It's been another busy week as I settle into Parliament, build my team and restore order to an overflowing inbox.

So it was delightful to take an hour out to attend Thomas Sladden's first concert, held at the Wiltshire Music Centre in honour of the Liz Lawrence Award given to the former Malmesbury School pupil by the charity Wiltshire Rural Music.

As someone who doesn’t have a musical bone in my body, despite 12 years of piano lessons, I can truly appreciate Thomas’s talent.

It was a welcome break from tackling some of the more challenging issues facing our communities. 

The residents of Ashton Keynes, like their neighbours in South Cerney, are trying to fight off a large mineral extraction company who want to dig for sand and gravel beside their village, on a greenfield site right next to a conservation area, despite the quality of the minerals being low, and the application having been rejected before. 

Parish Councils and hardworking residents are facing up to expensive barristers and expert consultants paid for by greedy companies.

The residents have my wholehearted support, backed by my written submission to the Inspector running the public inquiry.  

Of course we need local jobs and wealth creation. But businesses need to balance their quest for profit with respecting the needs of their workers, local communities and protecting the wider environment. 

Consider the recent redundancies at Dyson. Did the company truly consider the impact on staff with families, children in local schools, and roots in their communities?

When water companies fail their customers, do they think about the households and farms affected by raw sewage?

When NHS boards propose surgery closures, have they considered the implications for disabled, ill, or elderly people who can’t just hop on a (usually non-existent) bus? 

The current balance has been too much in favour of big business and faceless bureaucracies and against ordinary people's interests.

It is the latter that I will champion as your MP. We need to put people before profit, remembering that we are all human beings worthy of respect.  

In a variation on the same theme, on last Sunday’s edition of BBC’s “Politics West” we delved into why people are increasingly reluctant to stand for public office. A significant deterrent is the abuse directed at many who do.

I suggested that this stems from the dehumanization of public figures and of those with whom we disagree.

It's time to restore respect and humanity at every level of our society, starting with the House of Commons.

Culture spreads from the top down, and our MPs need to set a better example, by remembering we are here to serve our residents, not our egos.

It's about listening more and grandstanding less. And yes, it's about occasionally admitting we’re wrong – which would also be good to see in the boardrooms of big business and amongst all the decision makers who impact our lives.

So, let's see less mud-slinging and more hand-shaking. Less point-scoring and more problem-solving.

By fostering a more respectful and compassionate culture, we can create an environment where everyone's voice is heard, complex issues are thoughtfully addressed, and the focus remains on serving the public good – and just maybe then we might get better decisions and attract more good people to stand for elected office.