As we all know, when starting a new job, you usually go through an induction process. You prepare ahead of time for your first day, complete relevant training, meet your new colleagues, and settle into your workplace, adapting to systems and processes already in place.

But for a new MP, it’s not quite that simple.

In the early hours of July 5, 2024, I was elected as the new Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath. Overnight, my life changed beyond expectation – I wasn’t just starting a new job; I was beginning an entirely new way of life. The only thing there to guide me through this change was an envelope marked “To the MP.” The strange thing was – there was absolutely nothing inside it.

From the moment my election was announced, that was it – I had officially started my new job, armed with nothing more than a thin guide. I had no staff, no constituency office, and no real idea of just how challenging it would be to set up an MP’s office entirely from scratch.

There is no handover or transition period between a predecessor and a new MP. Outgoing MPs, particularly those from a different party, have no obligation to offer support. So, when constituency casework and emails began flooding in and the parliamentary calendar commenced, I quickly realised that much of the difficulty of the role stemmed from those first logistical hurdles.

Fortunately, over that summer, I was able to recruit an office manager to run my constituency office, a caseworker, and a parliamentary assistant. Even so, the workload was immense – at one point, we faced a backlog of around 10,000 emails that my team had to work through while still responding to new correspondence arriving daily.

In the meantime, my constituency staff were working out of our local party office – an environment far from ideal, with persistent noise, limited space, and little privacy. So, alongside everything else, my office manager and I began the search for a new, dedicated office space.

All of this, of course, contributes to my parliamentary expenses. Each MP receives a staff and office budget, and it’s entirely up to them how those funds are allocated. For me, the priority was clear – to build a capable, dedicated team both in Parliament and in the constituency, ensuring I can effectively represent the concerns of Surrey Heath residents.

I also prioritised securing an office space in the heart of the constituency – a place where my team could work in person, collaboratively, to handle casework efficiently and provide the best possible support to constituents.

It’s no secret that MPs use public money to fund their offices, and all expenses are published for full transparency. In my case, that budget went not only towards renting an office space but also towards the essentials needed to run it – stationery, printers, computers, and furniture – and, as you can imagine, it all adds up.

Accommodation expenses are also published. Personally, I don’t feel it’s justifiable to claim for permanent accommodation in London when Surrey Heath is so close. However, there are occasions – particularly on Mondays, when the House can sit until midnight – when I stay overnight in a hotel arranged through the Parliamentary Travel Office.

Over a year on, I now have a full team and a running constituency office, but the parliamentary schedule is still as busy as ever.