Witnessed quite a few MPs do good things to be honest.

I suspect most MPs are decent enough people.

The trouble is when they take the whip, then they act in ways that don’t necessarily benefit their constituents.

I’m very far from sharing the political views of my MP (Gerald Howarth) and wouldn’t dream of voting for him, but kudos to him for joining Trail Action Group on an MTB ride around the contentious MOD areas in his constituency.

My local MP (different one, Anne Milton) has been very helpful on the same topic in lobbying the defence ministers on the same subject. Helps that she has (had?) a health service background and a health job at the time, and also is a cyclist herself.

Go Anne!!

BTW a lot of folk don’t know Churchill was an early mountainbiker, or at least an offroad rider.

When he was in charge of the Colonial Office he did a tour of British East Africa which included cycling through Uganda. If you have been there, then it’s not hard to realise that its roads of 100 years ago were basically singletrack – which he did on a rod brake roadster. It is a big country.

He also did a lot of cycling in the veldt during the Boer War. He rode into Pretoria before it was taken and did a bit of spying. If caught he could have been shot out of hand.

Also while I regard him as a warmonger, at least he had been literally at the pointy end of war, shooting and killing enemy at very close range who were determinedly trying to kill him with swords, spears, and guns. It’s worth reading his account of his charge at the Battle of Omduran into the middle of the zariba.

Pretty cool headed and brave.

I taught Rushnara Ali MP for Bethnal Green for GCSE and 2 of her A levels about 25 years ago. She recently sent me a charming message of thanks, good enough to use in a cv but I have no intention of selling my labour power again.

In a fit of boredom I found myself watching the UK parliament channel at 10.30 the other night.

There were five guys in the house discussing the problems of “stone theft” in rural areas and wondering if the government should be introducing stricter laws along the lines of what they did with scrap metal merchants a few years ago. There were no arguments or raised voices, just five guys having a discussion.

All very dull and unexciting, but probably an important thing to look into, especially if you are a farmer who has just had his dry stone wall pinched.

mikewsmith – Member

This bloke did a bit

He was also an advocate of concentration camps and dead against womens votes was he not.

Leader to victory perhaps but a decent human being… doubtful.

I used to live in Brackley, and had an idea to mark out some running routes and km/mile markers on the pavement. It was, i’ll admit slightly self interestedly, as I was doing it for the running club, but any-one could have used it. After interacting with the parish council unsuccessfully (they just ignored me), I wrote to Andrea Leadsom (con) to see if she could help. She actually rustled up a meeting with Northants CC and the highways, and came along, and when it became apparent that the idea contravened any number of road traffic acts 🙄 , called the council/highways “lackeys of the state, getting in the way of citizen initiatives” 😆

I think as she as new to the job she was trying to make an impression. Subsequently she’s reverted to type (ex banker) oh well…

The local MP to our company though a little bit of a lightweight has been helpful and responsive to a couple of issues. He was one of those MP’s in the house discussing stone theft. It’s not farmers walls that are the main issue it’s stone slab roofs, pavements that are years old and parts of buildings. It just shows that many MP’s do a reasonable job on local issues. Pity then that they are forced in the party line on national issues or vote with conscience on some issues, for me the remit of the MP is to best represent the constituency as best as possible whatever the party or their own view tells them.

I’d also have them pick out a particular subject to work on with other MP’s, it should be a cross party issue.

I’m a fan of “first past the post” voting but or MP’s need to be less partisan to there national party and total advocates for there constituents.

Ed Milliband. Made Labour completely unelectable.

Not around here:

Richard Drax MP objects to building of offshore windfarm despite very real creation of 100s of local jobs and benefit to local economy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27980098

In same day presses on with building of solar farm on HIS OWN ESTATE / LAND despite objections from the estate’s local residents.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-33133117