Julie Morgan MP
Julie has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff North since 1997. If you think Julie can help you with a problem or if you would like to raise any issue with her, please get in touch at the constituency office at 17 Plasnewydd, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1NR, telephone (029) 20 624166 or e-mail morganj@parliament.uk
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Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Preparing for emergencies
Up to Parliament for this week's sitting. Interesting first event of the week as I learn how to perform basic first aid on a very receptive dummy for the Red Cross' European Year of Road Safety. There are thousands of accidents every year on our roads and, shockingly, a third of the people involved in those accidents could be saved if people just applied basic first aid like CPR and putting victims in the recovery position. The Red Cross' campaign encourages people to learn just 5 minutes of first aid — you never know when you may need it.
Private Member's Bill ballot today. This is the Back Benchers' chance to put their name in the hat for the chance to introduce their own law. Twenty names are drawn out, and the Bills are introduced over the course of the Session. Obviously, the higher up in the ballot you are, the more chance you have of your Bill becoming law. Realistically, hardly any do, some because they are opposed by the Government but, more than likely, they run out of time. In the last Session I came fourth and introduced the Smoking in Public Places (Wales) Bill. Now that the Government is doing what I wanted, I'll have to find another subject if I'm lucky enough to come out high in the draw!
Posted at 04:29 pm by juliemorgan
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Monday, May 23, 2005
I will be holding two surgeries this coming Friday, 27 May:
1. Asda Coryton, 12pm - 1pm
2. Constituency Office (17 Plasnewydd, Whitchurch), 7pm - 8pm
If you have a problem you think I can help with, or would like to raise an issue with me, please do come along. No appointment is necessary.
Posted at 02:32 pm by juliemorgan
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Friday, May 20, 2005
As I said in my Cardiff Post column this week, one of my aims over the next couple of years is to bring my work in Westminster closer to my constituents in Cardiff North. I'm putting out a newsletter across the constituency this month thanking people for re-electing me and asking people to tell me what issues they would like me to keep them informed about over the course of this Parliament.
Be it education, or health, or anti-social behaviour, or animal welfare, or foreign affairs, e-mail me at morganj@parliament.uk and let me know what you want to hear from me about.
There is a lot of cynicism about politicians these days, but it is vital that we are here to argue on your behalf. I want to keep you informed about my work for you in Parliament. This is just one way of doing it.
Posted at 01:55 pm by juliemorgan
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Thursday, May 19, 2005
Time to get down to business
This column appears in this week's "Cardiff Post".
Sometimes the world of Westminster seems far removed from ordinary life.
When the Queen came to the Houses of Parliament this week to deliver the Queen's Speech, I was struck by what an extraordinary event it is, full of pomp, ceremony and ritual.
The Queen made her way from the Sovereign's Entrance into the House of Lords to deliver the Speech which sets out the Government's programme for the next 18 months. The schedule looks packed, with a total of 45 Bills being proposed.
The opening itself involves traditional dress, ceremonial language and famous symbolic acts such as the shutting of the door of the House of Commons in Black Rod's face. Black Rod approaches on behalf of the monarch, but when the door is closed, he has to hammer on it to be let in. Only then can he tell the assembled MPs that the monarch awaits them in the House of Lords. The closing of the door symbolises the independence of the Commons from the monarch, and dates back to the time of Charles I.
The State Opening of Parliament is one of the set pieces of the Parliamentary year, but it does seem a long way away from the doorsteps of Cardiff where I spent most of April on the campaign trail. Tradition in Westminster is important, but I hope it doesn't make people feel that what happens in the House of Commons has nothing to do with them.
One of my aims over the course of this next Parliament will be to try even more to link what happens in Westminster to what happens in Cardiff - to show people that even though Parliament seems like an extraordinary place, what actually happens there has everything to do with ordinary life.
And I think that people are willing to be interested in politics. When I met people on the doorsteps during the election campaign, I didn't find much cynicism. What I did find was a real engagement with issues and a real willingness to talk about them. People were, on the whole, glad to see me and seemed to want to engage in discussion about issues like Iraq and council tax.
In previous elections, I found that people more readily identified themselves with a particular party, but this time, their support for one party or another wasn't as automatic. They were basing their decision of who to vote for on real consideration of specific issues.
I learned a lot from talking to people on the doorsteps, and I think that this is something that I will try to do on more of a regular basis. I do make a huge effort to keep in contact with people through things like newsletters, public meetings, surgeries and this column; but there's nothing quite like talking with people directly about what's on their minds.
It's a two-way process. It allows me to tell constituents what is happening in Westminster and it allows constituents to tell me what issues they would like me to pursue on their behalf in the House of Commons.
So - the Queen has delivered her speech. She's now departed in her horse-drawn carriage, taken off her crown and left us to our work in Westminster. She has done her part. Now we must all do ours.
Posted at 02:30 pm by juliemorgan
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Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Delivering on our promises
The Queen's Speech. Unprecedented number of Bills (45!) for us to consider in the 18 months that will form this Session of Parliament. I personally welcome the clause in the new Health Bill which will give the National Assembly for Wales the power to decide whether it will introduce a complete ban on smoking in public places. This was the subject of my Private Member's Bill in the last Session (you can read the debate here). I also welcome the Education and Childcare Bill (legislating to provide childcare from 8am to 6pm) and the Work and Families Bill, which will extend maternity leave and pay. I am glad, too, that the Equalities Bill is coming back.
I hope that the new Session will also include some debate on council tax. This was a big issue at the General Election. Of course, the Lyons Review into local government finance will not report until the end of this year; but I do feel that the system has to change. Hopefully, it can be made fairer, particularly for people on low or fixed incomes.
Also fun trying to spot the MPs who are hiding out in Central Lobby so that when the MPs, having been summoned by Black Rod, leave the Commons for the Lords, they can quickly jump the queue and get a good spot at the Bar of the Upper House. Rumour has it that MPs have been known to hide behind pillars and scamper quickly into the procession when no-one is looking. Personally I like to leave attending until the debate proper starts some hours after the Queen delivers her speech - but there's no doubt that the pomp and pageantry is a fine way to start the Parliament!
Posted at 02:53 pm by juliemorgan
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