A SECOND East Lancashire MP in 22 years has been sentenced to an annual half-day’s detention in Buckingham Palace.
Pendle Conservative Andrew Stephenson has been promoted within the Government Whips office to the post of Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household, which means he has to write a daily report to the Queen on events at Westminster.
It also involves him being ‘held hostage’ at the main Royal residence in London while the monarch attends the State Opening of Parliament each year as security for her safe return.
Mr Stephenson follows in the footsteps of former Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen Janet Anderson, who held the post from May 1997 to July 1998 and became famous for turning the usual formal message into a lively letter full of the day’s Parliamentary gossip.
As well as its Royal duties, the postholder remains a normal ‘whip’ seeking to ensure Tory MPs vote and when and how they should vote, but brings with it a special ‘wand of office’ - a long stick resembling a snooker cue.
Mt Stephenson said: “Who would have thought the grandson of a bus driver would go on to become a member of the Royal Household?
“ I must admit having to write daily messages to the Queen is a little daunting.
“I will relish the opportunity of this new role within the whips' office. While being a whip has somewhat changed the nature of my work in Westminster, it certainly hasn’t altered my commitment to Pendle. “
Mrs Anderson said: "It’s a great job. I loved meeting the Queen.”
Mr Stephenson will also accompany the Queen to diplomatic and social events.
The ‘held captive in the Palace’ custom began with the Restoration of the Monarchy in the 17th century.
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