Following in father's footsteps

Fortunately, Chorley's new MP has a habit of taking things in his stride.

For Lindsay Hoyle, election to the house of Commons was an ambition fulfilled as he swept into Westminster on May 1, defeating MP Den Dover who held a tight grip on the seat for 18 years.

Now Lindsay is adjusting to life in Parliament, and he is lucky enough to have an experienced team around to help him.

Father Doug was recently enobled Lord Hoyle of Warrington after being the member for the Cheshire town since the 1980s.

And senior researcher Chris Matheson, who runs Lindsay's London office, has been in Parliament for six years and knows the palace like the back of his hand.

Sitting on the House of Commons terrace with the River Thames sparkling in the sunshine and Lambeth Bridge in the distance, Lindsay is entirely at ease with his new surroundings.

"It's a strange place, a bit like a small village," he says. "But it's very busy and you can get lost easily - there doesn't seem to be any map! It's a case of picking it up as you go along and you're always stumbling across places you never knew existed. I found out the other day there's a barbers shop here and a room where MPs can have a bath!" The corridors of power are a labyrinth, but Lindsay already seems to know someone around every corner, greeting famous faces such as independent Martin Bell, Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans and other members he has befriended.

And then of course there is his trusty sidekick Chris, who Lindsay calls "the oracle".

"Chris has been a real bonus for me and has made my life a lot easier. I would have struggled without him."

Lindsay has been working flat out since the election. "I'm usually in for nine o'clock every morning and recently, because the new government's got a lot of business, I haven't been getting away until after midnight."

Once Lindsay has made the journey from his Kennington flat and walked through the splendid octagonal Central Lobby with its chandeliers, high stone arches and marble statues of former Prime Ministers, his first task is to pick up the day's mail.

In the Members Lobby, he picks up a copy of the day's Commons business and checks his messages, under the gaze of the statue of Winston Churchill, whose golden foot is rubbed for good luck by MPs before crucial votes!

Lindsay was lucky enough to claim one of the 589 parliamentary offices available to MPs and it's usually his next stop of a busy morning.

Now that his Westminster base is up and running, Lindsay can set the wheels in motion on several major projects which he hopes will benefit Chorley.

He has already signalled his intention to pursue issues in his pet areas of sport and commerce by joining the queue to get on the heritage and trade and industry select committees.

"We have a wonderful hospital in Chorley and I want to see an enhanced service, including a full paediatric facility.

"The RO site at Euxton is another project - we have to keep plugging away to make sure people don't lose sight of what this could bring to the North West's economy.

"It's an advantage to be part of Chorley council because it means we're all pulling in the same direction for the benefit of the borough."

After lunch, Lindsay usually makes his first trip of the day to the chamber of the Commons. The chamber is much smaller than it seems through television cameras and it is hard to imagine more than 650 MPs crammed into the House during important debates.

Members still have the right to take a pinch of snuff before entering behind the Speaker's chair, which was donated from Australia after Parliament took a direct hit from a bomb during the Second World War.

Chris Matheson explains: "There is a felt bag behind the chair which members drop petitions into, which is where the phrase 'it's in the bag' originated.

"And members are not allowed to cross the red line in front of the benches, which is where the saying 'toeing the line' comes from."

Doug Hoyle is well versed in the ways of Westminster and is overjoyed to see his son finally following in his footsteps: "I am extremely proud to have Lindsay here with me and it's quite useful from both our points of view.

Chorley born and bred, Lindsay splits his time between the capital and his home town, where Mayoral and council duties pile up while he is away.

"You don't pick up the same snippets while you're down here but my house is still in Anderton and I'm very much involved with the local authority so I'm kept in touch."

"It's a tiring place, but it's not an onerous task - it's a privilege to represent the people of Chorley in such fine surroundings."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.