Reflecting on seismic events in politics

A week is a long time in politics.
David Cameron with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, outside 10 Downing Street in London before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. Picture by Hannah McKay/PA WireDavid Cameron with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, outside 10 Downing Street in London before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. Picture by Hannah McKay/PA Wire
David Cameron with wife Samantha and children Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and Florence, 5, outside 10 Downing Street in London before leaving for Buckingham Palace for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister. Picture by Hannah McKay/PA Wire

Now that the pace of change in Westminster and the country as a whole has slowed, it is worth reflecting on the seismic events that have occurred in the past few months.

Eight weeks ago my lovely colleague Jo Cox MP was brutally murdered in her constituency.

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Seven weeks ago, the citizens of the United Kingdom went to the polls and decided by a majority of 1.4 million, through a full referendum process, to leave the European Union.

The following day the Prime Minister David Cameron resigned.

Six weeks ago, five Conservative MPs put their hat into the ring for the contest to select the party’s new leader, and the country’s new Prime Minister.

Five weeks ago, with the Conservative Party leadership contest in full swing, Conservative MPs whittled the shortlist down to two, sending Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May out to Party members for final selection.

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Three days later Andrea Leadsom decided to stand aside in the contest, leaving Theresa May the only candidate and therefore the new Prime Minister.

Four weeks ago, our old Prime Minister had been to see the Queen to resign, our new Prime Minister had been asked to put together a new Government by Her Majesty, and new Secretaries of State and senior ministers in every department were being appointed.

Two new departments were also created – the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department for International Trade.

Now, with MPs back in their constituencies for six weeks to catch up with all the local activities, the realisation that a week can be a long time in politics has never been more true.

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None of us could ever have imagined that so much would happen in such a short time. In fact Lord Dobbs, of House of Cards fame, said to me that if he’d written this story no publisher would have taken it.

I am about to embark on my annual tour of this vast and wonderful constituency, continuing in the time-honoured tradition of taking in as many of the towns, villages and hamlets as possible in order to make the most of the summer break to get out and see as many people as I can.

The full details of where I will be are available on my website, but you can call my offices in Alnwick and Berwick to find out more, or to seek assistance from me and my team on personal or local issues.

My battle to assist our military families with their housing needs and the service they receive from the Ministry of Defence’s contractor continues.

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The Public Account Committee report on the Service Families Accommodation hearing I led before the House of Commons broke up for the summer has now been published, and the MoD has confirmed that serving personnel are allowed to contact their MPs about these sorts of issues.

Military personnel and their families are now beginning to speak out to their MPs, and colleagues and I are doing what we can to affect change for them.

If military families in Northumberland need assistance, they should always contact me, I am able and very willing to help.

Dates for Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s constituency tour are as follows:

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August 25: The Victoria Hotel, Bamburgh, 3pm; Seahouses Development Trust cafe, 4pm; Beadnell WI Hall, 5pm; Embleton Parish Church Room, 6pm.

September 9: Outside Hauxley Village Hall, 3pm; Amble Development Trust, 3.30pm; The Sun Hotel, Warkworth, 4.30pm; The Coach, Lesbury, 5.30pm; The Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth, 6.30pm.

For more information, or to contact the Berwick-upon-Tweed MP visit www.teamtrevelyan.co.uk

Alternatively, call the Alnwick office on 01665 517512, or the Berwick office on 01289 385150. Email [email protected]