Member News
By Tony Grew - 1st November 2010
All 227 new MPs have made their maiden speeches.
Woking MP Jonathan Lord was the last of the 2010 intake to do so.
He addressed the Commons last Wednesday and explained why he had waited so long.
"I had hoped to make my maiden speech last Friday on my private member's bill, to pay homage in some small way to the great lady, the former member for Finchley, who famously made her maiden speech on second reading of her successful private member's bill," Lord told MPs.
"I am grateful to colleagues on both sides of the House for giving it its second reading without objection."
Tory members talked out private member's business earlier this month in order to defeat John McDonnell's bill on trade unions, meaning there was no time to debate Lord's bill on sports ground safety.
The new MP for Woking was not the only Tory who attempted to emulate Lady Thatcher.
During his maiden speech in June Conor Burns, a close friend of the former prime minister, thanked Mr Speaker for allowing him to make his debut moving an amendment debate, in "slight breach of the conventions of this House".
"I believe that I am standing in the same place as another new member who breached convention some 50 years ago - Margaret Thatcher, who delivered her maiden speech when introducing a private member's bill," the MP for Bournemouth West said.
"I told her on Saturday that I was going to do my maiden and had waited 50 days to do so, and she told me that it was over time to be getting on with it.
"In fact, in researching this speech, my team found out that Lady Thatcher waited more than 100 days; I shall point that out to her on the next occasion that I see her."
All but four of the 2010 intake had made their Commons debut before the House rose for the summer recess.
The first out of the traps was Richard Harrington, Conserative MP for Watford, on May 25.
He was followed later that day by Chris Williamson (Lab, Derby North), Mark Spencer (Con, Sherwood) and David Morris (Con, Morecombe & Lunesdale).
The next day, May 26, there were maiden speeches from Bob Stewart (Con, Beckenham), Yasmin Qureshi (Lab, Bolton South East), James Morris (Con, Halesowen & Rowley Regis), Jeremy Lefroy (Con, Stafford), Jonathan Reynolds (Lab, Stalybridge & Hyde), Gordon Birtwhistle (Lib Dem, Burnley), Thomas Docherty (Lab, Dunfermline & West Fife), John Woodcock (Lab, Barrow & Furness) and Julian Huppert (Lib Dem, Cambridge).
The peak day for maidens was June 8, when there were 33.
On May 27 there were 15.
June 2 - 22
June 3 - 15
June 7 - 22
June 8 - 33
June 9 - 10
June 10 - 21
June 14 - 4
June 16 - 6
June 17 - 13
June 21 - 9
June 22 - 3
June 23 - 3
June 24 - 5
June 28 - 7
June 29 - 2
June 30 - 4
July 1 - 3
July 6 - 4
July 7 - 1
July 8 - 2
The final ten were: July 12 - Karl McCartney (Con, Lincoln); July 20 - Glyn Davies (Con, Montgomeryshire); July 22 - Stephen Metcalfe (Con, South Basildon and East Thurrock); July 27 - Priti Patel (Con, Witham), Graham Jones (Lab, Hyndburn) and Graeme Morrice (Lab, Livingstone); September 13 - Dr Daniel Poulter (Con, Central Suffolk, and North Ipswich); September 14 - Fiona Bruce (Con, Congleton) and October 11 - Julian Smith (Con, Skipton and Ripon).
Last Wednesday Lord became the last new MP to make his maiden speech.
Like Margaret Thatcher, he waited more than 100 days.
In fact he rose to address the House for the first time 156 days after his colleague Richard Harrington made the first debut of the 2010 intake.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd