Life for South Norwich’s new MP

After spending 4 years campaigning to win Norwich South, Simon Wright is making the most of becoming the city’s newest MP. Being a Liberal Democrat he says, now opens doors which were firmly shut before.

Simon Wright won his seat from Charles Clarke(Lab) by a very narrow margin in May. Just 310 votes. But it was enough to give him the opportunity he’s been waiting for. He can finally put some the local issues he campaigned for in the past, to a new audience. 

The 30 year old splits his time between London and Norwich, experiencing life as a commuter firsthand. He has a modest flat in London; “well within my allowance”. He returns to Norfolk on Thursdays, where he holds weekly surgeries every Friday within the constituency.

During the summer recess, he plans to be in Norwich for the majority of the time, giving him a chance to get on top of his case load. He also hopes to grab a quick holiday with his wife, Rosalind, who represents Eaton for the Lib Dems on Norwich City Council.

His inbox has been inundated since Day 1, and since he’s only just recruited office staff, he’s relied on volunteers to help deal with the emails and correspondence. “It’s a vast amount of work. Many people who had help from the previous MP are coming to me to ask for help with their cases. But it’s massively rewarding and I have found I’ve been able to help some people already with issues such as benefits or immigration.”

He describes a sense of privilege and honour to be selected by the people of Norwich, and says he experienced a wave of emotion when he first walked into the chamber: “a place with such a huge amount of history, power and awe.”

Since entering Westminister, he’s wasted no time championing local concerns. He’s already gained a commitment from a Government Minister on the future security of Post Offices and he’s campaigning for investment in Norfolk’s transport network, promoting the economic benefits of dualling the A11: “Getting Norwich and Norfolk better connected is a vital step towards overcoming our geographical constraints and the competitive disadvantage that businesses in the region face.”

Being part of the coalition he says, has given him access to ministers he would never have had in the past. Last month he secured a meeting with The Treasury for all 9 of Norfolk MPs, to argue the case for future funding in Norfolk. He said: “The Treasury Minister said it was the first time they’d been approached by MPs representing a whole county, hunting for the best deal for an area. It was a real show of force.” He added: “There’s a real willingness across Norfolk to work together, something I think is very positive for Norfolk and Norwich.”

And his biggest reward so far? “It’s actually having the opportunity to do something about those issues I’ve been campaigning on for the last 4 years, by raising them in Parliament or with the relevant ministers. All of a sudden doors open and people start to listen.”