There he was, resplendently decked out in a sharp new dark blue suit - awaiting my arrival in the Great Hall at Westminster. Bang on time as befits a well organised man. Phill Carlick has arrived in the House of Commons to manage my office. I was relieved to see him. Felt a bit like someone with an excruciating pain espying the anaesthetist arriving on the scene. At last I have someone who can get to grips with the mountain of correspondence on my desk, and the hundreds of emails in my parliamentary inbox.
Actually its not officially my desk. The point is it,s not anyone's desk. A few days ago, when I found a door unlocked in the Palace of Westminster, and an unoccupied desk behind it, I just moved in. Welcome to the weird world of a newly elected Member of Parliament. It seems that the first rule in this place is that possession is everything, whether it be a seat or a desk. Hope I don't get a call from the 'whips' office tomorrow.
Anyway Phill was my PA during my 8 years at the National Assembly. We suit each other. Like DC and NC. Or Laurel and Hardy. He's organised and I'm not. He's an IT whizzo and I'm not. So that's Phill in London, Jan at Welshpool (shortly to be moving to Newtown) and Pam working part-time from the Association Office at Welshpool. Capello and I announced our final squads on the same day.
Only problem is that Phill hasn't got a desk either. So he's using mine (to the extent that I can call it mine that is). Which means that I have to decamp to work in Portcullis House, the Terrace, or the Member's Tearoom to work - where its a job to avoid the Miliband brothers rushing around putting themselves about. Been here almost a month, and starting to feel in control. My predecessor reckons it took him 8 years.
3 comments:
Well, much relieved to hear that you are someway towards solving your desk problem. I'm much relieved that BP is finally making progress and also relieved to hear that BP senior management has briefed David Cameron on progress ahead of the PM's upcoming visit to Washington, DC which will naturally include at least one meeting with President Obama. I once met Tony Blair when he was PM and visited Chicago c/o the British Consulate in Chicago - a lovely staffer there arranged the meeting (I was in Labour International 'back in the day'). This was an historic occassion as Tony Blair was the first sitting PM to visit and give a speech in Chicago - Winston Churchill once travelled through Chicago on a train, but didn't get off it. I am not aware of any other British PM since Tony Blair who has visited Chicago in an official capacity - maybe someone can prove me wrong.
I do sincerely hope that the Conservative Party 'higher ups' don't go the way of the current crop of 'higher ups' at the Welsh Assembly - insular, arrogant and distant from the people. That will be so sad and damaging.
I wish the best for the Conservative Party - I just hope you guys hold your end of the bargain.
Wales needs jobs. Welsh families need good jobs. If the Conservative Party delivers on that score - they will inevitably do better In re next election cycle.
I'm looking forward to my invite for a drink on the Commons terrace.
Some of us can't wait to see the suit. Our recollection of Phill's time as your organiser in Cardiff Bay don't include anything which remotely fits that description. We can't quite see him as a snappy dresser. Now is the new image a reflection on his or your status?
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