Skip to content

Vote for change demands action - new MP told

Ben Schofield/BBC A man, Ste Greenall, sits smiling. He's in front of a radio desk, with headphones to the side of himBen Schofield/BBC
St Neots radio presenter Ste Greenall said local residents had grown "tired" of the Conservatives

The July general election saw voters in rural Cambridgeshire vote for "change" but now they need to see "action" from their new MP, a radio presenter has told the BBC.

The Lib Dems gained three new MPs in the previously Conservative rural parts of Cambridgeshire.

Ian Sollom took the new seat of St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, beating Conservative candidate Anthony Browne, gaining 19,517 votes - a 4,621 majority over Browne.

Ste Greenall, 66, who presents the breakfast programme on Black Cat Radio, a station focussed on St Neots, said: "People want to see St Neots being looked after on a micro level as well as on the big national issues."

Ben Schofield/BBC A general street view of St Neots, showing people crossing a roadBen Schofield/BBC
St Neots in Cambridgeshire is one of the fastest growing areas of the country

He said local people were most concerned about getting access to GPs and a shortage of NHS dentists, adding: "I could do a show each day of the week on those issues."

Mr Greenall, who was a Lib Dem councillor between 2010 and 2018, said people had grown "tired" of the Conservatives.

"There was a feeling that people were ready for change. Now we have got the change we want to see action," he said.

He said the new Lib Dem MP would give the area a "voice in the chamber".

Ben Schofield/BBC A woman, Tanya Sargeant, is stood in front of a brick wall. She's smiling and wearing a white topBen Schofield/BBC
Tanya Sargeant wants to see more facilities for sports in the area

St Neots resident Tanya Sargeant, 22, who represents the St Neots Sports Collective, said people were seeking a "big change" at the election.

She wants to see more facilities for sports in the area.

"The running club have nowhere to meet and the rugby club have nowhere to practise," she said.

"Ideally we want a massive sports hub, with an astro running track, where everyone who wants to get into sports can go."

Ant Saddington/BBC An aerial view of St Neots, showing cars crossing a bridge over a riverAnt Saddington/BBC
St Neots lies on the eastern bank of the River Great Ouse
Ben Schofield/BBC A man, Alex Hughes, is wearing glasses, a blue shirt and has a beard. At the back of the room he's standing in is a sign which says 'rooted in place, at the heart of St Neots'Ben Schofield/BBC
Alex Hughes says St Neots ought to have a job centre

Alex Hughes, from the St Neots Initiative - which aims to cut the number of youngsters not in education or training, says it is "shocking" that the town does not have a job centre.

He said: "The St Neots Initiative has engaged with well over 100 businesses on a regular basis and everyone says the same thing: Where do we find talent?"

Ant Saddington/BBC Ian Sollom MP is sat, looking to the side. He's wearing glasses and a suitAnt Saddington/BBC
Ian Sollom MP believes business rates should be reformed to help boost the High Street in St Neots

Sollom, the new MP who has a PhD in astrophysics and was a district councillor in South Cambridgeshire from 2018 until 2022, said his role was to represent residents and improve the town.

"I can be an advocate for them and also fight for new initiatives and put pressure on all levels of government," he said.

"We also need to see business rates reform to help high streets thrive."

He said growth in housing was "not necessarily a problem as long as community facilities - health and primary care - also grow with more investment in the health service".

The Liberal Democrats know that a lot of their gains were made in traditional conservative areas like St Neots.

They know that they have to show that they are more than a protest vote and can make a difference to their constituents’ lives.

But they also know that when the government has such a large majority in Parliament it could be a challenge to bring about the change that voters are looking for.

BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 15 September at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830