I’m drafting this, laptop on my knees, perching on a green leather bench in a Victorian Gothic corridor — a day in the life of a brand-new MP is chaotic, romantic and utterly surreal. They say a week is a long time in politics and for me this has been quite a week.
Only last Friday at 4.30am I was elected the new Member of Parliament for Finchley and Golders Green. I feel like I’ve compressed the experiences of a lifetime into a week. From stocking up on tights to answering constituent emails, my feet have hardly touched the ground. But every day I am reminded of the privilege of being sent here to serve my constituents and country.
Thursday — Election Day
Six weeks after Rishi Sunak called the election in the pouring rain, the sun is out as voters go to the polls. My stomach is in knots. All the canvassing, hustings and leafleting is over. It’s the day people decide. I start the morning at Golders Green Tube station with my shiny rosette. Some people tell me they have just voted for me, others avoid eye contact on their way to work (it seems that not everyone is as obsessed about the election). I spend the day campaigning in every part of the seat until my feet are sore! At 10pm, I watch the exit poll with friends and family — a Labour landslide. It feels like winning the cup final. We hug, we kiss, and I head to bed to wait for my result.
Friday
At 2.30am, I head to the election count. We’re at the RAF museum under the wings of a Second World War fighter jet. I’m told I’ve won. My knees are shaking, but I get the words out — the country has voted for change and now it’s for MPs like me to deliver. I quote Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: it’s time to build a good society — one which gives every member equal access to hope.
The candidates shake hands and wish each other well. This is the way it should be. A smooth transition of power. Bleary-eyed, I head home to tell my two young girls that mummy starts a big brand-new job today. Later we sit down with my parents for our Friday night dinner.
Saturday
Family time is so important. Saturday is a chance to sleep, eat and be together and let the result sink in.
Sunday
I’m straight into the House of Commons for my induction. It’s freshers’ week all over again, but in a place that is part Hogwarts, part Buckingham Palace. Every new MP is escorted by a “buddy”. I get handed a laptop, shown how to vote and led into the hallowed chamber. The day ends back in East Finchley, celebrating with the army of canvassers and leafleters who make elections possible.
Monday
Today brings together MPs from across the UK. As we gather for a big group photo of the 411 Labour MPs — the lens hardly wide enough to fit us all in — I’m grateful that my commute only involves hopping on the Northern line every Monday morning.
Power has been transferred peacefully. Its a far cry from the scenes we’ve seen elsewhere
Tuesday
Parliament is now in session with Labour on the Government benches, Conservatives in Opposition and new faces from Green to Reform. Before we can get to work, we have to elect a Speaker.
As a history geek, I love the traditions of this place — Black Rod entering with her shiny gold mace and the spectacle of Sir Lindsay Hoyle being ceremoniously dragged from the Government benches and pushed into his chair.
I reflect on our incredible, sometimes bizarre, political system. Power has been transferred peacefully, new MPs were welcomed into their new roles; a far cry from the scenes we’ve seen elsewhere. This democracy is worth fighting for.
Wednesday
In a week of surprises there’s another twist. The PM rings to ask me to join the Government as Solicitor General. It’s a huge honour and responsibility. I commit to working hard every day to uphold the rule of law and drive improvements in our legal system.
Then it’s straight into meetings with senior civil servants. I’m handed a red box full of papers to read. It’s breathless!
And there’s still time to be officially sworn in as an MP. Standing in the queue to take the oath, I’m grounded again after the whirlwind of this week. I am doing this to represent the place and the community which I was born and grew up — it is the honour of my life. Whatever lies ahead, I promise never to lose sight of why I am here and whom I am here to serve.
