Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero’s column: Potholes present a big problem

That’s why I wasn’t surprised when a report this week found that ‘one in three roads are poor, very poor or terrible’.

I know it’s an issue that drives motorists crazy because of the number of times it comes up when I meet people on the doorstep. I regularly write to bosses at Notts County Council to complain on behalf of fed up folk so if you’ve got a pothole problem near you then get in touch and I’ll ask when they plan to sort it. 
I was disgusted to read in my copy of the Chad about the nightmare a father and his nine year old disabled daughter from Stanton-Hill had when they went to see Justin Bieber in Nottingham recently.

You spend your hard earned cash and expect a good night. You do not to be hanging around for two hours. What happened was completely unacceptable – who on earth do these pop stars think they are. If Mr Marshall reads this and wants to get in touch to have a go at getting a refund I’ll happily give it a go. Call me on 01623 720399.
And finally, I’ve long argued politics needs to open its doors so it looks far more like Britain so opening up my office and giving people work experience can be a first step on the ladder, BUT there’s work experience and there’s exploitation. I wasn’t surprised to see one Manchester MP being criticised for advertising for two people to work for him for a MINIMUM of three months without pay or expenses.

Over the last 3 years I’ve had a few people spend between four and 21 days on work experience with me and I’ve given an Ashfield lad a university placement. What annoys me is that the parliamentary authorities don’t differentiate between someone who works free for a year and a volunteer who comes in for a few days to see what an MP does. I think that’s wrong because there’s a huge difference - I think short term work experience is good but hiring unpaid long term interns is really bad and the two shouldn’t be confused. I’d love to know what you think. Drop me a line on [email protected]