From campaigning to taking an oath – a Powys Senedd member's first month in office

What a whirlwind the last couple of months have been!

After six weeks of campaigning, we drove to our count in Caernarfon and, after what seemed like a lifetime, the results were announced at 6pm. I was a new Member of the Senedd! I was handed some documentation and then it was back to the car.

I then read that I had to attend the Senedd building to swear the oath over the weekend, so no rest yet!

24hours later I was at the Senedd to take the oath, to be honest both at the time, and indeed now, it felt as if I was in a dream. I left the Senedd with a huge folder of training material and a timetable that would keep me busy for the next few weeks!

Where was the real work I asked myself? When can I start working for the people who put their trust in me? Well, I soon found out. Training virtually every day, meetings most days, actual sessions in the Chamber, my first First Minister's Question’s, 200 plus emails a day and then my case work started to come in. This is what I’ve been waiting for, and with that comes the realisation that I now need to get a team in place to work with me.

So today a month and a day since I swore the oath, I am in my office in Cardiff waiting to go to the Chamber to ask a question on child poverty in Wales, sorting out a lease for my constituency office, sorting out contracts for staff, working my way through emails and of course writing this column!

So, is being a Senedd member everything I thought it would be? No, it’s a100 times more. Am I glad that I am? Yes absolutely, I am here to represent the people of my constituency and to help them where and when I can to the best of my ability.

For me the satisfaction of helping just one person compensates for the long hours, being overwhelmed with work at times and the very odd pieces of abuse I’ve had.

I am looking forward to the future.

Claire Johnson-Wood, Member of the Senedd for Gwynedd Malddwyn.