As a long-serving local councillor elections are familiar things, but as a relatively new MP the experience in parliament has been very different from what I have seen before. Just a few weeks ago I was working with nearby MPs on improved protections for the Colne Valley, something close to my heart after voting for the toughest ever measures against water pollution we have had as a country, but there are still threats to be tackled. As parliament dissolves and there are no MPs until after the election, I have been keen to ensure this work is not lost and that we are ready to make further progress if the voters decide to return me and my colleagues to parliament on 4th July.
Elections are the greatest opinion poll of all and one of the benefits of time away from parliament is the opportunity to engage with a larger number of local residents than my schedule of surgeries, visits, and residents' groups meetings normally allows. All MPs receive a huge volume of correspondence and it is always striking that residents' views and those expressed sometimes very strongly by keyboard warriors are not the same.
Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner is a diverse and vibrant community. Our local groups for interests of all kinds, our thriving sports clubs, lovely green spaces, excellent schools and transport links make this a wonderful place to live, work, run a business, raise a family, and enjoy retirement. As we head into a general election campaign, I reflect proudly and positively on how this community has come stronger out of the challenges of the Covid pandemic and the hit to our economy from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As your MP it has been a privilege to see the depth of our community's spirit and I will be putting my positive agenda for our future forward in the general election campaign.
First published: My Local News, June 2024
