Main Content

MP face to face

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2006-02-12 05:41:48 - Graham Ellis

On Friday, I met Dr Andrew Murrison MP in his constituency office in Trowbridge, to fill him in on potential flaws in some "footfall" statistics on threatened train services such as the "TransWilts" and the Bristol to Waterloo which provides the only direct trains to London from 3 of the towns in his constituency.

I'm a bit of a political cynic, but I have to admit to being impressed. Dr Murrison is more a medical than a transport man. He was well informed, yet knew the limits of his knowledge. A sharp mind, able to come back with good and pertinent questions (including difficult ones) too.

It's also good to see how quiet and without fanfare the whole MP's operation is - at least in this particular case. A discreet office, a pleasant reception staff, an offer of a coffee, and the chance to put some very niche / specialist points in an unhurried way. Perhaps that's just the way it is in the South West of England and things would be much more frenetic in London.