On a whirlwind tour of 14 towns and villages in her Devizes constituency, Tory MP Claire Perry arrived in Marlborough yesterday (Tuesday) to reveal what the voters think of the state of the nation.
They are apparently not fixated on the doom and gloom of coalition-imposed austerity, seeking instead solutions to local problems and leaving her in buoyant mood as to the future of the troubled government.
Proving too that the lady is certainly not for burning, Mrs Perry rejected criticism of her false announcement that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant. And she rejected totally claims that she is under party pressure to settle the sacking squabble involving her former employee and friend Penelope Nurick.
As to the next session of Parliament, she told Marlborough News Online: “I am going back refreshed and with a good understanding of what is concerning people locally. I always say it is invaluable for politicians to get out and talk to their constituents – and better still to listen to them.”
“There will be a renewed vigour about some of the really big government changes around the educational report, around the welfare report, which are going well.”
“And I am hoping that the fantastic glow we had as a result of the Olympics – wasn’t it lovely for those two weeks when there wasn’t any sniping and even the BBC could not do it down and make us miserable.”
“Yes, I hope that continues for a bit because I think we have had a summer we should all be really, really proud of as a country.”
There wasn’t exactly a queue of Marlborough constituents awaiting Mrs Perry as she arrived dressed in a bright summer frock to take coffee at The Food Gallery in the High Street, where a poster outside heralded her unique “meet the people” tour of coffee bars, tearooms, hotels and pubs.
She talked to three people at one table, two at another, who preferred not to be photographed – admitting that some destinations had produced few voters to greet or beat her while at others she enjoyed an audience of 30.
“People always say they never see their politicians until there are elections and I am determined to prove them wrong,” she insisted. “So far it’s been great. We’ve been to seven or eight villages already and everywhere is different.”
“We have had conversations about milk prices, assisted suicide, the NHS, bus services, traffic, you name it. What’s so refreshing is that this is what people are talking about every day. They are not sitting around talking about some of the esoteric things politicians discuss.”
Yet nobody had raised the question of proposed train fare and petrol price increases, probably because most commuters were at work during the daytime, she suggested. But young people, many on holiday, raised issues such as the rising cost of sports equipment and others the issue of local bus services.
“Most people accept you shouldn’t have huge subsidies for bus services but, equally, there has to be a way if you are going out on a Saturday night to be able to get home,” she explained.
“This is a perennial problem and in a big rural area like Wiltshire we have to get public transport sorted out. There is some good innovation, ideas coming out from my conversations.”
She continued: “We were talking to people today about the assisted suicide debate, something I find very difficult. I see the logic but equally I think there are problems with coercion. I have many constituents who are absolutely opposed to any change in the law.”
“Somebody suggested I go and have a chat with the Prospect Hospice to see what they might think because they are involved in a wonderful way in people’s final days. It was a great suggestion.”
Then she added: “The emphasis has been on the NHS, the minor injuries problem (as at Marlborough’s Savernake Hospital). The lack of health care comes through again and again. This morning we went over to Malmesbury to look at their primary care centre which could be a template particularly for Devizes.”
She had deliberately tried to discover the state of the economy by holding her sessions in independent hotels and coffee bars, ignoring controversial chains such as Costa and Caffe Nero.
“Business is quite good,” she revealed. “Businesses are reporting they have had a good summer, tourism numbers have been up in some of the hotels. It has been a decent economic August.”
“It is different across the country. There is a sense that some parts of the country are doing better than others. Actually I’m interested in the business environment and another good reason for doing this tour is to get out and chat to as many local businesses as possible.”
“So it has been very productive. We shall do it again.”
So what about that Duchess of Cambridge goof when she took part in a Question Time debate at the Marlborough College Summer School last month?
“We had had a chat as a panel, very light-hearted and ahead of time, about the Olympics and the young royals, about how radiant the Duchess of Cambridge was looking,” recalled Mrs Perry.
“And I couldn’t think of anything nicer than that wonderful young couple be blessed with a new addition. It was said in a very light-hearted moment at a very, very good-humoured event.”
“As to media reaction to that, no-one got in touch and said it was appalling or unnecessary. It was just one of those light-hearted things. It just goes to show that people want their politicians to talk like real people. Sometimes they don’t.”
Her other consternation, the employment tribunal hearing at Bristol next week over the wrongful dismissal claim of Mrs Nurick, has been “postponed”, she revealed.
“I’m afraid I can’t comment on that as it is a legal matter but one that is of great regret to me because it is very difficult when you work with somebody whom you like and respect.”
Claims that she is under pressure to settle the affair privately because of the potential bad publicity were adamantly dismissed.
“Oh, it’s in the public domain”, she answered. “It’s been in the national and local press. I think most people understand that it is a private employment dispute and it is always unfortunate when things like that can’t be resolved without getting into the legal domain. It is what it is.”
Hard fought victory for Marlborough Cricket Club over Wootton Bassett at Savernake
