My new Appointment…!

I was delighted to be appointed Solicitor General in the Cabinet reshuffle last Tuesday. My Government position will be based in the Attorney General’s office working with Dominic Grieve who is the Attorney General. I last had the opportunity of working with Dominic when I was Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and he was Shadow Attorney General in 2004 and I very much look forward to our working closely together again.

As Solicitor General I will be required to support the Attorney General in his duties. We are the two Law Officers of the Government and in addition to our other duties we provide advice to the Cabinet when required. I am naturally sad that Edward Garnier is no longer Solicitor General and I will endeavour to continue the good work he has already done whilst at the Attorney General’s office. As a consequence of my new appointment whilst I have had to surrender my positions on the select committees I have been involved with, nothing will change in respect of the support I already provide to my constituents.

The Paralympics

I thoroughly applaud the brilliant efforts of the athletes taking part in the Paralympics. To be selected to represent their country at a Paralympic level, given that they endure significant impairments on a daily basis anyway, is a tremendous achievement.

As I sat and watched the opening ceremony for the Paralympics on Wednesday evening, I was delighted to see so many with disabilities involved in the artistic display preceding the parade of athletes from each country. As with the Olympics two weeks previously, everyone had a smile on their face and looked to be enjoying themselves.

GB scooped her first medals of the games in cycling with Mark Colbourne winning a silver medal in a time trial and Sarah Storey clinching a gold in the individual pursuit. I imagine these two medals won will be the first in a raft of medals brought home by Team GB over the coming days.

Importantly in the case of the Paralympics, we should not be focusing on the disabilities of the athletes involved but look to their significant abilities instead and these are plain for all to see. Such people are role models and others should seek to emulate their unwavering stamina and courage. I am in no doubt that these Paralympic games will not only be the best organised but the best attended too.