Since being elected in July, alongside three amazing new Green MP colleagues, I’ve been very, very busy in Brighton and in Westminster, with lots of great Green ideas to put forward, and lots to challenge in my first days as an MP, working across the chamber from a new Labour government.

So far in Parliament, I’ve personally asked 32 written questions, put questions to ministers in the chamber and spoken in debates 11 times, proposed three amendments to Bills, and signed 76 Early Day Motions (EDMs). Green MPs teamed up to propose a King’s Speech amendment as one of our first tasks, and we’ve written to ministers jointly on topics ranging from healthcare to community energy, to taxes and the Budget.

Green MPs worked together to table the first Early Day Motion of this Parliament on bringing water companies back into public hands.

With Carla Denyer, I have also raised concerns about healthcare for young trans constituents directly with Wes Streeting. Many residents have written to me about this issue too, and I’m pleased to have taken action.

Here in Brighton, I have an amazing constituency team and since July, we’ve already dealt with over 500 cases from constituents, held weekly surgeries, visited residents and projects to see problems for ourselves, and written to the council about issues ranging from school closures to planning applications. Issues brought to me by residents in West Hill and North Laine have ranged from anti-social behavior in Zion Gardens, to supporting residents in emergency accommodation and with delays in housing repairs. I’m also in contact with traders in the North Laine who are experiencing long standing issues with theft and shoplifting. On fire safety issues in West Hill and North Laine, I’ve been supporting residents in the New England Quarter and City Point and joined them on ITV calling for action.

At my Parliament office I have been lobbied so far by five constituents in person, and via email I’ve received messages related to campaigns, world events and policies more than 4,000 times on more than 240 different issues. It’s so valuable to get a clear picture like this of what matters most to so many of the people I represent! I’m taking action, supporting campaigns, attending events and writing back to people with the results as quickly as I can while I build up my final Parliamentary staff team.

In the voting lobbies, I have voted ‘AYE’ or ‘NO’ 18 times (abstensions are not recorded). We’ve supported the first stages of several of the Government’s Bills, and are preparing to make amendments to improve them, including on the Great British Energy Bill and the Renters Rights Bill. But seeing the Labour Government vote down two very sensible motions and amendments to get rid of the two-child benefit limit and keep the winter fuel allowance for pensioners was bitterly disappointing.

As four Green MPs we are able to share out the main ‘shadowing’ duty on different departments and each focus on changing particular policies. My main responsibilities are currently to challenge social housing policy, police and criminal justice, work and pensions, culture, media and sport, disabled people, transport and clean air. I have started work on each of these already, and I am also taking up individual issues where Brighton needs action, such as sewage and pesticides.

I was very happy to introduce a Private Member’s Bill, devised by Pesticide Action Network, that would stop public bodies using harmful chemical pesticides in public spaces, streets and gardens and I’m looking for cross-party support to take this issue further.

On housing, I have been pushing for investment in buying not just building council homes, action on the fire safety crisis, plus the need for transparency from housing associations – an area I have challenged the Prime Minister on directly.

On media and culture, I have challenged the council to do more to reduce gambling (and advertising for gambling) in the city, and I’m also doing lots of work supporting grassroots music venues under threat, including the Prince Albert in the North Laine, and working closely with the Music Venue Trust.

On transport I’m making it my mission to address the long standing accessibility challenges at Preston Park Station. I’ve asked questions and have already tabled more coming up. I have already been pushing for an extension to the £2 bus fare cap and, ahead of the Budget, I’ve asked ministers and the Chancellor for more long-term investment for local active travel.

On climate and nature, I’ve met with local Greenpeace members to sign their pledges to keep up the pressure on the new government to bring climate solutions. All four Green MPs are fully behind the newly tabled Climate and Nature Bill.

Throughout all this time, all Green MPs have been pushing for peace, human rights and justice in Israel and Palestine. Locally, after a strong campaign, I was pleased that Brighton’s war plane part manufacturer L3 Harris had its planning decision refused by the council, but there is still no export ban to Israel on parts for the F-35 fighter, and I have been asking questions about why not, working with Campaign Against the Arms Trade.

I was the only MP to join the local response on our streets to the summer’s far right riots and was so proud of Brighton’s clear and positive defence of potential targets in the city and our refusal to accept fascists on our streets. In my maiden speech I praised the young people behind Citizens UK Brighton and Hove and joined them to celebrate their victory in winning a city-wide counselling pilot in Brighton recently.

And finally, a Green on BBC Question Time is historically quite rare, but in July I was asked to go on right after the election, alongside fellow Brighton and Hove MP, Peter Kyle. Carla Denyer was also asked on the programme two months later – which we hope is a good sign for future chances to talk about Brighton on the national stage.