Westminster Life: We can disagree and still want the best for the city

It’s been an exciting journey so far. Now, after a few days settling in, it’s time to get on with the job. I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders waiting in line to swear my oath of allegiance to the King on behalf of our city.

I want to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone in the city who turned out to vote for me. I also want to acknowledge up front that many of you did not vote for me at this election, including many longstanding Labour voters on the issue of Gaza. I hear that message, and I get it.

After the turbulent years of chaos, we now have a Labour government. People voted for change in Peterborough and across the country because they were fed up with a government that just didn’t work. Politics should be about making people’s lives better, extending opportunities, and standing proud for our values. But, after 14 years of a Conservative government, too many people felt life was tougher. It shouldn’t be that way.

Politicians across the spectrum need to do better, to listen, engage and involve people in change.

Whether you voted for me, or whether you didn’t, I am your Member of Parliament. My aim is to win your trust in the coming years. I am here to serve you and our great city.

I’ve already made a start on the priorities set out during the General Election: lobbying Minister’s to get on with fixing the NHS dental crisis; meeting local businesses; meeting representatives from the food and farming industries; and pressing the council on its plans to deliver the new Station Quarter and a new indoor swimming pool.

I still don’t have an office in Westminster, which will take a few more weeks, although I am busy recruiting a team to help me serve you better, whether that is help with an issue, a school visit to Parliament, or taking up issues that matter to you. Please bear with me. I will be advertising details of my surgeries and how to get in contact soon.

In the meantime, you can contact me on [email protected].

One of my priorities is to help support a kinder, more transparent, approach to politics. Election campaigns, especially closely contested ones, are keenly fought, but they don’t have to be personal, nasty or divisive.

Some of the personal attacks during the General Election were outright lies not just a difference of opinion. I love living in the city and have chosen to make it my home. I will always put Peterborough first because it matters. I also enjoy having friends with a mix of political views and none. Too often politics has become angry and personal. Politics should be about bringing people together, not dividing us.

As I prepare for my first speech in the House of Commons, I often think about the late Jo Cox’s words in her Maiden Speech nearly a decade ago: ‘We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.’

We can disagree on issues, but all still want the best for our city and country. It is time for change in how we do politics, not just our city.