Are you relieved that the General Election is behind us?

When former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stepped out into the rain on that fateful Wednesday in May to call the General Election, I think I heard many people across East Devon breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, after a period of chaos and decline, we had a chance to pass judgement on a Conservative government that had lost its way.

Like many MPs, I went into the campaign not knowing whether I would be returned to Parliament to keep on fighting for you. No one has a divine right to be an MP - it is a role that has to be earned through hard work and public service.

Throughout the campaign, I sought to demonstrate the difference having a hard-working Liberal Democrat MP can make. I put 'demanding better' in relation to NHS dental services, community healthcare services and the environment at the centre of my campaign.

There is not time for a victory lap. There is far too much to do – on these and other causes that I discussed with thousands of residents on doorsteps in recent months.

We do not know what to expect from the Labour government in Westminster. The Labour Party’s manifesto did not contain many pledges, so in the weeks ahead we will see what their approach to governing will be.

My promise to you is that I will do all I can to make sure our communities get the fair hearing and the attention they deserve. I will hold Ministers to account firmly - and I will challenge them. I won’t provide opposition for its own sake; I will seek instead to advance causes that matter to you.

The first thing I did after being elected on Friday was write to Wes Streeting, the new Health Secretary, to invite him to visit Seaton Hospital and discuss how we can save the community-funded wing from being ripped away from the community that paid for it.

As your MP, I promise to work night and day to repay the trust placed in me - whether you voted for me or not. If you’d like to contact me, then you can write to me at Richard.Foord.MP@parliament.uk or through my website: www.RichardFoord.org.uk

My team and I will be held to the highest standards. I’ll aim always to play it straight, roll up my sleeves, and I won’t forget that I was elected to serve you.