Comment: Two years on, and a timely reminder of why standards matter

This time two years ago, I was still processing the momentous result of the General Election, and preparing to travel to London for the first time as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Chichester. There was a lot to work out: childcare for my children, then nine and four, what my new commute would look like, and reading the pack you're handed at the count explaining what to expect when you arrive in Parliament for the first time.

That night will stay with me forever. The fire alarm and mass evacuation of the count at 3am was unexpected and certainly added to the drama! The exit polls predicted the Conservatives would hold the seat, and I spent the first few hours going through what can only be described as the stages of grief. We were attempting to overturn a majority of more than 21,000, so nobody could have predicted such a swing in the Liberal Democrats' favour. I will always be grateful to the voters who chose a different path, and to the activists and campaigners who gave up their time to deliver leaflets and knock on doors. Representing my community on the national stage remains the greatest privilege of my life, and I hope, whatever your politics, that you feel I have been an active and dedicated constituency MP, standing up for the issues that matter most here: water quality, infrastructure around new development, and access to primary care.

Standing up for the Chichester constituency on the national stage remains the single greatest privilege of my life.

Reflecting on those two years has brought back memories of the training all new MPs receive on arrival in Westminster. I sat through the same session as Nigel Farage, and the message was clear: any gifts or benefits received must be declared, because transparency is the bedrock of public trust. It was disappointing, then, to read this weekend's Sunday Times story revealing that Mr Farage had again failed to declare gifts and benefits, this time from a 32-year-old crypto-billionaire and convicted fraudster.

Farage’s explanation, that the money, staff and complimentary stays had nothing to do with his political life, is hard to square with the facts. At a time when trust in politics is already fragile, and for a man who clearly aspires to the highest office in the land, these are questions that deserve a proper answer. I'm glad our Liberal Democrat Party President, Josh Babarinde MP, has written to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner asking for an investigation.

On a lighter note, 4^th July wasn't only the anniversary of the General Election but also the 250^th anniversary of American Independence, and I marked it with a visit to the West Sussex Record Office - home to one of only two contemporary parchment copies of the Declaration of Independence in existence, the other held in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Hearing from the archivists who uncovered its story, I was struck by the relevance of the founding principles of the United States to our own liberal democracy; that legitimate power rests on the consent of the governed and that leaders are answerable to those they serve, as they still speak directly to the debates of this week. Two years into this job, I remain as committed as ever to standing up for accountable, honest politics here in Chichester.