I'm sure I've probably said before in my columns that I've had a mad week. Well, last week really was one of the maddest I've ever experienced. To be at Westminster and observing all that was going on at the centre really was incredible.
It's really quite hard to know where to begin. The vote to Leave the EU was something I really welcomed but got somewhat subsumed by the political fallout afterwards. Personally, I wanted the Prime Minister to stay on for the next couple of years and negotiate our exit but that isn't too be. Of course, before our leadership contest got underway, we had the total collapse into civil war of the Labour Party.
There can't ever have been an occasion in modern British politics that a party has been so divided and at war with itself. This is not actually good for democracy as Parliament and our democratic system doesn't work without a proper opposition. On a practical level we now have the prospect of there being no front bench Labour spokespeople for certain policy areas. Last week I think Labour managed three Shadow Education Secretaries. There were people I had never really heard of resigning from jobs on the opposition front bench I hadn't the slightest clue they held. Yet, still Jeremy remains to the shock of my many Labour MP friends.
Our leadership issues seem to be being conducted in a more orderly manner. Although, the exit of Boris from the campaign was something of a shock. I was live on Sky News Australia at the point it was announced that Michael Gove was standing. I assured the Aussies that couldn't be the case and then had to return to screens in Australia five minutes later to disavow my denials!
I had never been on Team Boris and so would not have voted for him to become Prime Minister. Like most MPs, I have taken a lot of calls from various candidates or their teams in the past week and it has been an interesting experience. For me though, I made my decision quite early following a one on one with Theresa May.
Last Tuesday I went to see her to discuss my three priority areas. These were welfare reform, funding and organisation of the NHS and Brexit. I've twice prevented George Osborne making billions of unfair welfare cuts to working families and disabled people and wanted an assurance Theresa wasn't planning any further shocks to welfare. In terms of the NHS we talked about funding and organisation of the NHS and the need to make it more patient centred.
In terms of Brexit, I wanted an assurance that despite campaigning for Remain, Theresa was committed to getting us out of the EU in line with the vote of the public. I also wanted an assurance that any post-Brexit deal also involved dealing with the unlimited immigration we have seen from the EU. This was one of the major reasons so many local people voted Leave.
I was satisfied and impressed by Theresa on all points and I therefore pledged my support to her. Since then other candidates have emerged including my friend, Andrea Leadsom, who is also very talented. I hope that both of those make it through to party members and look forward to the Conservatives delivering the nation's second female Prime Minister!
We have also seen in the last week a deliberate attempt by some to undermine the confidence in the referendum result. The BBC and other establishment figures seem determined to talk the UK economy and our morale down in the hope that there will be a re-think. Some are even demanding a re-run of the referendum because they can't accept the democratic result.
I'm clear, insulting Leave voters as some have, calling us xenophobes, bigots, too old, too poor, too stupid will not be tolerated. I am not going to allow anyone to raise their vote above the vote of anybody else's. Nobody should insult anyone for how they voted, but all most respect the result.
We should be coming together to work on our post-EU future. Europe has high unemployment and the lowest growth rates on the planet. The U.K. should now forge ahead with making global links, something that will open up opportunities for the young people of our country.
Some of that may have to wait until the leadership issues of both parties are resolved. I'm not playing an active role in that process but it certainly eye opening watching the machinations, back-stabbing and briefings taking place behind the scenes. For the good of the country though, we need a stable government and a strong opposition. The sooner both parties sort themselves out the better!
It was nice to get home on Thursday evening and spend Friday just going about my constituency visits across Brigg and Goole. So much calmer and more sensible up here I find!
