Many people assume that MPs are on holiday during a parliamentary recess. It is quite the opposite. For all of our new intake of parliamentarians, the summer recess has been our first opportunity to get started on our most important task: setting up a constituency office. When Parliament is sitting, MPs are required to be in Westminster for 3-4 days a week. So a recess is a vital time for us to work on projects in the constituency.
For me, as the first MP for our new constituency that spans from Sonning to Shinfield and Whitley to Woodley, I see my most important mission as community engagement. I want to make sure constituents know how to reach me and what issues I can help with.
As your MP, I don’t possess a magic wand, but my team and I can help you with problems related to national government services, such as pensions and benefits. For local council issues, your local councillors are usually the first point of call, but you are always welcome to get in touch with my office if you think there is something we could do to help. And of course, my team and I will coordinate and run campaigns on both local and national issues in response to what you tell us about.
One important part of my outreach is through regular surgeries. Living in Earley, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a MP surgery in the area, so it’s particularly exciting to start my own. Our new constituency brings together many different communities, and so my regular MP surgeries will be held in various locations rotating across the constituency.
On Saturday 7 September, I will hold my first surgery in Whitley, and my team is also scouting out venues in Shinfield, Earley, Woodley and Sonning. Any resident from anywhere in Earley and Woodley constituency is, of course, welcome to attend any surgery.
Encouraging community cohesion, tackling social isolation, and empowering our many thriving local community organisations is an important part of my community engagement mission.
That’s why I am holding my surgeries in a “community gathering” format. There will be a social space with tea and coffee, and separate rooms for constituents to discuss personal matters with me and my team. I will invite local charity and community partners, because I believe my work of supporting residents is best done in collaboration with groups who know their own particular communities best.
Our Saturday 7th September surgery will be held in collaboration with local groups such as the Whitley Community Development Association, Citizens’ Advice Reading, and Reading Voluntary Action. Our broad theme for this surgery is to address concerns over energy costs, particularly among pensioners. Many pensioners may not realise that they are eligible for pension credit, and by extension the Winter Fuel Allowance. If this sounds like it could be you, or anyone you know, please do come along – you can sign up to attend our community coffee morning and constituency surgery at yuanforearleyandwoodley.org/surgery-sign-up.
If you know of a venue local to you that could host us for a future surgery, or community groups that would like to co-host – please get in touch. Sadly, tragic events over the last few years mean that security officers and sometimes police will be present at surgeries. I will strive to ensure a balance of accessibility and security when organising constituency events.
Another important part of outreach is door-knocking. A week after the general election, I went back to my weekend habit of knocking on doors across the constituency to introduce myself to residents and to hear your thoughts on what you want from their local MP. Over the past few weeks, it has been lovely to hear many voters of all stripes – and non-voters too – say that it is refreshing to meet an MP on the doorstep for the first time. So if you hear your doorbell ring – it may well turn out to be me.
If you want to stay up-to-date with all my work in the constituency and in parliament, you can sign up to my monthly newsletter at bit.ly/yuan-newsletter. If you’re a constituent and have a problem I can help with, get in touch at [email protected].
Yuan Yang is the MP for Earley & Woodley
