DECENT transport is an essential part of being able to reliably go to work, access services, and see friends or loved ones. In areas like ours, staying connected, both physically and digitally, is vital.

I understand how difficult it can be to travel around South East Cornwall. In places like Looe, Lostwithiel, and Menheniot, people are being left without reliable options. Residents have spoken to me about the effects this has on their livelihoods and wellbeing. I will be working with the government and Cornwall Council to get transport infrastructure right to suit the needs of local people.

As your MP, I am pushing for more investment into transport infrastructure across rural and coastal areas like our towns and villages in South East Cornwall. Our communities have long been left out of national schemes to improve transport. The continual decline over the previous decades has led to our roads being in bad shape, buses not being on time, and train services not fit for modern commuters.

I am pleased with the action that this government has taken to improve transport, but as always, there is much more to do. Within one year of taking office, there has been a £24.4-million investment in Cornish transport.

I asked the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, what the government is doing to ensure rural and coastal communities are properly connected. She agreed with me that integrated transport networks are vital for Cornish people. The government has committed to boosting local powers through the Bus Services Bill, which will help communities design bus services that work for them. We need transport for local people, run by local people and that is exactly what I am pleased to have helped deliver.

The Bus Services Bill helps Cornwall Council establish its own bus company if it wants to. It means greater potential to improve routes, timetables, and standards of service. There will also be greater power to ensure that lifeline bus services cannot be removed without a proper review of how local communities are served. Greater local voices at each step of the process means that South East Cornwall residents will shape their own services.

Public transport also needs to be fit for the future, and that means having the right facilities and services in place. Ending mobile phone dead zones on railways will improve people’s commutes and online access. The Secretary of State also mentioned that I had been in contact with her on this issue, and we will work together to deliver upgrades.

I also met with the Minister for Local Transport, Rt Hon Simon Lightwood MP, to discuss issues that local constituents have raised. The meeting was a good opportunity to share South East Cornwall’s specific needs and concerns with the government so that they can take further steps to address them.

It’s not done yet, but I am in Westminster speaking on your behalf to get what we desperately need – more integrated transport infrastructure.