Romsey Advertiser 16 February 2007

Published on Fri 16th Feb 2007

As you read this I shall be returning from holiday but much of the talk around Westminster before recess was about the death of Labour MP Fiona Jones.

I first heard that "a, female MP had died. One of Blair's Babes who has since lost her seat". The story was that she had drunk herself to death. The sad thing to report is that my immediate reaction was to call to mind a different MP.

I did not know Fiona Jones as she lost her seat in 2001 but her death has renewed comment about the drinking culture at the House of Commons. On my first visit to Strangers I was accompanied by Lembit who tried to introduce me to people. He approached one male MP who rushed past us to the bar. Lembit's matter of fact response was, "Oh, don't worry about him. He just needs a drink". Within the next couple of days I met a couple of MPs who had stopped drinking completely because that was the easiest way to control things.

But easy availability of alcohol is only part of the problem. I don't expect many people to sympathise with MPs but the bottom line is that the job can be very stressful. The demands of constituents continue apace, there are always speeches to prepare, deadlines to meet and hours of work trying to understand the intricacies of new legislation if you are on a Standing Committee which deals with a Bill. Add into the mix the realities of being away from your family and having to cope with the machinations of one's political enemies then it is easy to see why drink can become the escape valve.

The nature of the job means that some are wary of confiding in others for fear that a story will end up in the press. Pastoral care is almost non existent.

Fiona Hall also made allegations of sexual harassment at Westminster and much has been made of this by current female Labour MPs. It exists but the problem is not unique to Westminster.

I do actually think that the biggest problem for some is coping with criticism. Everyone finds it easy to knock a politician but my experience is that most people become involved in politics for the best of reasons - not least a sense of public duty.

Unfortunately, the same pattern is repeated to a lesser extent at local level. I have noticed an increasing nastiness in tone in some of the recent letters to this paper. That is the reality of politics but I have been surprised when I have read some of the names at the bottom of the letters as they are people I know and I thought they were nicer than that.

Politics can bring out the worst in people but I want to end on a positive note. Politicians at all levels are generally well intentioned. Despite that, we all may have our own ideas about who is misguided. But above all, politicians are human. That means that occasionally we get it wrong but ultimately we all have the same range of strengths and frailties as are found in any other section of society. Ultimately though, the rewards of politics and the sense of achievement from getting things done means that on balance it is worth it.

Published with the kind permission of Romsey Advertiser