I’VE been giving lots of thought recently to the question “What makes a good MP?”

In my view two key skills are listening and speaking. Listening to concerns of the people in the constituency and being able to speak up for those people in Parliament.

But, don’t just take my word for this. ‘Voting Counts’, a  simple, unbiased political resource that helps individuals to make informed decisions when voting, says that a good MP will make a positive difference to the community he or she represents. An MP can express the concerns of their community to parliament and ensure people’s experiences are recorded and understood, with he or she pressing  for changes which will increase a community’s wellbeing and prosperity.

Roger Evans, a professional speechwriter and mentor for politicians and candidates states the need for intellect, ability to relate to people, leadership, resilience and conviction along with good oral and written communication skills. An MP will need to be able to make clear points in broadcast interviews as well as at public meetings, often having to deliver a speech at the drop of a hat. 

So, you can imagine how dismayed I was to learn that North Cornwall’s current Conservative MP hasn’t spoken once in parliament this year. Hansard records clearly show our Conservative MP has failed to speak up for Cornwall, or even mention Cornwall, in parliament since 2021. That is despite the urgent crisis in Cornwall’s NHS where local residents can wait more than eighteen hours for an ambulance to arrive and can’t find an NHS dentist. Sewage is constantly dumped in our rivers and seas and local people can’t afford to live here. Meanwhile we have nobody to speak up for us because our representative has fallen silent. Having initially supported the seaweed farm at Port Isaac without listening to local people it really feels like our current MP doesn’t listen to locals and doesn’t speak for them in Parliament”. 

There is an old saying "Speech is silver, silence is golden" – used in circumstances where it is thought that saying nothing is preferable to speaking. However, in my view it’s all about knowing when to listen and when to speak up. I hear from residents here almost every day and the message on the doorstep is clear - enough is enough. We can do so much better than with our MP than this. If elected I will shout from the roof tops week in and week out for Cornwall and never take no for an answer. As an employment solicitor I stand up for people every day and I intend to be a relentless representative for North Cornwall.

Ben Maguire, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for North Cornwall