To keep closer to Swindon through the week I am encouraging you to come to Parliament and see your democracy in action. In the last few days people of all ages have been to Westminster to take the official tour and hold me to account, by asking me questions about Swindon concerns.  

Gloucester MP Parmjit Dhanda is famous for being able to persuade large numbers of his constituents to come to parliament to meet him, and I am convinced we can do better. Contact my office using the details on this website and I will organise a special tour for you and your friends or family – and I will try my best to make time to meet you at the end of your visit.  

This Tuesday 50 residents from across the town came by coach, went on the tour and ended up in one of the Palace of Westminster’s Committee Rooms for a Question and Answer session with me. I don’t think I have ever seen a House of Commons committee room so full of people eager to take part in a debate!  

Last Thursday some of my youngest constituents from Lawn Primary School came for an Educational visit to Parliament. From the standard of questions I was asked from the children from Lawn, I know we will have no problem in 20 years time when looking for potential Councillors and MPs in Swindon.   

In my view the best antidote to the politics portrayed in our media is to see it in action. I hope I can prove to you that debate can be good natured – rather than yah boo! and that Parliament is not just a working building for the MPs, but a place for all of us to join the debate.   

When Parliament was being built 900 years ago, in theory no one had a say in how the country was run apart from the King. Now the corridors of power belong to the British people. According to the tour guides there are three miles of corridor in the Palace of Westminster - this is why I recommend flat shoes when people visit the House of Commons! – you might not get to see all of it if you visit me here but hopefully enough to get a better idea of the work that is being done and its historical context. I look forward to seeing you.