Ranil Jayawardena MP is The Freedom Association’s ‘Parliamentarian of the Week’

The Freedom Association is pleased to announce that Ranil Jayawardena, the newly elected Member of Parliament for North East Hampshire, is this week’s ‘Parliamentarian of the Week.’

During his maiden speech in the House of Commons, as is the custom, Mr Jayawardena spoke about his constituency and mentioned RAF Odiham, the home to Britiain’s fleet of Chinook helicopters. He went on to say:

‘Their contribution to the defence of our freedom is hugely valued and respected. Odiham’s association with freedom is profound. King John rode from his castle there to Runnymede, where he met the barons to sign Magna Carta. The principles enshrined in Magna Carta – the primacy of the rule of law, that none shall be taxed without representation and, importantly, the freedom of the English Church – are seen as the first glimmers of human rights. They are the principles that bolstered my desire to enter public service.”

‘The House will be aware that human rights were not conceived in 1998. They have existed for centuries, but they did not exist in a vacuum. Rights were balanced by responsibilities. In this, the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, it is right for us to consider how to balance and thereby strengthen justice in our country. A former Prime Minister once said, “I am in politics because of the conflict between good and evil, and I believe that in the end good will triumph.” I am firmly of her opinion. 

‘I want to see the kind of equality before the law that Magna Carta promised, matched by equality in opportunity. Education holds the greatest hope for a life rich in promise. The consequences of its failure are housed in our jails and hospitals. We must always strive to improve education because it is there that we set up children with the ability to look after themselves and their families in later life and, indeed, to contribute to our society and economy.’ 

Of all the maiden speeches I have read this week, Mr Jayawardena’s was the most impressive. You can tell that freedom, the rule of law, and equality of opportunity are important to him and will guide him through his Parliamentary career.

He is certainly one to watch, and I offer him my congratulations as this week’s worthy recipient of our ‘Parliamentarian of the Week’ award.