Day in the life of Southampton Itchen MP Darren Paffey

He was thrust into the world of national politics as he was elected the new MP for Southampton Itchen, leaving his tenure as a city councillor behind.

One of the few MPs known to have grown up in care, Darren is keen to making positive changes within the care system.

Since the general election in 2024, Darren has hit the ground running by joining the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee and spending the day with his constituents every Friday.

But what does a day at Westminster for an MP entail?

Darren Paffey (Image: Newsquest) At least four days of Darren’s week are spent in Parliament, a gothic fantasy palace that is as impressive as it is overwhelming with more than 1,000 rooms to navigate.

Darren is familiar with its endless staircases, unexpected tunnels, and the private entrance to Westminster tube station as he guides me through the building.

“I keep meaning to read and look at all of these statues”, he tells me as we pass through one of the many ornate corridors.

He points to the two he has had time to marvel at so far but confesses he mostly “speeds through here to get where I need to be”.

I am impressed by his self-restraint as I struggle to keep my intrigue at bay, desperately trying to soak up as much of the building and experience as possible.

Darren may spend a lot of time walking to and from various parts of the Houses of Parliament, but his Tuesday started in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee.

The ninth sitting of the committee saw Darren and other members discuss the orders needed to prevent and remove dangerous individuals from holding any role overseeing a child’s educational wellbeing.

The committee met to decide whether Clauses 36 and 32 should stand as part of the Bill, and engaged in a heated debate over teachers who do the job without qualified teacher status.

READ MORE: New Labour MP commits to cleaning up river and breaking down barriers in Southampton

Speaking to the room, Darren said: “I think it is uncontroversial to ask for assurance that, when I take my car in for repair, I am not just giving it over to someone who is enthusiastic about car repairs but is actually qualified.

“The stakes of that going wrong are high; someone who does not know how to fix brakes will cause significant risk.

“When I visit the GP, I want reassurance that I have not just got someone who has done health tech, had a great 20-year-long career in that, and has decided to swap over and offer their expertise there. I want someone who is absolutely qualified in that practice.”

He added: “It is unsurprising that the profession is in the state it is and feeling utterly undervalued after the last 14 years.

“I simply do not understand why qualified teacher status in all schools is such a low priority for some.”

The committee meeting came to a stop shortly before 11.30am.

Darren Paffey asking a question i the House of Commons on Tuesday (Image: Newsquest) Darren and I made our way to the House of Commons – he to the Chamber and myself to the public gallery that provides an excellent view of proceedings.

Energy Security and Net Zero was on the agenda, with the session chaired by Madam Deputy Speaker Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North.

Labour MP Ed Miliband was at the forefront of answering questions put to him by fellow MPs, with one of them from Darren.

He said: “Southampton Itchen has many Victorian and inter-war homes that are poorly insulated and therefore expensive to heat, especially as the Conservative party dragged its feet and did not invest in clean or affordable energy.

“What steps is the Minister taking to improve the insulation and energy efficiency of my constituents’ homes?”

Miliband said the government is working on a “comprehensive” plan to tackle such issues.

Darren Paffey and Maya George (Image: Newsquest) Beyond standing up in the Chambers, or pushing for change in a committee meeting, Darren is passionate about helping his constituents.

This starts with sifting through the 11,000 to 12,000 emails he receives each month.

“There are issues which are coming up regularly and I make sure I am asking questions as I take steps forward in dealing with them”, he explained.

Darren added: “Cladding and fire safety is a huge issue in dozens of apartment blocks in Southampton, particularly the city centre, so on a number of occasions I have asked a minister questions, and there has been a debate on the issue.

“The people of Southampton Itchen really want to see change and desperately need to see it, so those are some big long term overarching issues I am tackling.”

His working weeks also starts with an action plan so he can do the most for his constituents.

He said: “This involves looking at what casework we’ve had come in over the last week, such as email queries or requests for an appointment.

“I want to make sure that these questions and queries from residents do not come to me and my office and just wither away. We want to make sure we are tracking the requests.”

Darren is particularly keen to tackle the availability of housing in the city, and make changes to the transport infrastructure.