The news may be bad internationally but there is good local news.

We have an MP who has actually had a proper job.

Since 1979 we have had four MPs.

John Browne was our MP 1979 -1992. He appeared immaculate and was well spoken. In 1990 Geoffrey Howe withdrew the Conservative whip from him as he had not declared a payment $80,000 from Saudi Arabia.

Gerald Malone was the MP 1992-1997. When I met him he seemed a competent man but he lost his seat in the 1997 General Election, as many Conservatives did.

Mark Oaten was our MP 1997-2010, but he was exposed in a scandal in 2007 by the News of The World and did not stand in 2010.

Steve Brine was our MP 2010-2014, and he never really made an impression. The Conservatives promised in June 2015, to reduce immigration to 10,000 a year, and to reduce it in the other General elections, 2017 and 2019. In the years June 2021-2022 visas were granted to 635,000 migrants to come to Britain, June 2022-2023 720,000 visas were granted for people to come to the UK. So in the years 2022 and 2023 Britain’s population increased by 1,355,00O (source Migration Watch). This is far too much for a country 44 per cent the size of France. I wrote to Steve Brine about this and received no reply. A total failure by the Conservatives to implement a policy.

The complaint is often made that too few MPs have a real job, and lack experience. David Cameron our Prime Minister was involved with public relations for Carlton TV for seven years, and George Osborne the former Chancellor worked in the 1990s prior to being elected as an MP 2001 he worked in the Conservative research department. 

Danny Chambers is now our MP, he is a vet dealing with horses and equine help.

Having qualified at Liverpool University with a degree infectious disease control and in veterinary medicine. He also lectured or researched at Bristol University.

Prior to being elected he used to go out at night to see horses in Hampshire who were either ill, or giving birth. That is a serious hands on job involving a high level of skill and to work in extreme circumstances. 

He is concerned about the mental health of vets, as vets have a suicide rate four times higher than the national average so he set up a mental health charity for Vets called Vetlife. 

He has also worked with volunteers for veterinary charities in India, Morocco and The Gambia.

These experiences will serve Winchester well, as he clearly has the ability to sympathise and listen, but also to deal with very challenging circumstances, which few voters in the Winchester district would be able to do.

Rupert Pitt,
St Cross Road,
Sr Cross,
Winchester

Send letters by email to newsdesk@hampshirechronicle.co.uk or by post to Editor, Hampshire Chronicle, 5 Upper Brook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8AL.

All letters and e-mails must include full names and addresses (anonymous letters will not be published), although these details may be withheld from publication, on request.

Letters of 300 words or less will be given priority, although all are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, or legal requirements. We reserve the right to edit letters.