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Kirsty Blackman: ‘Everything felt quite surreal’

General Election 2015 
Aberdeen North and South count as SNP candidates Kirsty Blackman and SNP Callum McCaig are elected.
General Election 2015 Aberdeen North and South count as SNP candidates Kirsty Blackman and SNP Callum McCaig are elected.

When Callum McCaig (MP for Aberdeen South) and I arrived at the count most of our volunteers had been out helping since 10am.

Everyone was pretty tired but delighted we were winning so many seats across Scotland.

Immediately after the Aberdeen North result was announced, the local newspapers and TV requested interviews.

The Aberdeen South result came in a short while later.

It was wonderful to be elected with so many others.

On Saturday, everything still felt quite surreal.

I headed to South Queensferry, not really knowing what to expect.

It is the most stunning setting for a photograph.

I will definitely be going back if things ever get less hectic.

Because there are 56 of us new MPs, many of whom are fairly new to the party, most of the morning involved introductions.

On Monday, we had our first trip to Westminster.

Callum and I met at the airport and were joined by Stuart Donaldson, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.

On the aeroplane was the first time I really had a chance to sit and think about the enormity of the task facing us.

Being elected is a huge honour and the SNP members will have to work very hard challenging and holding the government to account.

We had (another) photocall that afternoon.

Callum and I arrived just in time for the photo, along with a few others.

Unfortunately, we hadn’t yet had time to collect our parliamentary passes, so the police at the gate wouldn’t let us in.

After a few panicked phone calls we managed to work out where we were going and were able to make it for the photo.

The rest of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent trying to get to grips with the IT system, find our way around, learn about parliamentary processes and also agreeing how the SNP group will work going forward.

At the moment we are hot-desking – it took us two hours to print off an e-mail on Wednesday.

Once we are more settled those things will be easier.

I still haven’t found the post office and my mail – that’s top of my to-do list for Monday.

In Aberdeen, there’s a fair amount of inequality – some of our residents live in million pound houses, others have to rely on foodbanks to feed their children.

In London the contrast is even starker.

We should never forget that we were elected on a wave of support for progressive policies.

We need to protect the most vulnerable, working against introducing further hardship.

Westminster is full of tradition and custom.

The new SNP group have ruffled a few feathers this week and I’m sure we will continue to.

I believe the established rules should be challenged where they are obstructing democracy.