Rob Butler, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Aylesbury has discussed his time as an MP ahead of the general election in what could be could be his last ever letter from Westminster.

Ever since the Prime Minister announced 4th July as the date of the General Election, I’ve been campaigning across the Aylesbury constituency on my track record over the past four-and-a-half years as the local MP, and my exciting plan for our area for the future.

When I was elected in 2019, I promised to be a strong voice for our county town and the surrounding villages. Since then, I’ve done everything I can to deliver on that promise – speaking more than 500 times in Parliament on the issues that matter most to you, from the closure of the Arriva bus depots to HS2’s appalling treatment of local residents.

But an MP’s job is about more than words, and I’m proud to have delivered real benefits for our area, including unlocking £170 million for link roads, persuading ministers to contribute to regenerating Aylesbury town centre and stepping in to save Bucks Fire’s Urban Seach and Rescue Service when it was under threat of closure. 

Of course, being an MP is also about more than being a local champion, so it’s essential to have the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience to play a full part in national politics.  This is all the more important when times are tough, as they have been through the Covid pandemic and then the economic shock caused by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. I’ve consistently contributed to debates, made representations to ministers and held the Government to account on subjects as varied as funding for children with special educational needs, support for small businesses and increasing aid to Gaza. I personally introduced a law to increase drug testing for ex-prisoners, which will help keep our streets safer.

I want to build on that proven track record over the next five years, to make our local area an even better place to live, work, visit and invest. My plan to do that has six ingredients: to improve local healthcare, including with a new walk-in health centre in the heart of Aylesbury; to tackle the appalling traffic problems with better roads; to clamp down harder on anti-social behaviour with more neighbourhood police; to regenerate Aylesbury town centre; to give all local children a brilliant start in life; and to protect our environment, by supporting farmers, using land for food not solar panels, and taking a more pragmatic approach to the way we reach Net Zero. 

This is one of the most important elections for many years: I am the candidate that will give the residents of the Aylesbury constituency the experience, the knowledge and the voice you need in Parliament.