Local MP

We're sadly represented with perhaps the laziest MP in the UK.

I wrote to him in September 2005 about an issue that I had getting Trading Standards to investigate a firm. Over the course of my campaign, I discovered that 64 other people had complained about this firm so figured I had a pretty good case.

Anyway, each time I emailed Mr Stephen Hammond, I'd get an expensive letter back telling me to keep him in the loop, be patient and wait to see what they said etc. At no point did he provide any practical advice, but at no point did he say that he disagreed with what I was trying to achieve.

After 8 months, my campaign finished when both the Parliamentary & Local Government Ombudsmen refused to make Trading Standards do anything, as they said that I hadn't suffered a personal injustice as what I was really complaining about was government policy. When I wrote to Mr Hammond, I got a reply which informed me that he got 1000s of emails a week and could I send him letters in future. He also said that he wouldn't commit to doing anything about the problems that I'd raised with him.

Naturally perturbed with his response after I'd put in months of effort, I asked if I could come and see him at a weekend surgery. His response has been and continues to be that if I want to see him, I should take time off work, as he was busy at weekends.

Any MP further away from London can only see their constituents at weekend. Reasons why MPs have such long holidays is because of the long hours and weekend work they must do when they're in session. It seems that Mr Hammond wants to take the holidays and do the same working week when they are in session as the rest of us.

His last email arrogantly compared himself with a GP and a solicitor, who he pointed out I'd also have to take time off to see. I replied to him saying that I didn't view an MP as the same level as trained professionals. In any case, as he's had bagsful of letters from me about my issue, the only point of the surgery is so that he can stop giving me non-answers to direct questions.