The Sunday Telegraph sent a reporter and a photographer to my home yesterday to interview me.
They were lovely, really professional, and I could tell they were both trying to put me at my ease to get a decent interview.
I just couldn’t help thinking all the way through, why me? What is their hidden agenda?
I just wasn’t at ease at all and I know exactly why.
When I first became an MP a particularly unpleasant reporter totally stitched me up within the first few weeks.
She wrote an article using quotes from me which I had never even heard before, never mind spoken! And then, tried to accuse me of something I hadn’t done. She was deliberately trying to harm me, I can only assume for political reasons. If her editor hadn’t stepped in it could have got nasty
When I opened the door to Roya I was immediately put in mind of this young woman and I just knew I wasn’t going to be myself, even though Roya was obviously in a different league.
I tried my best. I can talk forever about the issues I am interested in, but when it comes to talking about me, I don’t find that easy at all.
So, to Roya - I am sorry if that interview was a bit like puling hen’s teeth. It was nothing to do with you and everything to do with my in built young female journalist alarm.
A constituent asked me today why I had stopped accepting comments. One of the reasons has a lot to do with people posting the same comment 30-40 times and blocking up the email account. Another has to do with the amount of anonymous comments, over 50%. Commenting brings out the strange in people and some of the comments I have are too rude/weird/ odd to be posted and it was becoming truly tedious having to wade through the rubbish.
We have had some articles in from constituents for my Saturday guest blog spot – over this weekend I will read some of them, however, they are all about 1000 words too long!!!!
This morning I am off to BBC 3Counties to be grilled on their version of ‘Desert Island Discs’ - 'One Night in Heaven'
A desert island, now that would be nice….....