Newly elected MPs spend first day in parliament

Many MPs arrived in parliament on Monday to begin serving the constituencies which have just elected them in the general election.

For 12 of Kent’s 18 members of parliament this will be their first time in Westminster as a place of work.

It had just gone 07:00 BST when Mike Martin arrived at the train station to head up to London as the first ever Liberal Democrat MP for the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

He said: "I am absolutely humbled being here and elected. It’s a total privilege."

On Friday he achieved what no other MP had done in the 114 year history of the seat, and that was turn it a different colour other than blue.

This morning we nearly missed the train up to London as Mr Martin dipped in to grab a coffee without noticing it was about to leave on the opposite platform.

He said: “Well, first I need to set up an office and hire staff so we can help people with their problems.

"I just can’t wait to get stuck in now, to help with all of the issues people have told me about over the past two years.”

Mike Tapp, the new MP for Dover and Deal, was also in the House of Commons for the first time as a place of work.

He said: "It feels fantastic and a bit surreal.

"Today's about admin. I need to get an email address set up and an office.

“It’s all quite a whirlwind. I’ve got a new job, and at the same time, my wife and I are looking for a new home in Dover and Deal too.”

Fellow Labour MP for East Thanet Polly Billington said her induction “felt like Hogwarts”, describing the experience as “magical”.

Explaining what part surprised her most, she spoke about the reasons room behind the speaker's seat, where new laws are thrashed out between commons and lords whips.

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