JUSTIN TOMLINSON MP: Celebrating the rise of democracy

THIS week in Parliament we celebrated a date that often gets overlooked, despite marking a crucial milestone for British democracy.

On Tuesday 20 January, we celebrated Democracy Day, marking 750 years since The January Parliament - a turning point which many historians acknowledge as the foundation of today’s House of Commons.

Parliament had of course existed long before 1265. But this had been in the form of selected gatherings consisting of kings and unelected nobility.

In January 1265, it was decided that Parliament would represent both counties and boroughs through elected representatives, and concern itself with the wider business of the realm, rather than just taxation for the crown. And so, the bedrock of the modern day House of Commons was formed.

Of course we have come a long way since then. On Democracy Day itself the UK Government emerged as the most open and transparent in the world in terms of allowing access to public data. This is something we should be proud of and I personally see transparency as an absolute requirement of any representative.

If we are to be sent to the House of Commons to represent the electorate, just like those first representatives back in 1265, we have a duty to show people how they are being represented. A philosophy which drives me to publish all of my meetings, and include access to my expenses on my website.

We should also keep people informed of the job that we are doing. This is why I publish regular updates to all 85,000 North Swindon residents.

So as we celebrated democracy day and the first January Parliament, it presented a good opportunity for all MPs to take stock, and ensure that as representatives, we are doing all that we can to honour our democracy and the people who elected us to be a part of it.

Away from Parliament, I was delighted to join the Penhill Neighbourhood Wardens on one of their patrols. The Wardens are employed by Swindon Borough Council to work for, and with, council house tenants to promote a clean environment and create a community atmosphere.

This widely involves clearing litter and graffiti, tackling anti-social behaviour and initiating community projects. Having supported the Young Warden Projects before, I was pleased to get the chance to show my support to the senior wardens, and thank them for the important role they play in our local communities.