A CHANGE is as good as a rest, they say, but I am not sure I am going to get much rest in my new job as a Government Whip.

It will be a great chance to see the business of Government in action and already I have “whipped” my first committee, guided colleagues into the appropriate lobbies, negotiated with rebellious colleagues on various motions and sat on the front bench for many hours to keep an eye on the proceedings in the Commons.

Thankfully, while the days are non-stop the job means I can still leave Parliament during the recess periods which means I can keep a full slate of constituency business.

I will, unfortunately, have to step down as the parliamentary aide for the Defence Minister although I will, of course, remain very engaged in local defence matters, and I also have to take a back seat role on internet safety campaigning but this important area is in safe hands with the Culture Secretary and the Prime Minister firmly on board and the implementation of new filters, clean public WiFi and a zero tolerance approach to online child abuse imagery happening as I write.

Whips, as ministers of government, cannot comment in public on government business although I can be as vocal as ever on local matters and, of course, I can use my position to lobby on national matters behind the scenes, such as local healthcare services where I held a series of public meetings last month to discuss changes and improvements with a full team of GPs, managers of local hospitals, NHS Commissioners and other specialists.

The overall message is that care is getting more joined up, some real improvements have been made in community services and dementia care but more needs to be done, especially around A&E admissions as we get into the busy winter months.