A glimpse down the corridors of power

DAY in the life . . . our Alex interviews Jim at Westminster

Alex Carey travels to London to see newly-elected Labour MP Jim McMahon take his first steps in Parliament

I waited in reception at the famous 1 Parliament Street as Jim walked through the doors to welcome me in with a big smile on his face.

My initial reaction to his new office however, was one of shock. The room was empty: no computer, no stationery, not even a telephone. Jim is truly starting from scratch, and this was to be his Westminster office. He is looking for somewhere in Oldham to use as his local base.

This was to be his first official day in the job and I had arrived in time to watch him sworn in.

I chatted with his newly-formed team — both locals — and another familiar face, Angela Rayner MP, whose Ashton constituency covers Failsworth and who was a strong presence in Jim’s successful campaign. Angela is now showing the Commons’ latest member the ropes.

I took my seat in the House to watch Oldham’s council leader take the oath. To get there Jim took me through the Palace of Westminster at a brisk pace, and that when it hit me: I was among our country’s political giants. Jim, who was about to officially become one of them, will fit right in.

Our walk was constantly interrupted in the nicest way for the newest member of the club. Behind closed doors there’s a surprising unity among MPs across all parties. Jim was offered congratulations not just from his Labour colleagues but by Tories, Lib-Dems and SNP MPs too.

With one hand Lib-Dem leader Tim Farron was putting on his tie while reaching out the other to congratulate the man of the moment.

I watched as Jim walked forward, flanked by his campaign manager Andrew Gwynne MP and Angela to take the oath, accompanied by a chorus of cheers. Not many Conservative MPs turned up, but the official opposition benches were almost full – Jeremy Corbyn included.

Jim approached Commons speaker John Bercow ,who offered his own welcome, before showing me out to the forecourt, in the shadow of Big Ben, where we talked.

Only a few weeks ago I was interviewing him at the Chronicle’s Pride in Oldham Awards, I reminded him. Now here we were, in the beating heart of British politics, as he opened up about how the words “I therefore pronounce Jim McMahon as the new Member of Parliament for Oldham West and Royton” have already started to change his life.

He said: “Before anything, I’m a dad and a partner. When I put my name forward to become an MP we, as a family, had decided we were embarking on something different.

“The side to becoming an MP people won’t realise is that I need to make sure there is a place down here where my family is comfortable. I’ve also got to finish forming my office; I don’t even have a computer yet.

“It’s also essential to have an office in Oldham, ideally in the town centre, but I need somewhere affordable. My constituents need support and we need to get the right set-up in place quickly, to help them any way we can.” Jim has to do all this on a strict budget. This background aspect of becoming an MP is something few people consider, but it all has to be done, and quickly.

We went for lunch, when the pats on the back and handshakes continued as every MP we saw seemed determined to welcome Jim to Westminster.

We weren’t eating for long when Jim and Angela shot up to vote on the “votes for 16 and 17 year olds bill” — his first vote as an MP. An incredibly exciting time for Jim, who is still finding his feet.

“Fancy a pint before you go?” he asked as he returned from the lobby. Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn’t it?

We headed to the Commons’ bar, where a well-known Conservative MP approached us with champagne for Jim, who gratefully accepted but didn’t finish it: Guinness is more his cup of tea.

“Typical, I get a sip and you get the bottle,” Jim joked.

We talked about how he will soon inevitably have to leave his post as Oldham council leader. His last full council meeting will be on Wednesday.

“It will be a real wrench, walking away from it. I’m very attached to the council and I have invested a lot of energy into making it work well,” he said.

My final question was one many Oldhamers will be asking: will he, sooner or later, leave Oldham behind to focus on national issues?

He said: “It’s true I’m a national politician now, but I’m not leaving Oldham. I’m here in London to make sure we’re getting a better deal for Oldham, and that’s a massive responsibility. My commitment is to Oldham first.”

As we sat prior to saying farewell, I realised Jim’s comment was sincere. On his first day in office in Westminster he was sitting with a journalist from home and an Oldham councillor, Arooj Shah..

Jim’s not leaving Oldham behind. No chance. He’s taking us all with him.