doors in Peterborough, work from my constituency office and visit local people and businesses. But cooking my girls pancakes and messing around with Nutella, smarties and lots of other things they shouldn’t be eating is what life is all about.

I love my job very much. Representing your home City in Parliament is the best job in the world. It is the most important thing I will ever do.

But the best thing I will ever do, is being a daddy and a husband. It can be hard to remember this sometimes.

Recently, a certain ‘independent’ councillor singled out my caseworker during a visit to the University topping out ceremony, and asked her if she was happy she would lose her job soon.

Let’s think about this. A man of a certain age. Approaching a female doing her job. And waiting until I am out of earshot to say something particularly horrid. Someone who has a job to do, a family to support, and is not in the front line of politics.

Why?

I tell this story only because I see politics becoming more challenging as an election approaches.

I am confident I will win at the next General Election. Everyone accepts I have helped deliver millions for our City, we are building a brand new NHS Community Diagnostic Centre, and my team have helped thousands of local people.

I hope it is obvious that I love our City. I try to show this with everything I do.

But if I don’t win, it is not the end of the world. I have a beautiful family. I shall be okay.

It is the people, I work to help. The families I support with housing, the businesses I am assisting, and the children we help who are being let down by the Council. This is what will keep me awake at night .

It’s all about Peterborough and the people, not politics or personalities.

I can be direct and challenging - but never personal.

I really hope that all elected representatives and those that hope to be elected take a similar attitude.

There are more things that unite us than divide us. There are more things we have common than divide us. There is more love in our City than hate.

Cooking pancakes on a rare Tuesday off is what centres me.

A wife that makes me take out the rubbish and tells me I am not the MP for our house keeps me grounded

Along with the general decency of the Peterborough people - these are the things I shall remember as politics sweeps our City over the coming year.