The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
It’s a double celebration!
Days after election victory new city MP welcomes his second child
A fourth MP in three years has taken up a seat in the House of Commons to represent the Peterborough constituency to cap off a breathless 2019.
Last Thursday’s General Election marked a double triumph for Conservative Paul Bristow, as not only did he end Labour’s run of two straight victories in the constituency, he bounced back from a third place finish at the city’s by-election in June.
And, as if there was not enough to celebrate for the PR boss - whose colleague Shailesh Vara won comfortably in the neighbouring North West Cambridgeshire constituency - he was able to watch his party storm to victory nationally before celebrating the birth of his second child less than 48 hours later.
Immediately after his election victory - which saw him turn a 683 vote Labour majority into a 2,580 Tory win - Mr Bristow said one of his priorities would be securing more police officers for the city, and that he planned to visit every school in the constituency in a bid to help improve performance.
He also promised tough action on litter and fly-tipping.
”We are going to clean up our city. I am sick and tired of those people who make our communities dumping grounds,” he said.
Mr Bristow took 46.6 per cent of the vote, compared to 41.2 per cent for Ms Lisa Forbes whose six month tenure as MP is believed to be the shortest ever in the city.
The turnout was 66 per cent with 82.6 per cent of postal votes returned. In comparison, turnout was 48.4 per cent at the by-election.
Reflecting on her defeat, Ms Forbes said: “My concern is that austerity and radical policies will be adopted by Paul and Boris (Johnson) following a sad and disappointing night for the Labour Party in general. I have enjoyed my time in Parliament and I really believe that I have tried my best to do something that the people who elected me in June would be proud of.
“But the feeling in the country has changed since the summer, and while this election was not entirely about Brexit, there is a tangible feeling both here in my city and around Britain that people are wholly fed-up with the Brexit process, and tonight they have voted accordingly.”
Ms Forbes also paid tribute to outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, adding: “The party has been led by a man who I believe in completely and who is honourable in his commitment to this country. He would’ve made a great Prime Minister in my opinion.”
Victory for Mr Bristow, who had previously contested seats in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, marks a turnaround from June where he came third behind both Ms Forbes and Mike Greene of the Brexit Party, albeit when Theresa May was Prime Minister.
This time, Mr Greene (4.4 per cent) came behind Liberal Democrat Beki Sellick (4.9 per cent) . No candidate other than the top two kept their deposit.
Mr Greene said: “The country and Peterborough have made their choice and I wish them well.
“2020 will be a great year spending more time with my family/business. I just wish and hope Paul serves Peterborough well in Westminster.”
The Green Party’s Joseph Wells, who came fifth, believed the party had missed a “huge open goal” nationally. He said: “Whilst our vote shares increased in a number of areas across the country we need to consider the opportunity was there for us to make more of a breakthrough by appealing to those who have been politically homeless during the course of the election.”
The General Election capped off a year which saw some city residents vote five times, including in local and European elections, not to mention former MP for Peterborough Fiona Onasanya being jailed for perverting the course of justice and being sacked by her constituents.
Mr Vara secured a fifth straight victory after earning 62.5 per cent of the vote.
He said: “I want to say that
I represent all of the people of North West Cambridgeshire. Those who have voted for me this evening, those who have voted for another candidate and even those who did not vote - I want you to know that I will represent you all and see that your wishes are carried out to the best of my ability.
“This election was not just about Brexit, but it was obvious that the people of the country wanted this done, and now we have a mandate for a Conservative government to act on the voice of the people of Britain. Then we can concentrate on the important factors that I know mean so much to Peterborough: education, policing and the NHS.”
‘We are going to clean up our city’