Last Thursday proved that there are no certainties in
politics and that elections are always volatile and unpredictable.
The results were disappointing for the Conservatives
nationally. We went to the country and asked for an increased majority as we
enter the Brexit negotiations but the country declined to give us this.
In politics you have to work with the hand you are dealt
and read the result of elections. We asked the country what they wanted and the
collective answer from voters is that they are unsure or, are divided. There
have been a lot of elections in the last two years and there is fatigue with
polls.
Parliament must therefore accept that indecisive verdict,
work through the various issues before us and prioritise the tasks that matter
most. Our constitution is designed to work towards what voters want with the
parliamentary maths driving out compromise and caution in the dose requested by
voters.
Here in Cornwall, all six constituencies returned
Conservative MPs. I want to thank all of the 23,001 people in the Camborne,
Redruth and Hayle constituency who placed their confidence in me for a third
term. The total number of votes cast for me actually went up by 4,500 but
a Labour surge at the expense of the Lib Dems means the majority is reduced. I
want to be clear that I will represent everyone in this constituency,
regardless of which way they voted and we Conservatives must also reflect on
the message coming from those voters who turned out in large numbers to vote
for Jeremy Corbyn.
Since being elected, I have prioritised
the regeneration of our towns. We have achieved a lot, but there is much more
that I want to do. We also need to attract new industries and better paid jobs.
Unemployment is at its lowest level in many years, but the next step is to
increase wages and create more opportunities for young people.
I will also continue to fight to ensure Cornwall gets its
fair share of funding for public services. Just because we are a long way from
London doesn't mean we shouldn't get our fair share.
