Column by South Cotswolds MP Dr Roz Savage.
PROTECTING people’s health and keeping our communities safe isn’t an abstract idea for me.
It’s something I see up close, week in, week out – both in Parliament and here at home in the South Cotswolds.
A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with the Primary Care Minister, Stephen Kinnock, to make the case for a new GP surgery in Sherston.
This has been a long-running local campaign to ensure that when the current surgery closes, people in Sherston and surrounding villages still have access to a doctor.
There is now real progress.
After years of effort from the local GP, Sherston Parish Council and Wiltshire councillors, there is finally an in-principle agreement to provide revenue funding for a new surgery.
My meeting with Minister Kinnock has led to his commitment to ensure the future of a surgery in Sherston.
It’s a reminder of what can happen when people work together and keep going, even when progress feels slow.
When I’m not in Westminster, I try to spend as much time as possible alongside the people delivering those services.
Recently, I joined a Gloucestershire ambulance crew for a shift.
I saw first hand the skill, resilience and compassion that job requires – often in incredibly pressured situations.
It’s humbling.
I have also been out for a day with Wiltshire Police’s rural crime team, who tackle organised criminal gangs targeting our farmers, stealing quad bikes and other high-value equipment.
In some cases, these vicious gangs engage in hare coursing on local farmland.
These are not victimless crimes; they cause real financial and emotional harm, often accompanied by threats of violence.
I admire deeply those who put themselves in harm’s way to stand up to such threats.
That same courage was evident recently when unarmed police officers intervened in the horrific stabbing of two members of the Jewish community in Golders Green.
Their actions prevented further harm.
This attack, and the wider rise in antisemitism, must be condemned without reservation.
It was therefore unacceptable to hear a political party leader criticise those officers’ actions.
Because words matter.
Especially from those in positions of leadership.
They can build trust, or they can chip away at it.
They can bring people together, or deepen divisions.
At a time when so many people feel unsettled, we have a responsibility to choose words carefully.
That’s why I found the tone set by Charles III during his recent visit to the United States so striking.
It was measured, thoughtful and rooted in a quiet reminder of shared values – respect, understanding and unity.
Not grandstanding, just steady leadership.
And perhaps that’s the thread that runs through all of this.
Whether it’s securing better healthcare, supporting our emergency services, or standing firmly against hatred, leadership isn’t just about what we do.
It’s about how we show up – in our actions and in our words.
