The 3 MPs I will miss most as the 2017-19 Parliament ends

The 2017-19 Parliament dissolved on Wednesday in preparation for the general election on 12 December 2019, overshadowed by Brexit to such an extent that earlier today a "Unite to Remain" alliance between the Greens, Liberal Democrats, and (in some Welsh constituencies, including all but one currently represented by a Plaid Cymru MP) Plaid Cymru was announced.

As many as 71 MPs (73 if the fact that Bassetlaw and Buckingham have been vacated early by John Mann and former Speaker John Bercow are counted) are retiring at this election, and some will be remembered more than others. More than a third of MPs retiring at this election have been in Parliament for less than a decade (25 to be exact), reflecting how stressful the Brexit chaos, and the increasing social media scrutiny of politics in general, has been on MPs.

Out of the MPs retiring, here are the three I will miss most (and this has been a particularly difficult decision to make, even if it is my own personal opinion):

1. John Bercow (retiring Speaker): John Bercow has without doubt been the best Speaker of the House of Commons in modern times, and has maintained order in the House throughout the tense period of Brexit chaos that has divided the nation and divided Parliament more than ever.

2. Sir Norman Lamb for helping bring the less well-documented problems suffered by poor rural areas (such as East Anglia) to the fore, a notable example being decreasing access to good medical care in deprived areas.

3. Lady Sylvia Hermon for being the lone sensible voice amongst Northern Irish MPs during this Parliament, especially during Brexit-related votes given how important Northern Ireland has been to Brexit negotiations. 



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