2016 November

Below is my speech in full:

I was delighted to chair and contribute at a session in Portcullis House on the Role of a Member of Parliament on Tuesday 22nd November 2016. The panel also included Stephen Hammond MP, and Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh OBE MP. The objectives of the session were to point out: the role of an MP in the UK Parliament; how to find the right balance between handling various commitments, in and out of their constituency, as well as taking into account personal interests and political pressures; the relationship between the political party and the MP; and finally, the differences between a list MP and a constituency MP.

On Monday 21 November I hosted an event to raise awareness of Post-traumatic Hypopituitarism (PTHP). Joanna Lane, author of ‘Mother of a Suicide: The Battle for the Truth Behind a Mental Health Cover-up’, was concerned about the failure of health professionals to warn patients about PTHP.

I was delighted to meet young disabled people at the House of Commons who told me how volunteering has made a difference to them by developing their skills and raising their confidence through ‘Can Do’ workshops, community projects and mentoring.