Rob Wilson's Westminster Diary and letter to the editor

Rob Wilson MP • Last updated 22 Jan 2009 14:00 0 Comments

I HAVE read Alan Clark's diaries and what a good read they were.

I remember how he would agonise about reshuffles; who was up or down and what would or wouldn't happen to him.

I had never been through a real reshuffle because I was originally a one-off appointment by David Cameron to replace Boris who had gone off to be Mayor of London.

But in Westminster this week I got my first taste, because I was one of those reshuffled! My post as Shadow Higher Education Minister was an extremely junior one, very much a first rung on the ladder, but a post I really enjoyed and where I built-up considerable knowledge.

Then at 9am on Monday a phone call: "Chief Whip here, where are you?". "In Reading, Chief," I replied. "How quickly can you get here?" I had to think, I had an engagement I'd have to pull out of and I don't like to let people down. "Get here before 12 then, come straight to David's office."

At this point the Alan Clark Diaries kick in! The sack? A move maybe? Sideways, or up (it couldn't be any more junior!)? If it is a move, where to, after all we all have our likes and dislikes? What if it was something like fisheries or fishing? Would I say no? My mind raced ahead.

I actually started rehearsing potential ways of refusing various posts. But then you go through all sorts of rather pathetic rationales. For example, ‘I was called so early in the morning, they always sack people first, so it must be the sack!'. ‘Hang on, I've done a great job at Higher Education, why would I get the sack?', ‘It must be a promotion then, yes it's promotion!'. You also start thinking of your staff and their roles and how they might be affected.

I must have been the last to turn up at David Cameron's office, waiting outside a bit like a naughty schoolboy. Then you are ushered in, do some small talk and the offer lands in front of you with a thud - slightly stunning you. For me, not a sacking this time (although in politics it will come in due course), a move to the Whip's office.

I'd not thought about the Whip's office, but knew in the Conservative Party it is used to ‘hothouse' those earmarked for greater things. So there it was, moved from a junior post to a lower middle rank but with the chance to learn a great deal and very quickly. Alan Clark would have been very happy with that at the start of his Parliamentary career I'm sure, particularly as he loved the so-called "black arts" and gossip of the Whip's office!

But suddenly, my job at Higher Education was terminated. All the planned meetings, all the draft papers, ongoing research, all finished in a few minutes. It ends that quickly and does feel strange, and slightly sad, because it's a complete shock. But you also begin your new job immediately, so the potential void is filled within hours.

I have responsibility for two departmental teams, about 20 MPs and ensuring Opposition activity in the Commons Chamber is well co-ordinated and smoothly run. Of course there's a lot more to the job, but I will save that for another column...or perhaps my own diaries.

--------

Dear Editor

I do not recall ever writting about the MP for Reading West in my Westminster column, so I always find it fascinating that he finds the time and the inclination to spend so much of his time and energy writing about me. Perhaps he's missing his previous rather distasteful battles with the former Reading East MP, Jane Griffiths? He has a problem with Reading East MPs it seems.

Normally I would not bother to respond, but on this occasion I will because the issue of Gaza is so significant. There was a meeting in my Reading East constituency two weeks ago to discuss it, which Salter attended. I couldn't because I was returning from abroad the same day and already had a long planned engagement. The notice was extremely short for someone who had not been in the country! I sent a hastily put together and balanced letter to the meeting, which was based on the latest available Foreign Office and Government information. My letter did not take sides, was measured and was pretty close to both Government's and my Party's position on the matter. If my letter was "poorly judged and badly received" as Salter said (it wasn't poorly judged but could have been badly received of course) then so is his own Labour Government's policy as they were pretty identical.

My letter also apologised for not being able to be present. Disappointingly, I am reliably informed that Salter told the audience I simply couldn't be bothered to attend. He implicitly repeats this in his Westminster column last week when he said "My Reading East counterpart failed to attend". Yet Salter is fully aware of the reasons I was not there.

However, it's not the pettiness or the bad manners to a fellow MP that is important. It's the hypocrisy of his position - the substance of the issue. He went to this meeting and told the people present largely what they wanted to hear. He criticised my letter, which was very simialr to his own Government's stance, yet twice last week at Westminster he had the opportunity on the floor of the House to raise his concern about these issues that he says he says he feels so passionately about. On Monday he could have raised them with the Foreign Secretary, but sat meekly at the back of the Chamber. It's not that he didn't get called, it's that he didn't even attempt to say anything. Then, on Thursday, there was a full Parliamentary debate and he didn't even turn up. I know from personal experience that MPs are very busy, but this is an issue he is supposedly passionate about? He could have spoken in the debate and condemned who he liked and said what he liked, but instead not a word, nor even a whimper. Deafening silence.

But unfortunately Salter has made a career grandstanding to sections of the local Reading population and media, whilst doing entirely the opposite at Westminster. He is categorised on Theyworkforyou.com as "Hardly Ever Rebels" - so where is this self-styled champion for local people? Not in the official records of the House of Commons, that's for sure.

The examples are all too numerous, he ran a campaign locally trying to stop local Post Office closures, but when he had the chance to vote against their closure at Westminster he did no such thing. He told people he was voting against the war in Iraq - he abstained! Don't take my word for it, take a look through the records here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/martin_salter/reading_west#votingrecord there's plenty of material.

My belief is that Gaza is far too important to posture about in my Reading East constituency. I'm sorry if there are people who don't agree with my view, but they will get the same view from me in Westminster as in my constituency.

Yours sincerely

Rob Wilson MP

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This blog appeared in Reading Chronicle 22 Jan 09

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