So you'd like me to raise fuel poverty at Westminster? Well, of course I'd be delighted to, but...I did mention I was retiring, didn't I?

I've just received a 'questionnaire' from my local Labour MP, seeking to ascertain the political priorities of local residents. All very laudable I'm sure, but there are just two slight snags - a) the general election is only six months away and a large chunk of that time will be eaten up by the Christmas and Easter recesses and the pre-Queen Speech prorogation, and b) the said local Labour MP will not actually be a candidate at that election. Given that, wouldn't it have been slightly more productive to pose questions like "what issues would you like me to raise at Westminster?" and "how satisfied are you with my work as local MP?" two or three years ago, rather than now? The cynical side of me thinks this might just have more to do with the election chances of her successor as Labour parliamentary candidate.

Although it would probably be far too cynical of me to suggest that the whole exercise was deliberately timed to precede a national postal strike. I'd really better get my skates on if I want her to sneak in a parliamentary question for me on foreign affairs before she retires!