Dan Aldridge column: Why I held my surgery in Morrisons

It happens face-to-face, listening to people talk about their lives.

For generations, MPs have held regular surgeries.

It's a long-standing part of our democracy and one I take seriously.

These are the moments when constituents can raise concerns, ask for help, or simply tell their MP what's really going on in their world.

No speeches.

No scripts.

Just conversations that hopefully lead to meaningful actions.

Over the past 18 months, I've had thousands of conversations with constituents in need, working with ministers and partners like the council to find solutions.

That work is essential, but so is listening.

I hold regular surgeries to listen, learn, and take feedback directly to ministers in Westminster, so people in Weston, Worle, and the villages can come and talk to me directly.

Sometimes it's about housing, benefits, immigration, or healthcare.

Sometimes it's about something smaller but no less important - a delayed appointment, a confusing letter, or a problem that's been passed from office to office without a clear answer.

This month, though, I tried something a little different.

Instead of holding a surgery in a traditional setting, I set up in Morrisons.

Not because I wanted to pick up some delicious salted caramel cookies, although that may have been a perk, but because it's where people already are.

Grabbing some emergency loo roll, picking up a chicken for Sunday lunch, and getting ready for the week to come.

I wanted to reach people who might not normally email an MP, book an appointment, or feel that politics is "for them".

And it worked.

I spoke to so many people who'd never contacted an MP before.

People who came with real, honest stories about what they're dealing with.

Some conversations lasted five minutes.

Others are much longer.

All of them mattered.

That's the thing about this job - there are so many different ways MPs can help, we have to prioritise and be creative to meet the expectations and needs.

Sometimes it's chasing a case with the NHS or the council.

Sometimes it's raising an issue with a minister where a department is failing in its duty.

Far too often, it's pointing someone towards support they didn't know existed.

And sometimes, it's simply listening and making sure someone feels heard.

Holding surgeries in different ways helps break down barriers.

It makes politics feel less distant, and I want to remind you that as your MP I'm working for you - not just during elections and during votes, but every week of the year.

I'll keep holding regular, bookable coffee mornings.

But I'll also keep experimenting with more informal ways of meeting people, because not everyone has time to take out of their lives to come to a coffee morning.

If you'd like to attend a future surgery, whether traditional or informal, please do get in touch.

You can email my office, and we'll make sure you're booked in or let you know when the next session is happening.

Being an MP isn't about waiting behind a desk for people to come to you.

It's about going out, meeting people where they are, and making sure everyone in Weston, Worle, and the villages knows their voice counts.