This weekend marks exactly two years since I was elected. Ironically, it will be marked by the imminent arrival of a new Prime Minister: one who did not even stand at the last election, let alone get elected on the Labour manifesto. He will no doubt face pressure over the summer to seek his own mandate from the electorate, and we could face another General Election before I see in my third anniversary as an MP. So much for the promise of ‘stable government’.
It seems an appropriate time to look back at the last two years of what has been the greatest honour of my life, representing the people of West Dorset.
I have sat on two Select Committees during this time: the Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Security Strategy Committee. This has coincided with a Trump presidency, the Mandelson Affair, increased geopolitical insecurity, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the publishing of the National Security Strategy and the Defence Review, as well as increased hybrid war attacks on the UK.
To say it has been interesting times is an understatement!
I also sat on the Rail Bill Committee seeking to improve the delivery of a nationalised rail network, pushing for improvements to both the London to Exeter line and the Heart of Wessex line, as well as mandating minimum levels of service across the UK rail network, including better Wi-Fi, toilets, accessibility, seats, plugs and catering.
More locally, I secured a pilot project for a salmon restoration scheme in our vital chalk streams, supported the reopening of the maternity unit at Yeovil, helped reopen the pharmacies in Lyme Regis and Bridport, worked on improved accessibility at Dorchester South train station, brought together parties to find solutions for Newell House after the fire there, supported our farmers in their campaign against the Family Farm Tax, and a host of other things.
My team and I have also resolved more than 22,000 pieces of casework. We’ve helped children get Education Health and Care Plans, secure school places and transport, pensioners get their benefits, shelter and support for abused spouses, homes for homeless people, emergency evacuation for people stuck in the conflict zones, families to get home from far flung places, passports issued, driving licences returned, parking tickets overturned, potholes filled and literally thousands of other unique and often very complex cases.
At the heart of all of them is a human being who just needs help.
It has been a rollercoaster two years. Often very trying, often very frustrating … but ultimately always rewarding. I would once again like to say a huge thank you for the huge honour of serving you.
Edward Morello MP
for West Dorset
