EAST Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has been out on the road meeting people and in an exclusive interview with the Post he has revealed his thoughts about the three public meetings he has held.

Speaking after the meetings at the Festival Hall in Petersfield, Alton Maltings and the Future Skills Centre in Bordon, he said: “The thing about public meetings is that you never really know who is going to turn up or what the questions will be.

“But I was delighted to see so many constituents at each of the three recent meetings I held.

“The issues raised by people were as varied as the correspondence I receive in my e-mail inbox – questions on our community hospitals, mental health services, the Ham Barn roundabout, housing developments and recycling were among them.

“I set out what I see as the key issues facing us locally, we need to keep focusing on the continued vibrancy of our town and village centres – an increasing challenge in an age of growing online shopping.

“We also need to keep firms wanting to invest locally, to grow here and creating jobs.

“Firms need skilled people – we talked about local support for apprenticeships and the new T Levels. Public services and infrastructure are key, with good broadband a growing necessity. In Bordon especially we discussed the opportunities presented by the development of the town.

“Brexit was the biggest topic at the meetings – I’ve had 15 times as much balanced correspondence from residents on it as on the next biggest subject.

“I set out the reasons why I believe it is the best outcome to leave the European Union (EU) with a deal, and just as the country is divided on the issue, so were the views at the meetings.

“Clear and deeply opposing views were expressed, but overwhelmingly in a spirit of consideration and respect.

“I campaigned for remain back in 2016, but it is clear to me that we must deliver the referendum result, but I also believe it is important we leave in a way that meets the needs of people whichever way they voted.

“Questions on the government’s policies for addressing climate change were raised at the meetings, and I was pleased to be challenged on how we as a country and a local community can move swiftly to deliver the targets set out by the independent Committee on Climate Change.

“As I said in parliament recently, local areas can do a lot, and East Hampshire has been exemplary in this through organisations like the Greening Campaign, Energy Alton, initiatives like the Repair Cafe and the Petersfield i-Tree Survey, and now East Hampshire District Council’s commitment on tree planting.

“We have just set a much more ambitious target and we will need to do much more to get there, but it is important as much as possible to go with the grain of people’s lives, knowing that much will come from technological innovations.

“Power generation and transport, electric and, likely, hydrogen for goods transport, will be key. Talking to each other in an open and constructive way is one of the most important foundations of our democracy, and I have seen at these, and many other public meetings, that dialogue can be at once both passionate and reasonable.”