I had not anticipated writing a column this week, as I was having a few days break, but as we all know Parliament was recalled to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan.
I therefore travelled to Westminster on Tuesday evening ready for the debate on Wednesday. The house sat at 9.30 and started with prayers including for those in Afghanistan and the appalling events in Plymouth. The Prime Minister then opened the debate outlining the efforts being made to get as many as possible of both our nationals and our friends out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible.
Many members intervened and received assurances of the efforts and commitments being made in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
The debate was originally scheduled to end at 2.30 but this was amended to later to enable as many contributions as possible.
The debate continues past the deadline for submitting this column and I can assure anyone that has contacted me about the events that their messages have been communicated to the relevant Ministers.
The House sat in the manner it would have pre Covid which was strange in itself. There was no virtual participation and there was robust and challenging interventions by a house fully engaged in the matter in hand. This is in stark contrast to the superficial engagement offered via TV screens that we have seen over the last year and a half.
This is a completely different place to what I have experienced for most of my time in Westminster and while the circumstances of the recall are not what anyone would want it was pleasing to see another step to a post covid world.
Let’s all try and do what we can to continue this journey and continue to promote vaccinations and safe practices.
Paul Howell, Member of Parliament for Sedgefield