THE new MP for West Devon and Torridge this week promised he would not be a ?party political dogmatist?. Conservative Geoffrey Cox secured a majority of more than 3,200 last Thursday to reclaim the seat the party last held a decade ago. It made him the hero of the day for Tories in the West Country ? while the Liberal Democrats swept Cornwall, Mr Cox chalked up the only Conservative gain in the two counties. But he did not strike a triumphal note ? he said his overriding priority would be the needs of the constituency, and he was prepared to work with other parties on issues such as affordable housing. Mr Cox, 44, who lives near Lamerton, said the problems of young people finding homes in the area was among the priorities: ?It is a cross-party consensus and I will work with all parties and none to try and find a solution to this absolutely pressing problem. ?We must look at bringing investment opportunities for jobs so that people can afford to buy homes.? The agricultural industry was another area that would be high on his agenda for action, he said. ?I have witnessed the backbone of our rural economy being subjected to eight years of indecision, neglect and even hostility. ?The critical issues of bovine TB and the single farm payment must be tackled.? He also promised to fight for the restoration of ambulance and GP services, and to raise the issue of education in West Devon: ?We have community colleges that are under strain and we have to do what we can to alleviate some of the pressures, and protect and improve the primary schools.? And he said he aimed to ?work closely with local people? on the controversial topic of wind farms and would call for a change in planning regulations. ?Planning inspectors should take into account and give decisive prominence to local concerns and the visual impact of wind farms - they should be the decisive factors in deciding an application, even on appeal.? A barrister, Mr Cox said he would be giving up full-time practice: ?My overriding priority will be the constituency. Anything outside that will be only as far as the priority allows.? And he declared that voters in the region had signalled the way for future government. ?People in the south west have begun the process of constructing the next government, and that will be a Conservative government.? He said in many south west seats, incumbent Liberal Democrat MPs had preserved their vote. ?The people of the south west are very loyal. I am not going to be a party political dogmatist. Where you have a good local MP people do not want to exchange what they have for an unknown unless there?s the opportunity to elect a new government.? He admitted the result would have been a cliffhanger if his predecessor, Liberal Democrat John Burnett, had decided to seek re-election. ?It would have been exquisitely close if John Burnett had stood, we would have gone into recount territory,? said Mr Cox. His Liberal Democrat challenger, former television reporter David Walter, said several factors had prevented his party from holding the seat. He said: ?What did for us was the fact that the Conservatives were telling people that only their party could get rid of Tony Blair. ?People believed that and it was quite difficult to persuade them that they were getting an opposition MP of one party or another.? Mr Walter said the Labour vote in the constituency was also a factor in his defeat. ?Another part of the problem was that I was not John Burnett. I kept stressing that I had worked closely with John over the last 18 months and that he was supporting me very strongly, but trying to take over from a well-established MP who was deeply entrenched in the constituency was quite hard.? Mr Walter, who lives at Sampford Courtenay, said he would like to stay in the area, but was reviewing his options. Asked if he would stand again, he said he had not yet decided, but that the decision would rest with local Liberal Democrats. West Devon and Torridge was a Conservative seat for many years until Emma Nicholson defected to the Liberal Democrats in 1995. John Burnett won the seat for the Liberal Democrats in the 1997 and 2001 elections.
