By the time you are reading this the Easter break will be upon us at long last. It’s been a long stretch since Christmas and I have little doubt that most people who are due a few days from work will be pleased to have them. I certainly will. However, in a constituency that includes Llandudno, Conwy and Betws y Coed we should be very aware that workers in the hospitality industry and also in our retail trade will be working all hours over the weekend. This holiday period is not an opportunity for all to share time with their families and we should reflect on that as we also reflect on the meaning of Easter in an increasingly secular world.
I do hope the weather is good though since a late Easter undoubtedly has the potential to shorten the holiday season despite the fantastic efforts of local businesses to ensure that we are, increasingly, a year round destination. It was certainly a bright (but cold) weekend for the Welsh Labour Party to enjoy last weekend in Llandudno and I received many a text message with glorious pictures of Llandudno from Labour MPs who wanted to ensure that I knew they were here! I actually welcome their presence here in Llandudno again since it simply shows the way in which Llandudno can extend the visitor season by being a first class conference venue.
Since it’s the Easter break my office have organised a number of visits to Parliament for constituents heading to London for a few days. The palace of Westminster and Big Ben look somewhat forlorn at the moment which, in view of what’s being happening inside may be no surprise! Seeing the building and the tower covered in scaffolding does take something away from the experience but what can be seen and witnessed inside in terms of our collective history is still impressive and if you are ever in London we will be delighted to help organise a visit for you.
I was certainly pleased to welcome a group from Ysgol San Sior recently and took part in a question and answer session at the newly built educational centre where they had been given a quick introduction to the way in which the House of Commons works. They children were a credit to their teachers and their parents. Inquisitive, informed and well behaved they made me quite proud to be their MP and it must be said that they were more clued-up on Brexit than many of my colleagues! I have always been pleased to welcome local secondary schools to Westminster but what San Sior has shown is that the visit can be valuable and useful for younger students. More such visits would be very welcome and my office would be pleased to help organise if any school is interested.
Brexit
I almost managed not to refer to the dreaded B word but suffice to say a further extension until the 31st of October has been granted to the UK by the EU. What we will make of that extension remains to be seen.