I am standing for election in Reading East because local people deserve a hardworking, responsive MP who will stand up for their interests. After speaking to thousands of local people I know that many of you share my four priorities for Reading and Woodley:

Action against crime. As a local resident, I know that a small number of criminals have managed to make residents’ lives a misery in various parts of Reading and Woodley. I helped to advertise the new neighbourhood policing arrangements and saw first hand the enthusiasm of residents for working together with the police to stamp out crime, vandalism and graffiti.

On serious issues like these, we need action rather than just gimmicks, which builds on the hard work of the local police, police community support officers, and local people. I will convene regular 'drugs summits' between local police, the local council, the voluntary sector and local people so our whole community can band together to combat the scourge of drugs on our streets; and I will support Gordon Brown's commitment to deport any non-UK nationals who peddle drugs or carry guns.

Excellent public services. As a teacher in higher education I know that school teachers, pupils and their parents often work extremely hard to achieve excellence. But I also recognise that recent improvements in local schools must continue for local children to be able to reach their potential and for no child to be left behind. Reading East needs an MP who will take the lead. I will work hand-in-hand with local teachers and parents and local authorities, rather than criticising teachers and parents as David Cameron's man in Reading has done. I will also stand up for local residents when decisions are made that harm their interests (as has occurred with the closure of Ryeish Green).

I also want to see better coordination between the different elements of our local health service, building on the direct investments we have recently seen in our hospitals and particularly in the Royal Berks. We have seen a massive increase in staff numbers in the NHS under Labour- now we need to make sure that this leads directly to an increase in the quality of healthcare local people receive.

I pledge to continually push for improvements to local public services, including fighting for extra, personal, tuition for all pupils, for speedy access to check-ups at GP surgeries, and for strong action against hospital-acquired infections.

Safeguarding our environment. Climate change has already started to affect Britain and we must all take action now to prevent any further damage to our environment. We need new schemes which use encouragement rather than punishment so that everyone thinks about the environmental impact of their actions. Hammering families with expensive taxes will cause resentment; instead we need international agreements to tackle global problems, excellent public transport and local schemes which prioritise the green agenda.

I support the maintenance of Reading’s bus system in public ownership and the fantastic plans to improve Reading Station. But, as someone who travels to London regularly for work, I know that commuters’ interests are currently being ridden over roughshod following exhorbitant ticket prices and what feels like continual delays. As a keen cyclist, I know that our transport system is not fully integrated and that we need more support to encourage (rather than force) people to use alternative methods of transport.

I pledge to work in Westminster for greater support for affordable public transport. I will also fight to ensure that Reading and Earley commuters’ interests are placed first when contracts are renewed. I will work hard to make sure Reading maintains its position as a regional economic centre providing jobs for local people, building on our success in information technology so the town can become a powerhouse of sustainable technology.

An MP who is on your side. I know that many feel let down by an MP who often seems to put party-political loyalty rather than residents’ interests first. Time and time again, unpopular decisions made by local Conservative councils have been left unchallenged. This is particularly the case concerning Wokingham Borough Council’s cuts to social care for elderly and disabled people, a move which has shocked Woodley residents.

I also believe that being a Member of Parliament is a full-time job, one which should not be combined with lucrative directorships or be used to obtain perks like additional residences. Our current Conservative MP is among the quarter of all Conservative MPs who do not treat elected office as a full-time job. I pledge to fight for local residents’ interests, whenever and wherever they are threatened. If elected, I will be a full-time MP, and will continue to commute to London to work as do thousands of local residents.