Melksham’s newly- elected Liberal Democrat MP, Brian Mathew, has outlined his plans for the town in a Q&A session with Melksham News. He was elected following this month’s General Election to represent the new constituency of Melksham and Devizes with a majority of 2,401 votes.
MN: Hi Brian, firstly, congratulations on your new appointment! What are your plans in Melksham?
BM: Thank you. And a massive thank you to the people of Melksham. Whether you voted for me or not, I’m now at your service, representing you at Westminster as your MP. My plans are to follow up on local issues, to find out what residents are concerned about and do whatever I can to help.
MN: What are you hoping to achieve in Melksham?
BM: I want to see a town that has excellent public services, a thriving economy and a strong and happy community. This takes teamwork. So, I plan to work alongside Melksham Town Council, Melksham Without Parish Council, Wiltshire Council, individual councillors and community groups. By working together effectively, I hope we can drive improvements in health, care, education and other services.
MN: What areas about Melksham are you passionate about that you would like to see change or improve?
BM: Community! Melksham isn’t just a place, but a community. The town has expanded with new housing estates, and the schools and doctors’ surgeries are under real pressure. For a strong and resilient community, we need better services for our growing population.
One priority is to accelerate the campaign to bring services back to Melksham Hospital so people don’t need to go to Bath, Bristol or Swindon for routine tests and minor treatment. I have already written to the new Health Secretary and I will be talking to local people involved so we have a clear plan to progress.
I am passionate about education. Melksham’s children deserve a great start in life so they can develop their talents. I have met the incoming executive headteacher of Melksham Oak Community School and look forward to visiting the town’s primary schools. I will do anything I can to help them get the resources they need to do their job.
Melksham has a great town centre with a wonderful variety of shops, restaurants, pubs and businesses. But with Cooper Tires gone, we need to attract more business and commerce. I want to be an ambassador for Melksham in that regard.
Finally, Melksham has an amazing number of volunteers working in charities and community groups. I have met many already, and I want to do everything I can to encourage them, because volunteers are the beating heart of a community.
MN: How will you use your previous experiences to help implement change?
BM: I’ve spent seven years as a Wiltshire councillor, so I know the system in terms of planning, highways, social care and so on. Prior to this, I have worked in challenging situations across the developing world, figuring out solutions that work with people. I believe this experience of problem-solving with communities will help me find solutions here at home, with local problems such as the state of our environment and services including health and education. I’m really looking forward to that challenge and to working with the you, the people of Melksham. Let’s do this together!
Election
result
• The election result for the Melksham and Devizes constituency was: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrats), 20,031; Michelle Donelan (Conservative Party), 17,630; Malcolm Cupis (Reform Party), 6,726; Kerry Postlewhite (Labour Party), 4,587 and Catherine Read (Green Party), 2,229.
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