I WOULD like to take this opportunity of thanking all those who were kind enough to vote for me at the General Election.

I would like to especially thank those of you who felt moved and inspired to support and join my campaign to become your Member of Parliament.

The General Election was a hard-fought campaign by parties on all sides.

I would like to congratulate Mark Harper on his success and also to pay tribute to all the other candidates.

In an age where politicians are viewed with suspicion and scepticism, it is a very difficult decision to make to lift one's head above the political parapet and run for public office.

I would personally recommend that everyone should try it at least once – it certainly brings a wealth of experience and an understanding, but also it will mean that we can get more people involved and engaged in designing policy and shaping their communities.

I believe most strongly in a style of politics where the electorate is offered the respect they deserve.  

I believe in truth, integrity and absolute honesty, and I am proud to say that at no point during my campaign was any false spin, doctored statistics or rhetoric used to win populist votes.

We simply spent years meeting and listening to what you were concerned about and said you wanted to see, before developing a very local manifesto.

In a constituency of the size of the Forest of Dean it is nigh on impossible to meet and speak to everyone in person, and I am sorry if we missed you.

The biggest thanks must, of course go to you, the public, who made the effort and turned out in very high numbers indeed to support your beliefs.

The fight is far from over, and I remain, as ever, committed to the Forest of Dean Communities.

– Steve Parry-Hearn, Labour Party Parliamentary candidate, Clearwell.