Faye Purbrick was yesterday (27th September 2023) selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the newly created Glastonbury and Somerton constituency with a promise to protect the local rural way of life by reducing crime, championing local businesses, and increasing levelling-up funding and investment to really deliver for local people.
Faye, 46, has one son and many family close by across South Somerset and Devon. She currently lives in Yeovil, where she grew up, and is self-employed running a business supporting companies in the construction and engineering industries.
She is a dedicated local champion for the wider Somerset area and Glastonbury and Somerton in particular. Standing recently in the by-election was a culmination of 7 years of work helping local people, business and organisations to get the recognition they deserve. She is committed to continue doing this, first as the candidate and then as the MP, giving local people the representation that they deserve.
Faye has committed to working with local leaders like Mark Shelford, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Avon and Somerset, to ensure delivery of a cohesive strategy to reduce rural crime and ensure that local people are able to go about their business as they wish. She is also set on campaigning to protect the rural way of life ahead of the next general election, recognising the unique challenges for rural education, housing, infrastructure and services and the vital food security and countryside stewardship role undertaken by our farmers.
She has regular contact with Flooding Minister, Rebecca Pow about the funding opportunities and the diverse flooding risks effecting local communities. She is committed to continue making the argument for increased levelling-up funding from government, supporting new business cases, and the effective delivery of projects already funded, like the Glastonbury Town Deal and the Wincanton regeneration (that has been rolled back from over the last year). Finally, Faye is committed to using her business background to engage with and attract private sector investment to deliver high quality jobs, skills and services for residents.
Following her selection, Faye said:
“It was the honour of my life to stand recently in the Somerton and Frome by-election, but my work is far from finished. I have been campaigning to improve lives across Glastonbury and Somerton for the last 6 years and I am committed to giving all of these communities the representation they deserve, and need, both at the local level and in Westminster.
“I grew up in Somerset and am steadfast in my drive to make Glastonbury and Somerton the best place to live, work and raise a family in the country. When I was growing up here, I felt those opportunities didn’t exist here, so I spent a decade working overseas learning the skills that I now plan to bring to bear in standing up our communities and delivering for all our residents and future generations. I am privileged to have been selected to stand in the new seat of Glastonbury and Somerton and will hold the Lib Dem’s to account for their lack of action in supporting local people and solving local issues.
“I will make use of the many relationships I have built, be that with the Government, the PCC, local people, businesses, and Somerset Council, to ensure our area is given the attention it deserves. Most importantly, I will be a visible and engaged candidate, listening to the views of our communities, their aspirations and ambitions, and working to deliver for them.”
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