During his limited spare time in Parliament, Greg Stafford joins colleagues from across the political divide to lend his voice to choral classics.

Alongside the likes of Foreign Secretary David Lammy and veteran Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin, Greg’s dulcet baritone adds depth to the Parliament Choir.

“I don’t play much sport anymore,” says Mr Stafford, the MP for Farnham and Bordon. “So I find singing in the choir a great way of relaxing.”

It has now been just over a year since he was elected, but has his debut 12 months in Westminster been as melodious as his choir sessions?

The election count floor on the eve of July 4, 2025, was a media frenzy as Haslemere hosted two constituency counts: Farnham & Bordon and Godalming & Ash.

National media gathered from across the country as the exit poll predicted Jeremy Hunt would lose his seat, until the former Farnham MP defied the prediction.

The hall was largely empty by the time the results of the Farnham & Bordon count were announced, but eventually Mr Stafford was declared the new MP for Farnham & Bordon.

But what is life like for an MP in Parliament, and what is Greg Stafford doing in the new constituency of Farnham & Bordon?

Aside from choir practice, a day in the life of an MP goes beyond sitting on the benches in the Commons and making appearances at the local village fête.

Mr Stafford said: “What I love most about my job is no day is the same in Parliament or my constituency. In Parliament I always try to keep my constituency in mind. I can do this through questions from ministers, Prime Minister’s Questions and holding the Government to account.”

“The misconception is that our job is what we do in the chamber but that is only a small fraction of the job. People think it is the 30 minutes on TV or the clips they see on social media.

“But a lot of the work is meeting with constituents and the people who can create change for them. Another side to the job is scrutinising the government for their decisions and recommending changes to legislation the government passes.”

He said: “I get around 300 emails per day from Farnham & Bordon and when I’m out at events I’m speaking to as many people as possible to see how I can help and support my constituents.”

This committee work includes important legislation such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the Mental Health Bill. MPs in the committee go through each line of a bill to determine the correct wording and whether they have any recommendations for the government.

Mr Stafford balances his time between his parliamentary duties in the House of Commons and meeting constituents in and around Farnham & Bordon.

He said: “Four out of my seven working days a week are spent out in the constituency and I’m more than happy to meet people in the constituency. I would like a lot of constituents to get in contact and organise a tour of the House of Commons.”

Some of his highlights in his constituency have been his role in the VE80 anniversary celebrations, the Christmas lights switch-on and meeting various charities along the way.

When Mr Stafford has a small window away from life as an MP, he revealed he enjoys singing in the Parliamentary Choir, with practice taking place in the Crypt Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, one of the few structures to survive the great fire of Westminster in 1834.

The choir is a chance for MPs to put their political differences aside and join together in song. MPs, their staff, and parliamentary officials can all take part and rehearse on Monday evenings, usually in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft off Westminster Hall.

As for his parliamentary work, Mr Stafford and his team from their office in Richmond House to the chambers, but this is where his role as assistant whip for the Conservatives comes in handy, as he can work from this office instead. This is useful because if MPs are called in to vote, it is a much shorter journey, with an eight-minute deadline to cast their vote.

He said: “After winning the seat at the election I was excited to get stuck into a brand new constituency crossing county boundaries but sharing similar issues of a lack of infrastructure both physical and digital but also with education for children with special needs.”

“I would like to be an MP for Farnham & Bordon until the electorate vote me out. We have a fabulous constituency and some areas of extreme wealth but also areas of poverty which are often overlooked by people unfamiliar with the area.”

The general election was a massive hit for the Conservative Party, but Mr Stafford is confident the Conservatives can win back the trust of the nation, having taken a heavy blow at the election.

He said: “I think the public lost trust in us and the big challenge for us is to present the public with what our vision for the future is and what it is going to be like. I think we have a really strong front bench and I’m optimistic for the future partly because Labour have done so badly.”

With a brother, Alexander, who’d served as MP for Rother Valley in Yorkshire from 2019 to 2024, Mr Stafford had a good idea about what the job entailed. But what caught Mr Stafford most off guard is the committee workload.

He said: “I didn’t think there was so much committee work, for example my work on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. We spent several hours per day going over it to ensure we pass through good legislation.”

There are other particular local issues he wants to resolve.

He said: “Some areas of the constituency the broadband is appalling and we need to have the digital infrastructure in place for constituents. We have had a real success on broadband with the survey we ran which has directly influenced the way providers have engaged with us.”

“More physical infrastructure such as a new bypass will need to be put in place as Bordon and Farnham become more connected over time. Bordon is growing and many young people will move to areas like Bordon from Farnham as the house prices increase.”

“We have severe issues in Surrey and across the nation around SEND provisions and parents who struggle to get an EHCP plan in place. There are failings in the system locally but the real issue is the lack of national funding.

“Very often people come to me when they have tried every option so our work usually involves a lot of hard work. The frustration is I don’t have a magic button to solve everything but I wish I did. However, I can be the honest broker to help get the issues of constituents to those who can make a difference.”

Farnham & Bordon’s MP hopes to stand again at the next election, set to take place in 2029 unless the government calls an election early. And he hopes to keep hitting the right notes in Parliament — both on the stage and in the chamber — for many years to come.