As I have said elsewhere in the Stourbridge News, a big thank you to everyone who voted in the elections last week. I am honoured to have been elected to serve as MP for Stourbridge for a second term. I enjoyed the election very much, I met and talked to many wonderful people and learned a great deal.

I had several memorable conversations including one outside the Birch Tree Pub in Amblecote, with a man who asked me what I would take back from Stourbridge to Westminster if I was re-elected. A few things I learned stand out in response to that question.

I attended an event organised by a Housing Association and I spoke at length to a woman who worked as a debt officer. The conversation brought home to me the number of people in work who still have severe problems making ends meet.

Next I knocked on the door of a woman in Quarry Bank who worked as a carer. I already knew that often carers’ contributions go without the recognition they deserve. But the conversation brought home to me how unfair it is that, not only was this lady paid lower than average wages, she wasn’t paid at all for the time it took her to get from one client to the next. Or for any downtime that arose from her not being required for certain hours in the day.

While space does not permit a fuller account of all the issues that were raised, the workload pressures faced by health professionals and teachers and regulatory overkill that is making life impossible for small businesses also stood out.

There is nothing like an election to re-connect you with the issues that matter most to the people you represent.

I will be back in Stourbridge as usual this weekend, visiting Dudley Wood Primary School and holding an open advice surgery outside Tesco in the Crown Centre on Saturday, between 10am-12pm.

Thank you to everyone who voted for me and helped with my campaign.

Congratulations to my colleagues who were elected to Dudley Council: Ian Kettle, Heather Rogers, Steve Clark and Simon Tyler. And commiserations and thanks to our candidates who stood but didn’t quite make it: Asan Mishaq, Alan Hopwood and Tim Wood.

Margot can be contacted on 01384 370574 or margot.

james.mp@parliament.uk.

You can also sign up to her regular newsletter at www.

margotjames.com/subscribe or you can write to her at The Old Library, Hagley Road, Stourbridge, DY8 1QH.