'I look forward to working with the newly elected councillors': MP Richard Ford's latest column

I would like to pay tribute to Honiton Town Council. The Town Council was successful in winning a grant of £2,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, which helped fund the 'Big Lunch' event in honour of the King's Coronation.

I watched the coronation with a congregation in a local church, before attending a tree-planting to commemorate this momentous occasion. It filled me with pride for the ceremonial pageantry that England does so well.

Last week was also significant as it saw us go to the polls to elect a new wave of Town and District Councillors to represent us. Across East Devon; we saw the Liberal Democrats make huge strides in the District Council elections, by more than doubling our number of Lib Dem Councillors.

I am so pleased for each of the new Councillors. We have elected some brilliant individuals to represent us, and I look forward to working with them to fight for the fair deal that our part of Devon deserves.

What we saw happen here was mirrored across the country, as over 1000 Conservative Councillors lost their seats in a bruising night for the governing party.

These results have been depicted in parts of the media as a message to Conservative party bosses in London that people are fed up with being taken for granted. But we also want politicians who are focused on being local champions for their communities and I know from some of the people we saw elected last week that we will have that in many parts of East Devon.

They've been in power for over a decade, yet our town and surrounding villages have little to show for it. Our NHS and healthcare services are creaking, South West Water continues to dump sewage onto our rivers and beaches, and East Devon Council has had to cut back on vital services due to years of harsh budget cuts from Westminster.

When I was elected as your local MP last June, it showed that change is possible if we come together and fight for it. I am committed to doing all I can to bang the drum for our beautiful part of the world and do all I can to help you with the day-to-day issues you face.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party that can beat the Conservatives here in East Devon and get a fair deal for our rural communities. With a General Election looming next year, we'll have another chance to show that time is up for this tired and out-of-touch Conservative Government.

I look forward to working with the new Honiton Town Council and the new District Council here in East Devon to deliver sound government for our town and villages, quality public services, and will continue to be outspoken in Parliament on your behalf.

If there is anything that you need my assistance with, please do not hesitate to get in touch. My team and I are here to work for you. You can email me at any time at [email protected] or call and leave a message on 020 7219 8349.