There’s nothing quite like venturing inside the hallowed portals of Westminster for the very first time, but when you’re a child, that awe-inspiring feeling becomes even more intense.
“I remember my first visit very clearly,” says Carmarthenshire East and Dinefwr MP, Jonathan Edwards.
“I’d gone on a Maes-yr-Yrfa trip to London and we visited the Houses of Parliament to meet the then MP for Ceredigion, Cynog Dafis.
"The architecture of Westminster is deliberately designed to leave you awestruck and some people might even say subservient.
"But those feelings that I had as a child still persist, despite it now having being my place of work for over a decade.”
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Last week Jonathan Edwards was visited in Westminster by pupils of Ysgol Gynradd Penygroes.
“And this is one of the things that makes my job so enjoyable," he continued.
“Welcoming people from my home county of Carmarthenshire is always a privilege as I’m in this position to represent the people of Carmarthenshire and not just become a member of the Westminster club.
“But what made this visit even greater was the fact that it was the first visit from my constituency since the pandemic.”
During their visit the children took part in a workshop on the skills of conducting a successful political campaign before getting their teeth into a 'questions and answers' session with their MP.
“When I speak with young people I often find those questions and answer sessions the most valuable part of the learning experience," he added.
"But having said that, it can also be a bit daunting for me because children have absolutely no fear of asking questions that others might not dare to ask.
"It goes without saying that the pupils of Penygroes were no different and we had a really excellent exchange.
"At the end of the day, these are our future community leaders and those of us who are fortunate to serve have a duty to invest in the future.
“I really hope that these children’s passion for public duty will have been ignited.
"And judging by the ability they displayed during their visit, I’m confident our future is in very safe hands.”
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