Ealing North
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Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
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September 2005 - Gazette Article The unwelcome spotlight shone by the Ealing “Gazette” into my staffing circumstances has prompted many people to ask why I am recruiting new caseworker. The sad fact is that super Sophie Hosking is leaving me and following her heart to Wakefield where her fiancée lives. When I was first elected I had to open my post on a bench in St.James’ Park and rely on a secretarial agency. Life was hard and the service to my constituents less than they are entitled to expect. In the early days I was able to employ the lovely Sheila Clifford from Hanwell and – from Neil Kinnock’s office – Sue McLeod. According to Westminster rumour, Sue left after hurling a computer keyboard at me when driven to distraction by my appalling working practices. Not true at all! I then took on Rob Checketts who produced a leaflet for a conference on crime in Ealing with a Sea Wolf missile on the front page and the message “A rocket up the backside – it’s the only language the criminal understands”. I had to sit him down for a serious talking to and give him a raise. Rob was followed by Richard Chapman, who now works for the Archbishop of Canterbury, and then I took on an extraordinary young woman from Northolt who left Northolt High School for Brunel University and then worked in the USA for Senator John Kerry. Sophie Hosking was a wonderful person to work with and became the acknowledged parliamentary expert on immigration law and keeping calm under the most ferocious levels of stress. During the time that she ran my office we employed Lorna Dighton and then Jon Williams from West Ealing who is now at Birmingham University. He was followed by Laura Padoan who brings extensive experience of the Home Office, and four languages, to the table. Northolt’s own Bassam Mahfouz works part-time so the new caseworker will see the staff strength up to two full and one part timer. Whether my 80,000 constituents appreciate the small size of the office is unclear but everyone that I’ve spoken to has a good word to say for Sophie and the utter dedication that she brought to the job. The people of Ealing North always come first in this office and sometimes that can mean long days and a lot of pressure. Sophie handled this superbly and I will always be grateful to her for her calm intelligence and genuine concern for constituents. Her last job will be to appoint a successor and I know two things. Sophie will make the right choice and whoever gets the job has a very hard act to follow. Good luck for the future, Sophie, and thanks. |
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| Disclaimer | Copyright | Designed by Bassam Mahfouz. Promoted by Julian Bell, The Labour Party, Ruskin Hall, 16 Church Road, W3 8PP on behalf of Steve Pound MP |
