What do MPs do?
As the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, I’m responsible for representing local people in Parliament and making sure their voices are heard. I split my time between working in Parliament and in Plymouth.
There are 650 MPs in Parliament. We debate issues, make legislation and hold the government to account. You can find out more about the work of MPs by clicking here.
Strict Parliamentary rules mean I can only deal with issues raised by constituents in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. If you don’t know who your MP is, you can find out by clicking here.
As your MP, how can I help you?
An MP can try to help you with all matters for which Parliament or central government is responsible, such as:
- HM Revenue and Customs Department- tax or national insurance matters
- Department for Work and Pensions- benefits and pension matters
- Home Office- matters regarding immigration and passports
- Department of Health- matters regarding hospitals and the NHS.
As your representative, I may be able to speak to government officials and agencies on your behalf, or write to the relevant government minister.
I hold advice surgeries for folks in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. This gives you an opportunity to raise issues with me and ask if your situation is one that an MP can help with.
In addition, I attend events and visit organisations in Plymouth most weeks, to help me better understand how services are being delivered and the problems people face. These include visits to businesses, community groups, charities, schools and healthcare providers.
What can’t I do as your Member of Parliament?
MPs cannot provide legal or financial advice, nor intervene in legal matters or court cases.
You should contact your local councillor if you wish to raise an issue relating to services provided by Plymouth City Council. Click here to find your local councillor.
Government ministers face additional restrictions on what they can do. This is because ministers are part of the government and so have to adhere to ‘collective responsibility’. Currently, I am Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry in the Ministry of Defence. This means, according to Parliamentary rules, I cannot:
- Table Written Parliamentary Questions.
- Speak in Parliamentary debates outside my role as Defence Minister.
- Table Private Members’ bills.
- Sign Early Day Motions (EDMs) in Parliament.
However this does not mean that I cannot assist constituents with issues and problems. Instead, I raise issues with the government by speaking to ministers in private, or writing to them, as well as making representations to government agencies.
What are Early Day Motions (EDMs) and why don’t I sign them?
Early day motions (EDMs) are short motions submitted in the House of Commons. It is extremely rare that an EDM is debated in Parliament, regardless of how many signatures it attracts, because no specific time in Parliament is allocated to debating them.
Like many MPs across political parties, I have made the decision not to sign Early Day Motions (EDMs). In my view, EDMs are an ineffective way of campaigning for change. EDMs do not trigger debates in Parliament, nor does the government of the day issue a response to them. Often referred to as “Parliamentary graffiti”, EDMs do not result in policy change because it is very easy for the government to ignore them. In addition, each EDM costs the taxpayer in administrative costs to process and publish. This is money which I think is better spent elsewhere.
EDMs can create the false impression that an MP is pushing for change. In my experience as an MP, it is more effective to use different tools such as speaking in parliamentary debates, as well as writing to Ministers and holding meetings with them.
As well as this, as a government minister, strict parliamentary rules prohibit me from signing EDMs. This is because of the principle of collective responsibility in government.