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Hello and welcome to this edition of The Westminster Hour with me, Ben Wright, and my guests.

Coming up, we'll be assessing the mood of the Commons as MPs return for the start of the autumn term and a new season in politics,

although it looks likely to be dominated by many of the issues which

loomed over the summer. What more will the government do about small boats and asylum hotels?

And how will it make the budget tax and spending figures add up? We'll hear from a cabinet

minister making a plea for patience when it comes to delivering on Labour's promises.

We'll also discuss the

final axing of hereditary peers from the House of Lords and ask if e-petitions to Parliament

are a vital democratic tool or entirely pointless. First, let's meet my panel. With me in the

studio, Mark Ferguson is the Labour MP for Gateshead, the town where he grew up,

a former trade unionist. He joined the Commons at the last election after a spell editing

Labor list, a place for news, views and debate about the Labour Party.

Mark is also a parliamentary aide, the parliamentary aide to the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raina. And you're in training right now, aren't you, for the Great North Run, which I think is next weekend. Next Sunday. Although I must correct you, Angela has two PPSs. I was right the first time. Shout out to Hartford-Uppel. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Albury. How's your training going? I did my last train and run today and every part of me

hurts. Well, thank you for hobbling in. Alan Mack is a bit longer in the tooth as an MP. He represents

haven't for the Conservatives, has done since 2015. A former Treasury Minister, he was shadowing

the science brief, but in Kemi-Badeno, summer reshuffle, stepped back to focus on constituency matters rather than take a different role.

So apart from running from the Tory front bench, would you put yourself through a half marathon?

Well, I've done a half marathon in the past.

I don't think I'm fit enough to do one at the moment, but hopefully in the future.

Hannah White needs no introduction, director of the Institute for Government, regular guest on this

programme, former Commons Clark, an author of Held in Contempt, a book that is subtitled

...