ONE of the biggest moments this week was undoubtedly the debate I led in Parliament on rural crime - an issue that has long been overlooked by successive governments, despite the devastating impact it has on our farmers, tradespeople, and rural businesses.

During the debate, I shared stories from local farmers who have had thousands of pounds worth of equipment stolen, often with little hope of getting it back. One farmer in St Kew lost over £3,000 worth of essential tools in the blink of an eye, while another in Blisland had two quad bikes stolen from a locked garage, both of which cost £15,000 to replace! And this case was made even worse when I learned that police officers from Totnes - a three-hour round trip - arrived three days later, leaving little chance of recovering the stolen goods.

The failure to properly address rural crime has left many victims feeling abandoned, and the impact goes beyond financial loss. Farmers and rural workers here in North Cornwall are left feeling vulnerable and unsafe, with nearly two-thirds of victims saying they no longer report incidents to the police because they don’t think anything will actually be done. I am calling for a proper national Rural Crime strategy, and have also just urged the Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, to reopen Launceston Police Station. The government needs to act before confidence in policing erodes even further.

Another major focus this week has been transport and infrastructure. I have written to the Rail Minister, urging the government to take North Cornwall’s lack of railway connections seriously. Unlike other parts of the country, we have no mainline rail station at all here in North Cornwall, leaving our communities isolated and making it harder for businesses to grow. I am calling for investment into reopening parts of the old North Cornwall Railway, which once linked Launceston, Camelford, Wadebridge, Bude, and Padstow before its closure in 1967. I have requested a meeting with the Minister to push this forward and will keep you all updated.

There has been some positive news in Wadebridge this week, where the Post Office has now officially reopened after nearly two years.

I was also very proud to call for St Piran’s Day to become a national Bank Holiday in Parliament this week - a call which received support from colleagues from my own party, as well as Plaid Cymru. I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our Cornish traditions and heritage, and I look forward to attending St Piran’s Day events here in North Cornwall.

Lastly, I also held a phone surgery to ensure that constituents who cannot attend in-person meetings due to disability, transport issues, or who live remote locations, can still access my support. Making sure everyone has a way to reach me is a real priority, and I will continue to hold both face-to-face and remote surgeries to speak to, and help, as many of you as I can.