Constituency surgeries: What do MPs do away from Westminster?

Jo Stevens' constituency office is in the Roath area of Cardiff

What do MPs actually do when they are away from Westminster?

Hand on heart, I do not really know, despite presenting Good Evening Wales and Good Morning Wales on BBC Radio Wales for the past six years.

We tend to cover the politics with a big P, rather than anything at constituency level.

To my mind, the mention of "MP" conjures up matters of state, such as Brexit, braying mobs crammed on to the House of Commons' green benches, arcane procedure and language. And expenses.

But that is only part of the picture.

I have spent some of the past fortnight with two MPs on different sides of the political divide in their constituencies: Conservative MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Simon Hart, and Labour MP for Cardiff Central, Jo Stevens.

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Good Evening Wales will come live from Jo Stevens' constituency surgery on Friday. Neither we nor she are quite sure who or what will walk in through the door.

But please don't jump to any conclusions - this is not a PR exercise for MPs - it is an attempt to get a snapshot of what they actually do, what sort of things people speak to them about and what they are able to do about it.

You can make up your own mind whether they are value for money or do a good job for your community.

Jo Stevens won the Cardiff Central seat in May 2015

Are there any common themes? Yes. They are busy, and face a bewildering array of events and cases, some of which they can help with and some of which they cannot.

Immigration features strongly in Cardiff Central. I got to meet Mohammed Mirzo and his family, a Syrian refugee facing deportation to Bulgaria.

Mr Mirzo could not thank his supporters enough - not just the MP - but was told his case could take a year to settle. Whether you think he should stay or go, and whether the current system is right, he is a young man in limbo.

Communication with us - the voters - was another theme.

Simon Hart's children will vote for the first time at the next general election - assuming there is a five-year wait this time.

"They are not going to read any leaflets I or anybody else puts through their door," he told me.

Politicians are going to need to explore, use and embrace things like social media, although it might be "very clumsy" to start off with.

Simon Hart (left) has a constituency office in Whitland, Carmarthenshire

There was also an acknowledgement that voters do not really hold MPs in high esteem. The expenses scandal continues to cast a considerable shadow.

Do they get any grief? Of course, and both welcomed "robust debate" as long as it did not go too far. That involves "anything you would not say to someone else in the pub", according to Simon Hart; when people start using foul language, according to Jo Stevens.

Do they ever get threats? Even after Jo Cox? Sadly, yes. Simon Hart has made abuse and security something of a cause and Jo Stevens admits there have been occasions when she has been frightened.

Arriving at her office to find someone had drawn crosshairs over a poster of her face was something she felt compelled to keep from her family at the time.

But both expressed a fervent belief that most people are, on the whole, reasonable. And to back down would let those who are not win.

Steering the ship

"That would not be democracy" as Mr Hart put it.

So, if this is a snapshot of life as a constituency MP, is there anything they won't do?

Simon Hart draws the line at karaoke in case someone puts it up on social media - although "with apologies to Tony Blair" his go-to song would be Things Can Only Get Better - while Jo Stevens will not do anything on a boat. "If it starts to go wrong there's no way of getting out," she explained.

It is a good analogy. This is only a snapshot of life as a constituency MP, but from the outside looking in, it is a giddy mix of steering the ship and being borne along by the current.

To listen to the live broadcast from Jo Stevens' constituency, listen to Good Evening Wales on BBC Radio Wales from 16:00 BST on Friday 27 October.