The job of an MP is a fairly poorly defined one, but I think most MPs would agree that it is hard work, involving 6 days a week and very long and unsociable hours. That is why it is so surprising that our own MP, Dr Richard Taylor, announced in public at the Local Democracy Conference at County Hall, an event for about 70 young people from Worcestershire high schools, on the 16th October, that being an MP was “the best possible retirment job you can have.”

I was stunned at this comment and rather annoyed by it. I am told he went on to say that as an Independent, he had very little influence anywhere. For that, I respect his honesty and openness.

Let’s be perfectly straight about this: representing the interests of close to 100,000 people at Westminster is not now, nor has it ever been, a retirement job. It is an incredibly important job that needs support and it needs the MP to be able to exercise influence. That is why MPs get paid £64,000 a year, with allowances to pay for an office to help them support their constituents.

That our MP regards his position as a “retirement job” is, I feel, an insult to us all. Whilst local residents are having their homes repossessed, crippled under mounting personal debt, our MP is enjoying a taxpayer funded flat in London. Whilst unemployment rises 105% in Wyre Forest in the last year, our MP collects £64,000 for what he considers a very much part time job.

MPs are paid a very good salary, with help for out of pocket expenses and support for their offices, for the very good reason that being an MP is about taking positive action for their constituents. It is not about restricting themselves to being a single issue campaigner. It is not about standing for election in Wyre Forest on the platform of trying to save A+E services in Telford. It is about working their socks off to deliver all public services – not just health – to their constituents. It is about making sure they are helped through the recession and through tough times. It is about taking a lead on all the issues that are facing us all.

I don’t know why Richard Taylor is standing again, but maybe he thinks being an MP is just a jolly nice freebie and why shouldn’t he have another go? But this is where Richard and I are poles apart. Whilst Richard sees being an MP as a nice part time job, I see it as an incredible challenge to help Wyre Forest. Whilst Richard has made it perfectly clear he has no interest in any issue other than health, I will use all the resources available to me to tackle all the issues facing Wyre Forest. And when Richard has, on many occasions over the last 6 years that I have been the Conservative Candidate, let down his constituents who have gone to him for help, I (and I know many others) have been there to pick up the pieces and help where he has ignored. And for doing that, we are paid nothing.