Chris Vince describes his first week as Harlow’s MP

News / Fri 12th Jul 2024 at 08:05am

DESPITE having spent over a decade campaigning for Labour in Essex and six years as a Harlow Councillor, nothing quite prepares you for stepping in to the Houses of Parliament for the first time. Just navigating the labyrinth of corridors is a challenging experience. They still haven’t allocated anyone an office yet, so they have converted a committee room into a hot-desking space.

However, having so many brilliant new Labour colleagues from across the region has certainly helped.

After a very busy campaign it was good to spend the weekend after the election visiting community events such as The Great Get Together in the Town Park and also make it along to Harlow Town Football Club for a pre season friendly.

In parliament this week much of our time has been spent in training sessions to understand parliamentary procedure. On Tuesday I was in the chamber for the election of the speaker of the house and, on Wednesday I was officially sworn in as Harlow’s newest MP, in front of him.

This was on the same day that I watched England reach the finals of the European championships in my local, being compared to Gareth Southgate by this publication is feeling better and better.

I was determined to start as I mean to go on, championing our town and ensuring that I am acting on your priorities, which is why I have already written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and for the Home Office.

Thank you once again for the faith you have shown in me.

Chris Vince

Member of Parliament for Harlow and the Villages

5 Comments for Chris Vince describes his first week as Harlow’s MP:

Adam

2024-07-12 10:18:44

It would be very interesting for you to explain the process of it all, it is something most people never experience. Good luck

Turkey

2024-07-13 06:18:10

Hopefully only for one term.

Terry Blackburn

2024-07-13 13:43:07

Congratulations Chris on becoming an MP. However, my next sentence will not please you. After moving to Harlow in the 60s, I grew up oblivious to how a town should be run. So any changes went unnoticed. However, by the time I married in 1988, and at 32 years old, I had had enough of the stinking hole that it had become and moved to Welwyn g City. Sadly, the rest of my family stayed, so I still "have to" visit. And I have to say, just what a great decision I made some 30 odd years later. Harlow is a bigger tip than ever now, thanks to the way the streets have been neglected, the verges and parks are a disgrace. Your traffic management is totally devoid of any thought to progress of vehicles. Keeping bus lanes open when the daily bus numbers have dropped dramatically. The narrowing on the approach to most roundabouts is a complete farce, designed I would suggest, to actually make travelling difficult. You seem to revel in how much chaos you can generate by digging up junctions on major through routes both at the same time. By also employing contractors that promise to take forever to get the work done. As the roads themselves, I can not believe my eyes, at the state of the surface. In some places, I swear I can see the original concrete laid down in the 60s. The Town Centre is a complete ghost town, why does anyone bother shopping there.. . . . . . . . . . Jeeze, where do I stop with all this, I could go on and on. Anyway, I will not be moving back at anytime in my life, but would like to apologise to anyone that I have upset with this rant. I was lucky to have the option and good fortune to be able to get out where most people can not. Good luck to anyone living there, and good luck to you Chris, you will need it.

David Forman

2024-07-13 16:37:26

The local and general election hustings revealed a number of candidates knew little about finance, so a report from the Education Select Committee published May 22 this year should interest Mr Vince as a former maths teacher. The report summary says: "Despite widespread acceptance of the benefits and importance of financial education, the range of evidence we received was near unanimous that financial education in primary schools in England is currently insufficient and should be expanded. We heard evidence that children are using money at an increasingly young age and with greater independence and that children under eleven are being reached by online marketing and may be subject to financial risks and pressures. Effective financial education needs to begin during primary school years to prepare children for the financial world in which they increasingly participate. "The amount of delivery time dedicated to financial education in primary and secondary school mathematics is insufficient and does not reflect the importance of personal financial literacy or the emphasis which has been placed on it by the Government. The Committee heard that more financial content should be included within the mathematics curriculum." See summary & report at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmeduc/265/summary.htm

David Forman

2024-07-13 16:42:05

There is at least one vacancy on the Education Select Committee as constituted prior to the dissolution of Parliament: Conservative Vicky Ford lost her seat in Chelmsford. Maybe, Mr Vince should consider applying to sit on this committee?