Metropol

It's been an interesting few weeks politically and a conversation arose in the office about our local MP, Liz Truss, and how she in particular doesn't really seem to be a face that you ever see around these parts.

According to Truss's website, she lives in London and Downham Market.

Downham Market is pretty close to me and for those that don't know it, I'd describe it as a fairly unremarkable market town. Lots of houses, a couple of shops, not a lot else.

After a bit of digging and using publicly available information, I was able to discover where Liz lives in Downham Market - and let's just say, she must have either bought or rented the shittest cheapest place she could find.

Truss doesn't look like the sort of lady that would live in a scruffy 50s house in the anus of Downham Market - but that's precisely where she lives apparently... the house doesn't look lived in at all.

Although not a massive surprise, how many of our local MPs get away with this?

I do find it rather deceitful that mates and friends of the political establishment are parachuted into safe seats - it won't surprise you to learn that the Conservatives was the only party I didn't get any propaganda from during the election campaign (several bits from labour, 1 from ukip)

How local is your MP?

My MP lives on the other side of London. He used to live locally, but moved recently to be nearer his wife's family for childcare reasons. Which I guess isn't unreasonable. I've never seen him about the place though. Our neighbouring constituency's MP does live locally - I'm told she can often be seen out shopping or occasionally at pub quizzes.

Our MP's wife was elected last week to the constituency in which they live. Her sister is an MP too; her address is listed as being very close to her own patch.

(Now, have I given enough clues for anyone to work out where I live?)

Where I grew up we had the dubious honour of Seb Coe as MP for Falmouth & Camborne between 1992 and 1997 (which at the time had become a safe Conservative seat after 22 years of David Mudd who stood down at the 1992 election). Coe had no links whatsoever to the area, and made next to no attempt to forge any during his tenure either.

His final snub to the area he once represented came years later when during the London olympics the organising committee - of which he was chairman - announced a route for the torch relay which basically went around the bulk of what was once his constituency (which is largely a poor run down area) rather than go through it, even though that would have been a more direct route.

My local MP always adds the name of the town to the constituency title when talking about the area, and the estate agency he is one of the directors of recently opened a branch in the town.

cwathen wrote: Wed 14 Jun, 2017 22.43 Where I grew up we had the dubious honour of Seb Coe as MP for Falmouth & Camborne between 1992 and 1997 (which at the time had become a safe Conservative seat after 22 years of David Mudd who stood down at the 1992 election). Coe had no links whatsoever to the area, and made next to no attempt to forge any during his tenure either.

Newport West is a weird one. Very Brexity, not many jobs, very hardened attitudes on the street towards foreigners albeit with a largely peacefully co-existing Asian and Eastern European population (although the Asian pop is a little ghettoised down in Pill), a hated Labour council.... yet we keep returning Paul Flynn every time. Local boy, good old-fashioned socialist Labour MP, republican. Could be pin red-rosette-on-a-donkey type, but hey. Tories don't even come close despite the relatively affluent areas of Allt Yr Yn, High Cross, Caerleon and Castleton all being in the boundary.

I don't like him because every election day seems to fall on a night shift for me so when I vote and go home to go to bed he always seems to be driving around with a loudhailer and a pratmobile shouting to the rooftops, disturbing my already lacklustre slumber.

I do note that Neil Hamilton got into the Assembly but not Parliament for South West Wales despite living in Wiltshire.