One of the best pieces of advice I received from a friendly MP was to explore the Houses of Parliament.

“That,” he said, tapping the green and white-striped pass hanging from my neck, “will get you in almost anywhere.”

And so, between meetings and debates, I’ve been exploring the bizarre building that houses our democracy.

There are only 4 floors in Parliament, but the building has over 35 levels.

That means that if you climb a flight of stairs at one end of a corridor, you end up at an entirely different place than if you do the same at the other end.

The place is maze-like and baffling but, consequently, full of hidden gems.

I found the Members’ Library by exploring. It’s an incredible suite of rooms, grand and opulent, but also quiet and a respite from a place that bustles and eats your time.

I sat down on Tuesday night to catch up on emails (I still have no team to help me with admin or casework) and soon found myself distractedly tapping out the first draft of my Maiden Speech.

I hadn’t planned to actually deliver it for a few weeks, but once I found myself writing, I thought I should strike while the iron was hot. I popped my head around the door of the Speaker’s Office and, before I knew it, I was signed up to speak for the first time in the Chamber the next day.

Maiden speeches are strange things. Every MP will tell you that it’s the only time that you are heard with no opposition in the House - both sides of the chamber listen with respect and good humour.

You have to be brief, talk about the history and character of your constituency, praise your predecessor, and talk about your hopes for your patch.

You can judge for yourself whether I did a good job - I certainly tried my best.

The debate was on the environment, so I highlighted our coast’s unique skills and the opportunities here. With climate change being the defining issue facing humanity, it seemed right to link this remarkable place to the fight against global warming and highlight the part we do, and could, play in innovating away from fossil fuels.

I also spoke about my aspirations for Furness: more funding for our schools and NHS, better roads and a new deal for the Furness Line, improvements to our town centres, and recognition of what Barrow and Furness could achieved if given the chance. Now it’s my job to get the government to listen.

Having given my maiden speech, it means I can now speak in Parliament - I look forward to speaking up and fighting for Furness in the Chamber from now on.

Meetings, meetings, meetings

It’s been a busy week of meetings. It started on Monday with an early meeting with Jake Berry to discuss the Northern Powerhouse and what I wanted him to take to the Cabinet as his asks. The discussion was wide-ranging, but the message was clear: Furness deserves recognition from Westminster that it has been left-behind and investment where it matters.

Later, I met with Lord Bird, who founded the Big Issue, to discuss poverty and homelessness. I could have spoken to him for hours and I’m trying to tempt his team to Barrow to run a forum here.

I also attended a reception on Christian persecution overseas as a number of constituents reached out asked me to. In a crammed room, overlooking the Thames, we heard the most heart-wrenching stories from people who had survived ethnic cleansing and persecution in countries like Syria. It makes you stop to think that actually, you now have some authority to change things.

Back in Furness, I also had a good meeting with Colin Garnett from the Barrow BID team, hearing their plans to improve Barrow Town Centre, and also with Ben Berry from the English Lakes group and Adrian Rawlinson from MARL, to talk about industrial strategy and what the government should be doing to support the SME sector.

It was a fascinating discussion, but the tour of MARL’s facility in Ulverston was even more so - especially when I saw the device they help build which prevents improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from detonating and killing soldiers in conflicts such Afghanistan.

It’s remarkable to think that a relatively small business in Ulverston has saved countless solders’ lives through their work.

Finally, I end the week with a surgery in Booths on Saturday. If you’d like to attend one of my upcoming ones, do drop me an email.