FLIC Wiltshire Article - 20th March

People often say that Politicians don’t get things done. I first got involved in Politics because the hedges at the bottom of my road needed sorting. I was told that if I wanted action, then I should become a Councillor myself and get the problem sorted. So I did.

Consequently I spent 10 years as a local Councillor trying to sort out local issues, before becoming the MP where my aim was to become a pro-active representative for my fellow North Swindon residents. 

Throughout these years as a local Politician, I have come to realise that if local representatives work hard, and stand up for their local area, then they can make a valuable contribution to the community and make a real tangible difference.

This was proven on Monday when it was confirmed that we had secured the funding for not one, but two brand new secondary schools here in Swindon - the first time two bids from the same town have been approved together. 

For North Swindon residents, this means that the proposed Great Western Academy will be built in the Northern Sector, and will aim to open for 2017, where it will provide a thorough curriculum specialising in maths, business and IT, alongside the traditional subjects. 

It was back in 2013 when I originally persuaded New College to step forward and put in a bid to run a secondary school in the Northern Sector. As one of the fastest growing towns in the Country, we have been very successful in providing sufficient primary school provision to match the development of new homes. But it became clear that the growing number of families in the Northern Sector would soon require more secondary school places as well. 

That’s why we spotted the problem quickly and acted swiftly to ensure that we built a new school in time for when the demand for places increases. We have also been sure to emphasise that the new school will put in place a fantastic syllabus in order to drive up standards.

Having worked tirelessly both in Swindon and Parliament to ensure that this bid was a success, I was also grateful to work closely with Graham Taylor, principle of New College to build the bid and apply for Government funding. 

The school will appoint the best leaders and teachers in order to inspire young people, and will consult with the local community at every stage, in order to give parents the ultimate say in what is best when it comes to teaching their children. 

So whilst people often accuse politicians of being ineffective, I can honestly say that working to secure a new school for North Swindon has been one of my proudest achievements so far as an MP. After personally lobbying the Secretary of State for Education, I was absolutely delighted to hear that we had been successful. 

I hope to be able to continue this proactive approach and deliver for local residents. After all, it’s what people expect from their local representatives - and rightly so!