MP: I’m fit and raring to go

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has declared himself fit and raring to go as he starts a new session of Parliament that will see him given added responsibilities.

This week, Glyn has been promoted by Prime Minister, David Cameron, to the Ministerial team at the Wales Office, becoming the first MP elected at last May's election to be made a Parliamentary Private Secretary – widely considered as the first step on the political ladder in the House of Commons. This will also be the first time ever that a Montgomeryshire MP has held a position in Government.

Just four months ago, Glyn (left, reading the new mywelshpool poster) pulled off one of the most stunning election victories ever when he overturned Lembit Opik's overwhelming majority to win by a comfortable margin himself. It was the first Conservative victory in Montgomeryshire for 24 years, and only the second time for the Conservatives to beat the Liberal Democrats since 1880.

But Glyn's first 100 days in office have had their highs and lows. His first two speaking opportunities were frustrated, the second after he discovered an irregular heartbeat which necessitated a short stay in hospital. While Glyn will undergo a medical procedure to correct the rhythm of his heart later this month, he is back to 100% fitness. He tells mywelshpool that he is champing at the bit to get stuck into his new responsibilities while continuing with his constituency work.

“I’ve had a lifelong interest in politics, so to become an MP at such an important and interesting time in British politics has been a real privilege,”  Glyn Davies said. “I’ll be representing the people of Montgomeryshire to the best of my ability every hour that I'm awake to ensure the constituency has a strong and powerful voice fighting on its behalf.”

Glyn admits that on election day, he was feeling confident that he would have a good result following his team's great campaign, but even he was shocked to beat Mr Opik by such a large margin, and that it took a while for the result to sink in.  He also admitted that the instant workload was difficult to manage because it took some time to employ the necessary staff. He added that regrettably this initially overwhelming workload meant that he was not able to properly thank everyone who had supported him and sent messages of goodwill.

“Nothing can prepare you for a job of this importance and magnitude,” he said. “I am still receiving around 150 emails every single day, and a stack of mail as well. The office receives a constant stream of phone calls so it has been crucial to develop a system to deal with as many queries as possible.

 “I usually spend Monday-Thursday in London, and we often have late night voting.  And I'm desperately keen to stay involved in constituency issues by attending meetings and events on Fridays and weekends.  I can only compare it with my experiences on my farm during the lambing season when it was impossible to reach a stage when everything was done.  But I love the job and will do it to the best of my ability.”

Glyn had previously been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales, and was forced to hit the ground running after the election because the Conservatives had failed to secure a majority and needed to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. The usual week set aside for new MPs to organise themselves was abandoned as all Conservative MPs were summoned to Westminster immediately to negotiate the coalition agreement.

“I’m an MP who is loyal to the coalition.  It’s important that it works well in the national interest. But I also intend to say what I believe is in the best interests of Montgomeryshire, even if I have been promoted to a ministerial position.

“While dealing with the massive debts and continuing terrorist threats that the Government is faced with will continue to top the agenda, there are many issues that deeply concern the people of Montgomeryshire - such as the rash of wind farm proposals and reorganisation of our health and education services.”

But the MP says that he is going to meet these challenges head on to minimise the impact that national problems have on Montgomeryshire.

Meanwhile the ousted Mr Opik, who spent four terms as Montgomeryshire's MP, has since re-invented himself with a job on Iranian backed Press TV, and also as a stand-up comedian. His successor says "I can only wish him well for the future.”