By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Cheltenham’s new MP Max Wilkinson says he will always have the spa town at the forefront of his mind during his time in Parliament.
The Liberal Democrat, 40, is not interested in aggrandisement or “pure political power” but in working with others to find a solution to the many problems affecting society.
Born in Weston-super-Mare, the former Gloucestershire Echo reporter and borough councillor, says he was attracted to Liberalism due to its belief in the empowerment of communities and devolution of powers to local levels.
As a councillor he enjoyed doing the grassroots community politics and taking up issues on behalf of the people he represented.
But he was really motivated by the bigger issues affecting large parts the country such as the lack of affordable housing, the environmental emergency and that the political system was not working for most people.
After growing up in Weston he studied business at university in Cardiff before returning to his hometown to train as a reporter on the Weston Mercury.
“I trained as a reporter in Weston-super-Mare, at my hometown newspaper which I used to deliver as a child when I was a paperboy.”
He then moved to Cheltenham in 2010 to take up a job with the Gloucestershire Echo which he enjoyed.
“I enjoyed very much working with the people who worked there,” he said.
“But I concluded my future lay elsewhere. I worked in marketing and communications while I was a councillor.”
He joined the Lib Dems in 2012, a party he had always voted for.
“As an adult, I had always been a Liberal Democrat voter and I identified with liberal politics. I’m liberal by personality as well.
“One of the things I really enjoyed about being a local and regional newspaper journalist was being involved with the community.
“Whether it was reporting on gnomes being banned from a graveyard or helping a local campaign group trying to save a museum, I always really enjoyed that grass roots community aspect of it.
“Because Liberalism believes in the empowerment of communities and devolution of powers to local levels, I was always going to be attracted to Liberalism and being a Lib Dem.
“I wanted to remain involved, naturally I’m a campaigner and when I see things going wrong or an obvious problem that needs solving, my inclination is to try and work with others to find a solution.
“I started off by delivering leaflets in my road and within a year I was standing for election in the local council elections.
“As a councillor, I enjoyed doing the grassroots community issues and taking up issues on behalf of the people I represented.
“The thing which really got me going was getting involved in those bigger issues affecting wide swathes of the country.
“Including the lack of affordable housing, the environmental emergency and I saw the political system locally and nationally was not working for most people.
“Most MPs and councillors are elected with way less than 50 per cent of the vote in a system that underrepresents minority voices and minority views.
“A system in which often people feel very frustrated because they are voting against the thing they fear the most rather than for the thing they want the most.
“There are wider issues with the political system to do with corruption and the fact one of our houses in Parliament, the Lords, is unelected.
“All of that needs to be reformed if we want a politics that works for people at the local level.
“If you can’t get the housing right, the economy right, look after the environment right, the world is not going to work properly. Those are the things that motivated me.”
He was asked if he wanted to stand for election as an MP and was encouraged by his colleagues to “give it a go”.
Mr Wilkinson first stood to become an MP as the emergency Lib Dem candidate in Stroud for the snap general election in 2017.
Shortly after that he said he was “lucky enough” to be selected to contest the Cheltenham seat in the “polarised” 2019 general election.
But he missed out on that occasion by 981 votes.
However, in July this year he won the seat by 7,210 votes.
And he hopes the Lib Dems’ success across the UK will mean more people will get to know what his party is about.
“Now that there are 72 Liberal Democrat MPs, people will see a lot more of what we stand for,” he said.
“I hope they will conclude our focus on fixing the NHS, getting social care right and looking after the environment, addressing people’s concerns over the cost of living, ensuring there are good jobs and everyone being looked after by an economy is fair, is something they will engage with.”
Mr Wilkinson says his main focus as MP will always be Cheltenham and its people. “My first duty as an MP will always be to my constituency,” he said.
“I take very seriously the responsibility that Cheltenham people have given me. I certainly won’t be taking them for granted.
“When I set red lines, I will stick to them. And when matters of principle are stated, I’m going to stick to them.
“Cheltenham will always be at the forefront of my mind. I’m not there for my own self aggrandisement or power or money.
“If I was interested in pure political power, I obviously would not have joined the Liberal Democrats.
“It would have been a daft thing to do. I’m in this because I’m a values-led liberal who believes in community activism and that is what I will attempt to do as a Member of Parliament.”
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
