IT’S a huge honour to have been selected as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for South East Cornwall. I live here in the constituency and I know that times are tough. The Tories have failed us, and in Cornwall we are paying a high price for their economic failures – with rising prices, soaring energy costs and a lack of affordable homes.

I’ve spent my career in the service of others, both here at home and abroad. From representing the UK at the international level, to advising brilliant British charities like the RNLI, I know how to get things done. I am determined to use this experience to help the people and communities we care about in our beautiful corner of Cornwall. This means tackling the Conservatives’ housing and cost of living crises, reducing NHS waiting times and ensuring our area is well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities for good quality, well paid jobs.

My family didn’t have much when I was growing up, but the investments made by the last Labour government, in public services like state schools, allowed me to grab opportunities in life and achieve things that would be out of reach for families like mine today. I want children growing up today to have those same opportunities. I want there to be dignity for those in our communities that have reached retirement. Mostly, I want us to have hope and ambition that things can be better.

If people here grant me the privilege of electing me as their MP, I will be a relentless champion for us in Westminster. I’ll work with the next government to deliver the right kind of housing in the right places and help our communities take advantage of new opportunities in industries such as clean energy.

And I’ll get the basics right too. Take our rivers and seas – it cannot be right that water companies keep raising our bills, polluting our rivers and coastline, all whilst making huge profits. 

Latest polling shows that Labour is neck and neck with the Conservatives in South East Cornwall at the next election, with rural voters now being more likely to back Labour than the Tories. However, it’s not in my nature to take anything for granted, and over the coming months I will work as hard as possible to build your trust in me and in Labour.

For me, Labour has always been about aspiration, about building a society whichallows individuals and communities to reach their potential. Those are my Labour values, and why I am so committed to making life better here.

My email is [email protected] or followme on twitter/x @annagelderd

Anna Gelderd, the Labour Party’s parliamentary candidate for South East Cornwall