New Aylesbury MP Rob Butler makes maiden speech to Parliament

And in it he had plenty to talk about relating to the issues affecting Aylesbury's residents.

He spoke about the ambitious new plans for Aylesbury's Garden Town project.

He said: “There is a passionate ambition to become a real community and commercial hub, where people want to live, work, visit and invest. Already the Waterside Theatre and The Exchange have brought life back to the canal side... The people of Aylesbury are rightly proud of their history as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement and now have pioneering plans to make the town fully accessible to all”.

Mr Butler then went on to speak about the importances of villages, highlighting the issues they face.

He said: “The farms, the villages and the hamlets lie in beautiful countryside, but they face the same challenges as other rural areas, including access to health services, buses and broadband and although Buckinghamshire is often regarded as affluent, my constituency also has pockets of deprivation and I will strive to ensure a fairer deal for everyone I represent.”

And as always in Aylesbury, HS2 wasn't far from the topic of conversation.

Rob said: “Thousands of residents are both disappointed and frustrated at the decision to proceed, not least because of the harm HS2 will do to the environment, including the destruction of more than a hundred ancient woodlands. The actions of HS2 Ltd and its contractors have already provoked many complaints to me and I take this opportunity to state that I will be

unwavering in holding them to account”.

Rob paid tribute to his predecessor, Sir David Lidington, saying:

“He is a man who is decent, dedicated and thoughtful; a gentleman, the epitome of the public servant”.

Talk in the commons then switched to a debate on an environmental bill.

Environment secretary George Eustice said: “The Prime Minster is clear – and so am I – we will deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on Earth.

“This transformative bill is at the heart of our work. It will see us recycling more and wasting less, breathing cleaner air, planting trees, safeguarding forests, and supporting nature recovery as we work to tackle climate change and reach net zero emissions.”

Mr Butler said on the bill that: “It will have far-reaching implications for our economy and our society, heralding a cleaner, greener nation.”

He welcomed the commitment in this Bill to require all development to be accompanied by a net gain in biodiversity, praising Aylesbury Garden Town for its vision to “be not just

green, but blue, with plans to create a gardenway encircling the town and to uncover hidden waterways”.

He went on to talk about the implications the new environmental bill would have on local Aylesbury famers,

He said: “Many [of those] farmers are enthusiastic about the Environment Bill. They recognise their unique role in the stewardship of the land and preservation of the countryside. I am

confident that this bill will enable our farmers to ensure our food security and run sustainable businesses, while playing their part in ensuring the highest environmental standards.”

Rob finished his speech by saying: “Like each and every one of us in this chamber, I am only here because of my constituents. As a former journalist, I am acutely aware of the need for accountability to them and to the public in general. Politics has not had a good press in recent years, and it is beholden on us to improve that. Not for the sake of a good headline or hundreds of “likes” on a tweet, but in order to rebuild faith and confidence that our institutions and representatives truly uphold democracy, and deliver in the best interests of all the people.

“I am honoured to be in Parliament at this pivotal time in our country’s history... so I conclude by expressing my sincere gratitude to the people of the Aylesbury constituency for

putting their trust and faith in me to represent them here.”