MY office premises and staff team are finally coming together.

Thankfully, I will no longer find myself having to work out of a suitcase.

I thank all of my constituents who have contacted me over the past few weeks for their patience.

Since being returned as East Renfrewshire’s MP in the General Election that took place in December, I have held a number of surgeries across the constituency which have thrown up a variety of issues.

These include the benefit changes affecting vulnerable members of our community and the impact of austerity budgets on vital public services.

I recently asked the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, about his new catchphrase ‘levelling up.’

Conservative ministers repeat this constantly, aiming to reassure those who decided to switch their vote to the Tories in the December election that their government has a plan to address the inequality that blights so many communities right across the UK.

Unfortunately, the sad reality is they don’t!

I asked Mr Johnson if an increase in the attendance allowance for members of the House of Lords to £323 per day tax-free was an example of levelling up.

I also reminded him that a single person who is claiming Universal Credit gets just £317 a month.

The Prime Minister seemed lost for words.

He failed to condemn the pay increase for the Lords. Worse still, he expressed no concern for the victims of a failed Universal Credit system that is forcing many applicants to turn to foodbanks for support.

For me, his inept reply gave a worrying insight into someone who forced his Chancellor out of his job in order to get more control in his own hands – or perhaps those of his deliberately ‘weird’ special advisers.

Amongst this chaos, a much-delayed budget that should have taken place in November is now just a week away.

While the government may be forced to give some comfort to those whose change of vote gave it a majority, the signs are it will favour those already doing very well.

Billions of pounds are to be spent on high-speed rail that, for many years ahead, will be little more than a superfast commuter line for London, with little, if any, environmental benefit.

And, having wasted millions of pounds on abandoned plans for a garden bridge for London, the Prime Minister is now threatening to waste even more on planning a fantasy bridge across the Irish Sea.

To fund these, other vital projects that would really help to level up communities across the UK face being stripped of cash.

Far from tackling outrageous levels of tax evasion and avoidance, the government is proposing ‘free-ports’ across the UK that are likely to suck jobs out of existing locations into low-tax, low-regulation zones intended to compensate for the loss of trade with Europe.

Another piece of Brexit fantasy economics that will benefit big business at the expense of ordinary taxpayers?

All will be revealed on March 11.

If you have questions or concerns about the above or any other issues, please get in touch with me by sending an email to kirsten.oswald.mp@parliament.uk.

Alternatively, call my constituency office on 0141 648 8822.