Service to constituents and journalists

AJOURNALIST has asked questions about my service levels as an

MP, so I am sharing the answers in case others are interested.

Service to journalists

I provide a daily commentary on the main issues I am dealing with and matter to my constituents on www.johnredwood.com.

I provide a regular update on local council matters under local issues.

These articles can be reproduced, or used as a source of quotes. They cover the most topical matters that are in the news, they offer new news stories not in the national press, and can of course be commented on.

I am providing thousands of words a week which I write myself to ensure they are my views.

I find it surprising that others, for example, have not taken up the blogs revealing the large losses the Bank of England has already made, the colossal planned losses and how these could be slashed.

Where I raise these matters in Parliament I often also reproduce the Hansard text of my speech or question.

You can assume that where I am raising a big issue on the blog I am talking to Ministers about it, as I do regularly.

I do not normally report on individual meetings with Ministers as these are usually best left as private meetings.

Service to my constituents as Wokingham’s MP

I am the only MP to provide a daily commentary on my views and actions 364 days a year on my website. I do not just write up the issue but am also taking action to get the view across and to seek improved government response and policy.

With the help of my two office staff we seek to answer every incoming email and query by the next working day. My staff handle most of the emails and cases Monday to Friday. I read them and discuss with them ones that pose new issues or problems.

We have daily contact with each other on queries and progress. I answer new queries on Saturdays and Sundays myself where appropriate, reading all incoming.

I do not undertake international travel and attend Parliament when in session, being on call seven days a week all year round. I live in the Borough, and make weekly visits to places in the constituency to keep in touch with local problems.

Knowledge of the parts of the Borough I do not currently represent

I did represent the northern villages of Wokingham Borough prior to the creation of the separate Maidenhead constituency, so I know Wargrave, Remenham, Hurst, Twyford, and Charvil well as a

former MP. I used to live in Sonning, and used to go shopping in Twyford as well as in Wokingham and Woodley. I attend the rowing at Remenham for the Henley regatta each year.

I live in the south of the Borough.

Taking up issues for constituents

The website shows the wide range of matters I do take up.

The crucial ones of public services, jobs and taxes which dominate the website arise from emails, conversations and understandings of my constituents concerns.

Sometimes I lead the campaigns, as with the campaign for small business to get an increase in the VAT threshold, the campaign to slash the unacceptable losses by the Bank or England to free more money for the NHS and other purposes, and the campaign to reduce taxation for the self employed.

Sometimes I support campaigns led by other MPs. I supported James Arbuthnot for many years over the sub postmasters.

I have supported the successful MP campaign to get the government to abandon top down targets to build more homes, leaving more to local decision.