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MP Nigel Evans recalls the tumultuous few weeks in Parliament, speaks to PM Rishi Sunak and prepares to lay wreaths around the Ribble Valley on Remembrance Day
Tumultuous doesn’t even begin to describe the past few weeks. I fear any article I write may be surpassed by events before the ink is dry. But here I go! We have a new Government. I was chairing the Business Statement in Parliament led by Penny Mordaunt when my Deputy Speaker aid informed me that he had received intelligence that the PM, Liz Truss, was about to resign. The speculation was correct and I had the news confirmed by a colleague at No 10. My planned day was changing rapidly.
I soon received calls from all the candidate teams and Rishi Sunak phoned me just in case I wanted to ask him any questions. As a Deputy Speaker I must be seen to be scrupulously impartial which means I, and the other Conservative Deputy, cannot endorse any candidate. I talked with Rishi for several minutes and explained my situation to him which he graciously accepted. I have always found Rishi to be a good listener and we chatted about the unprecedented accumulation of challenges ahead.
The conversation was peppered with some humour from Rishi as he knows that his cousin is my dentist – it’s a small world! Rishi will need humour in abundance as he embarks on the highest calling in public life as our Prime Minister. I wish him and his team the very best of British over the coming months as they tackle the impacts of global and local events as they all affect our daily lives.
I met representatives of the Catholic Church in Parliament, who informed me that the Ribble Valley has one of the largest numbers of listed churches in the country. I am proud of the huge number of historic churches we have, and the role they play in bringing the community together and drawing visitors from all over the world. The upkeep of these buildings is eye-watering but I look forward to working with representatives of all the faiths in pressing home to Government the importance of preserving these buildings.
Earlier in the month, as I left Parliament there were demonstrators gluing themselves to the road and soup thrown on a priceless Van Gogh at the National Gallery. I grew irritated by such acts. Disrupting our daily lives and attacking masterpieces is counterproductive. Clarity of argument, good communication and not annoying your target audience is always a good start in my book.
I was recently able to show a group of visiting Canadian MPs around Westminster Hall. I spoke to them about the lying in state of Her Majesty and how honoured I was to be at the funeral and Accession Council of Charles lll. I also told them I was invited to a reception for the Navy personnel who helped pull the gun carriage.
Which brings me neatly to my meeting with representatives of the Royal British Legion at Westminster. We all share the enthusiasm of those involved in looking after our veterans. They have played their part in protecting our country over the centuries and are engaged in difficult and highly dangerous operations at home and overseas.
When they leave service, some have horrific injuries, and as we all too well know, not all injuries are by any means visible to the eye. The national Poppy Appeal is one area where we can help contribute to the welfare of our veterans including finding jobs, mental health provision, general welfare and in some cases housing support. Please, this year as you give your donations, think of their sacrifices, being away from families, injuries sustained and commitment to the service of our country.
As I lay wreaths around the Ribble Valley on Remembrance Sunday I too will pay my tributes to their selfless service. The selfless service of the late Queen will also be in the forefront of my mind. Let us join together as a nation, in standing silent in honour of the fallen, but remember our duty to support those who are left behind, and those who still gallantly serve in our armed forces.
