I would like to wish all constituents a peaceful and happy Christmas.  I am pleased to offer a page on my website to Dr Jon Dobson, a scientist who spent a week “attached” to me on a Parliamentary placement. I thought that readers would be interested in his thoughts and what he learned from the programme.  What he wrote is below:

I recently spent a week at Westminster with our MP, Joan Walley, and she has asked me to relate my thoughts on this experience.

The visit was organized by the Royal Society of London as part of their MP-Scientist Pairing Scheme, with the aim of encouraging scientists to become more involved in the political process. In order to understand more about the work of Parliament and how we, as scientist, may engage with it, we began the week with a series of seminars aimed at explaining the current role of science in matters relevant to policy. We also attended meetings of the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee and spent some time shadowing our MP – in my case, Joan.

It was a fascinating week and to try to fit the experience into this short column is not easy, so I just wanted to highlight a few impressions. The main message that I got out of the week is the importance of relevant and unbiased scientific input into policy discussions at all levels of government. It was abundantly clear to me by the time I left Westminster that science plays a crucial role in a vast range of policy matters and it is not only desirable but utterly necessary for us to educate our children in science to the highest possible standards if the UK is to remain a global leader in technology and to maintain and improve our standard of living.

Also as part of the scheme I attended the opening of the James Brindley Specialist Science School’s new gymnasium facilities with Joan. While the new facilities are excellent, the state of the rest of the school buildings was, for me, shocking. I was not used to seeing the most important government building of all – a school – in such disrepair. I was, however, heartened to hear that Brindley will be re-built beginning in the Spring (thanks largely to Joan’s efforts) and it is a testament to the Head Teacher, Mr. Rigby, that the students were so enthusiastic, energetic and respectful in spite of their surroundings.

The environment in which our children are educated says a lot about how much we care about them and the value we place on their education. All the students I met that day were wonderful children (to my surprise, they were even excited to meet a “real professor”) and each one has the potential for a bright future. We must provide the means for them to reach their potential, whether in science or any other pursuit they choose.

I would like to thank Joan for taking the time to introduce me to the workings of government. She is passionate about serving the people of Stoke-on-Trent and I can only hope that the majority of politicians have the integrity, determination and compassion that I saw in Joan during this week. I certainly have been inspired to participate in the political process whenever there are issues with which I can be of help, and I would encourage all of you to do the same. It is your government!

- Dr Dobson

I would like to thank Dr Dobson for the time he took to learn about my job, and I would be pleased to hear from any constituent who would like to know more about what I do on your behalf.