20 December - Not a good start
This must have been a daunting week for new MPs and it appears to be the in thing to do video blogs about it.
Bexley Councillor Gareth Bacon (MP for Orpington) did
a quite tasteful one on College Green and if the background venue
is any guide Abena Oppong-Asare (MP for Erith & Thamesmead) did one on the way
home each night. As a curmudgeonly old bloke (™ Philip Read) I found them a little ostentatious
but I accept that it may aid transparency and understanding for those who will
be voting for more years ahead than I will be.
I did wonder how long she might keep it up for; four late night videos so far but I’m
guessing there may not be a fifth for a while.
According to the Political Editor of The Sun Newspaper, Tom Newton Dunn, the MP
for Erith & Thamesmead forgot to vote in what might be the most important vote
of the Parliament. The EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill.
I can only guess at what Abena’s views on Brexit are, she failed to mention
either Brexit or that other curmudgeonly old man in her election literature or face questions at hustings.
I would therefore like to think she was merely reflecting the wishes of her electorate, Bexley voters being Leavers and abstaining
was a compromise with those further west: but somehow I doubt it.
The wags on Twitter are having a field day of course; proposals that that level
of competence is a qualification for Labour Leader, mistook the lobby queue for
the lunch queue, a poor anagram of her name.