Sir Bob Russell

For Saturday 17^th May 2013

Each Saturday, Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell gives an insight into the working week of a local MP.

Another busy and varied week in the constituency and at Westminster, with votes on The Queen's Speech on Wednesday the final entry for this week.

After I had submitted my diary last Friday I had an urgent meeting with a Colchester company experiencing problems with export documentation. I am pursuing with the Secretary of State for Business.

The MP for Colchester, Sir Bob Russell, contributed to today's Queen's Speech Debate in Parliament. Limited to just 5 minutes, Sir Bob decided to concentrate on a single issue - a better deal for our community public houses.
Below is a copy of Sir Bob's speech.

"Successive governments have spoken of localism and sustainable communities, but the reality has not matched the rhetoric in many respects.

Military personnel who will be deployed on the last two engagements to Afghanistan - from October this year through to the end of 2014 - may have to serve for up to nine months rather than the usual six months, prompting Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell to say that they should have additional home leave during the extended period.

Each Saturday, Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell gives an insight into the working week of a local MP.

The pomp and pageantry of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, the previous evening attending the final of the British Army Boxing Championships, and on Thursday welcoming the Deputy Prime Minister for an official visit to Colchester provided widely contrasting events in my diary over the past week.

Each Saturday, Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell gives an insight into the working week of a local MP.

The County Council Elections have dominated the past week. With Parliament not sitting, I have had a busy diary in my constituency including three Advice Bureaux sessions for residents.

A large amount of my time was devoted to campaigning on behalf of colleagues seeking election or re-election to Essex County Council. I knocked on hundreds of doors and delivered thousands of leaflets from early morning, at different times during the day, and well into the evenings.

Liberal Democrats remain the largest party in Colchester - in terms of seats and votes - following yesterday's Elections to Essex County Council.

Of the six seats which fall in the constituency, the Liberal Democrats won three, the Conservatives one, and the Labour Party two although in one of these half the electorate is not in the Colchester constituency.

For Saturday 27th April 2013

Each Saturday, Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell gives an insight into the working week of a local MP.

A busy week at the House of Commons included speaking four times in the chamber - one of them a question to the Prime Minister - and attending three meetings of the Defence Select Committee.

For Saturday 20^th April 2013

Each Saturday, Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell gives an insight into the working week of a local MP.

On Friday morning last week I spent four hours at Colchester General Hospital where I witnessed a normal day's activity in progress. I was only able to cover a small part of the huge amount of busy activity in this large complex, but I was both encouraged and impressed with the enthusiasm and professionalism of everyone I met from the friendly welcome on arrival to departing after an enjoyable lunch in the cafeteria which is open to visitors as well as staff.

Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell gives an insight into the working week of a local MP, published each Saturday in the East Anglian Daily TImes.

Saturday 13^th April 2013

The death of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher on Monday has dominated the media this week, but for me it has been "business as usual".