They say a week is a long time in politics. Since my last column a month ago there has been huge change, particularly for me.
On Monday, June 8, at nearly 10pm I had a call from the Prime Minister asking me if I would like to take on a new job as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
I said yes but I was not at all sure of what I had let myself in for. I have been a minister in this government since 2005 and my job has been in the Whips’ Office.
Despite its reputation as a department of the dark arts responsible for persuading MPs to vote against their will, in reality it is the engine room of the government and the parliamentary party, making sure that new laws pass smoothly through the House of Commons and that MPs are kept informed of all the Government is doing. In contrast, being a minister in a department is much more policy focussed.
Now as a Justice Minister, I am responsible for the Criminal Justice System, sentencing policy, victims and witnesses and a whole range of other policy areas within the Ministry of Justice and working in support of the Secretary of State Jack Straw. As a solicitor before entering Parliament I have some legal knowledge so the work is familiar territory although there are lots of new areas to get to grips with including the controversial debate around laws relating to genocide and war crimes.
Now my days in Parliament are even busier. The famous red boxes of a minister have become a daily task for me to complete the work contained within them overnight. Whereas a whip is traditionally silent in the House of Commons, now I have a speaking role – answering questions, taking part in debates and appearing before committees.
I am keen to see our criminal justice system work better to support victims of crime and make sure that those responsible for crime are punished accordingly. I want to see our communities work together to tackle anti social behaviour and crime and ensure that they can see when justice has been done.
As always my constituents across Watford and Abbots Langley will help play their part in keeping me informed of their views and experiences of the criminal justice system. So if you have been a victim of crime, let me know what your experience has been. If you think that there are projects that those on community sentences should be working on, let me know.
Of course by moving to my new post I had to say farewell to my role as Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household. So last week I met the Queen to hand over my wand of office (actually it gets inscribed and returned for me to keep) and to formally pass the role on to my successor. I was in the post a very short time (The Queen suggested it may be the shortest) but a fascinating insight into the Royal Household and a closer than normal glimpse at our remarkable Head of State.
