Richard Spring MP
Member of Parliament for West Suffolk

Last Friday I went to talk to politics students at a school in my constituency.  The first half an hour was taken up talking about my life as a constituency MP, then the next discussion was about life in Parliament.  I deliberately was not party political but at the end of our meeting asked how they were going to vote.  Six out of the ten were firmly Conservative, and the other four quite likely to vote Conservative at the next General Election.  They then wrote a letter to David Cameron, the contents of which will undoubtedly please him.

As their class teacher observed, ten years ago the same group would very likely be voting Labour.  Today this is a distant prospect indeed …..

May I wish you a Happy Easter.  I am off to the Middle East to do political development work for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.  The blog will resume when Parliament reassembles.
 

As a father, I have always tried with my children to wear my political life with a very light touch. I have seen too many politicians’ offspring land up hating the whole business.

Yet something is definitely happening out there to capture young peoples’ imaginations. Interest in the Conservative Party has grown enormously on university campuses. My daughter, having had a rather detached view of these things, met David Cameron this summer and is now a huge fan.

All I can say is that last night I helped to put together a reception in the House of Commons for young lawyers. It was a tremendous success. George Osborne spoke extremely well and the whole gathering had a very cheerful buzz about it.

Every generation has a fresh set of challenges to face up to, but it is important that the brightest and best young people think about politics, and that some actually get involved. 

If death and taxation are inevitable, I am afraid politics is as well…………..there is no escape!