Read High Peak MP Robert Largan's latest column following the local election results, which left the Conservatives with just 10 seats on the borough council.

Thank you to everyone who cast a vote in last week’s local council elections.

I’ve really enjoyed lending a hand to local Conservative candidates and spending much of my free time knocking on doors, listening to local people to hear your views. I knock on doors all year round. Not just at election time. I always find it really useful chatting to so many of you.

Listening to so many of you on the doorstep, I know that lots of you are, quite rightly, angry about everything that took place down in Westminster last year, which was dominated by political squabbling and economic uncertainty. As regular readers of this column will know, I have been very vocal and critical of a lot of what happened last year.

Based on the thousands of doorstep conversations I’ve had, I have no doubt that lots of people in High Peak (and across the country) used these local elections to express their anger.

I don’t think that’s a reflection on our excellent local Conservative councillors and candidates. And I certainly don’t think that’s a reflection of the shambolic record of High Peak Labour Council.

I’ve lost count of the number of residents who told me that they plan to vote for me personally at the next general election but they want to use this election to register their protest.

To all those High Peak residents who cast a protest vote or didn’t vote this time because they’ve felt let down by all political parties, I have a very simple message: I hear you. I get it. 

I completely understand your anger and I will be doing everything I can to represent your frustrations and concerns down in Westminster.

To begin with, that means focusing on the economy and easing the cost of living. Following through on the plan to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce the debt. It also means finally delivering results on clearing the Covid backlog and cutting NHS waiting lists. And it means getting control of our borders and finally stopping the small boats

But it also means continuing my local campaigns to improve local healthcare access (including building a new urgent care centre), invest in our transport infrastructure (such as building the bypass and upgrading our local railway lines), secure more resources for our local schools and police and protecting our beautiful countryside.

Whatever happens, I can promise you that I will continue to stand up for the High Peak and work with you all to make our area an even better place to live!

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