NEW MP John Cooper was among the first of the new intake at Westminster to make their maiden speech.
The Dumfries and Galloway MP spoke in a debate about defence and foreign affairs and praised serving members of the armed forces from the constituency, veterans, and those civilians in the defence industry.
He said: “I have met so many serving and former members of our armed forces, and am always in awe of their service.
“I was pleased to be able to raise this in the House of Commons in an important debate on defence following the King’s Speech. The two cornerstones of a new MP’s first weeks are swearing in and your maiden speech. You cannot take your seat without taking the oath, and you cannot make speeches without that maiden.”
During his speech last Thursday, Mr Cooper said: “Defence is the number one task of any government, and I am aware that my constituency has many fine young men and women currently in our armed forces, and many gallant veterans who have served on air, sea and land.
“Of course, like every constituency, Dumfries and Galloway has many people working in the UK’s world-class defence industry, which deserves our support.”
He went on to praise the local dairy industry – home to many of Scotland’s finest herds – and tourist attractions including the Galloway hills for hikers, and the Newton Stewart and Minnigaff areas for cyclists.
And he referenced Dumfries’s fame as the Queen of the South.
“I want to work to make Dumfries and Galloway a “got to” destination, not merely a “go-through” area,” he added.
