To a newcomer like me, the Houses of Parliament are a cross between some crusty old London club and Hogwarts school. Everyone’s very friendly and helpful, but there are men in tights saying “good morning” when you arrive, and posh pictures on the walls wherever you look.

Parliamentary manners are strange too. Everyone has to bow to the Speaker when they enter or leave the Chamber, and you have to call your fellow MPs “honourable members” in debates, even if you think they’re talking complete rubbish.

But in amongst all the silly rules, there’s serious work being done. My day starts at about 8am when I pick up my post. Just sorting through it all, including the emails, takes almost an hour.

Then there are replies to arrange to constituents queries, chasing up Government departments for progress on local residents’ problems over visas, benefits, tax credit, the Child Support Agency and so on.

In the middle of the day there are Parliamentary Questions to ministers for an hour, and then we debate new laws. My day finishes either at 7.30pm or 10.30pm, depending on how long the debates take.

The biggest problem I’ve faced so far has been the simple, practical one of not having an office. It took seven weeks for all the new MPs to be allocated somewhere to work, but constituents’ problems won’t wait. All us new MPs were camping in corridors or hot-desking while our more senior colleagues haggled over the best places.

So when I was finally given an office this week I was thrilled. At last I could move in and get cracking. But I’d reckoned without the IT department. Apparently it will take another week before my printer will be connected. I bet Disraeli never had these problems.