IT has been a turbulent time for politics in recent weeks.

We had the General Election on December 12, followed quickly by Christmas and New Year, and I think it is fair to say that Westminster has taken a long time to get to grips with the various changes that took place when voters went to the polls seven weeks ago.

Many MPs, including myself, currently have no office from which to work.

This means we don’t have a dedicated phone line, which is certainly an inconvenience as you go about your work.

Chairs and members of House of Commons committees are still to be selected.

Meanwhile, Labour (still the largest opposition party at Westminster) is consumed by internal leadership elections, as are the reduced band of Liberal Democrat MPs who managed to survive Jo Swinson’s disastrous period as party leader.

People in East Renfrewshire – and, indeed, Scotland as a whole – have been dragged out of the EU, despite voting heavily to remain.

Northern Ireland also voted to remain but has left the EU, although with special arrangements that are still unclear.

It is worth remembering that all three of the UK’s devolved institutions – in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff – have rejected the Brexit deal that has been forced upon them by the UK Government.

Arrogantly, their concerns are clearly being brushed aside as Westminster sets about unpicking devolution.

We find ourselves in a situation where various issues are being pulled back to Whitehall, to be decided by ministers who show no concern for the effect of their decisions on the ‘family of nations.’

People who have been contacting me as their local MP are concerned by much more important issues, such as fears for their job and living standards because of Tory mishandling of Brexit and because of the government’s constant attacks on the most vulnerable in our communities.

With an overall majority of MPs, the government is pressing ahead with making the UK a suitable trading partner for President Trump’s America.

This means the UK has not only left the EU but must also diverge from it on so many standards that frictionless trade becomes impossible.

Sadly, it looks like the Brexit reality will be very different from the ‘having cake and eating it’ scenario painted by Boris Johnson as he worked to undermine the UK’s previous Prime Minister, Theresa May.

If you have concerns about Brexit or any other issues that you would like to raise, please email me on Kirsten.oswald.mp@parliament.uk.