CATHERINE Fookes has been the MP of Monmouthshire for just over a year and we interviewed her, asking her about a typical day in Parliament and in the Constituency.

Ms Fookes spends her week scrutinising and voting on legislation, securing meetings with ministers and sometimes has visits from constituency members.

Almost every day there is a vote in Parliament, every vote takes 15 minutes- MPs tap their card on the voting machine, and they are counted physically through the lobbies as well to ensure all votes are counted correctly.

Ms Fookes explained wherever you are on the Parliamentary estate, when the bell goes to vote you have seven minutes to get to the voting lobbies- sometimes you have to run.

A typical day could include chairing the Farming All Party Parliamentary Group, going into the Chamber to listen to a debate and speak on an issue, having meetings with an organisation to discuss one of the issues on her priority list, submitting written questions to the Minister to hold them to account and possibly then attending an evening meeting.

Ms Fookes’ main priorities as MP are the environment with her main focus being river pollution, as well as the economy and our high streets, with the current focus being securing Magor Walkway station.

Ms Fookes is passionate about equalities, including tackling violence against women and girls and she is a member of the Women and Equalities Select committee.

To help with organisation and to ensure she responds to hundreds of emails every day, Ms Fookes has a team which support her.

“An MP’s job is never done, we’re never going to get to the end of the day, and find we have finished everything! We just need to focus on a day at a time.”

“There are days where you just feel tired or something is happening in your home life and that can be difficult, but it is a huge privilege to do this job, and I am genuinely interested in listening and helping people so that takes me through.”

A typical constituency day might be attending a meeting group such a Gwent Carers Network, visiting businesses to understand their priorities, going to coffee mornings, hosting surgeries and perhaps attending a local choir concert in the evening.

In between Ms Fookes will be checking emails or calling constituents who can’t make it to a surgery but who would like to speak to her to resolve an issue.

In Ms Fookes’ spare time she likes spend her time doing gardening, going on bike rides, walks, and cinema trips.

One of Ms Fookes’ favourite memories of being MP of Monmouthshire was meeting David Attenborough and seeing the Oceans film, as Catherine cares passionately about protecting our seas, lakes and rivers. Before she became MP, at the start of her career she was an environmental campaigner.

“I hope people think of me as a really hardworking and genuine person who really listens and cares about people’s issues and does something about it.”