COLUMN by Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher 

When you start a new job you usually have a few days to get used to your new role. This is totally different. A starting pistol was fired in the early hours of Friday morning and now we’re off. Starting to rebuild. Delivering the change people demanded in polling booths across the constituency. 

The demand for change was loud and clear. A swing to Labour of 15,228 votes, apparently a short-lived record, subsequently broken by Labour’s Terry Jermy in taking Liz Truss’ old constituency. Thank you to everyone who put their faith in me. It is a huge privilege to now represent you all.  

Since Friday, I’ve been busy getting my new office set up, working out what team I need, a few media interviews, answering an inbox full of emails.

Then it’s off to Westminster on Monday to get on with the job of delivering for Stroud.

My week's already mapped out with meetings and briefings, and then it’ll be back here for the weekend and hoping to see some of you at the Stroud Country Show at Stratford Park on Saturday. 

Arriving here as a junior doctor almost exactly 29 years ago, I never imagined that one day I'd be fighting to save the NHS. I have as much to learn now as I did then.

But I’m motivated by the same things - the desire to serve the whole community, and a strong commitment to help people and put their needs first.

Rebuilding the NHS around service, making it fit for generations to come, once again the envy of the world as it was in 2010, is my top priority.

This has to include NHS dentistry as a universal service, ending the modern scourge of people driven to extract their own teeth, not seen since the 1940s, before the founding of the NHS, on the 5th July as it happens, 1948.

It’s not going to be easy, there’s a lot to do, but I’m up for the challenge. Let’s go!