ONE of the most exciting developments this week has been more progress on the 'Kernow Connect' rail project. I have now officially asked Cornwall Council to commission a feasibility study into bringing new rail lines to North Cornwall, and have secured a meeting with Rail Minister Lord Hendy to put the plans directly in front of the Department for Transport.

Our proposals outline a fully electrified line from Okehampton to Launceston, through to Bodmin, before joining the electrified main line further into Cornwall, with an ambition to be operational by 2050. This has been a priority of mine since arriving in Parliament, and while there is a huge amount of work still to do, this is a genuinely significant step forward. I will keep you all updated as things progress, but it’s certainly a brilliant landmark first step to celebrate.

I’ve also been raising concerns again this week on behalf of constituents about the worsening cost of fuel crisis. With prices having risen sharply in the wake of Trump’s illegal invasion of Iran, the impact here in North Cornwall is felt far more acutely than in areas with better public transport links. My constituents rely on their cars to get around in a way that is not always understood by those making decisions in Westminster. I have been calling for an emergency 10p cut to Fuel Duty, alongside slashing the bus fare cap from £3 to £1, as part of our plan to tackle the crisis and keep the Duchy moving.

Assisting with local Councillor campaigns this week, I have written jointly with Cllr Rosie Moore to the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, demanding urgent action to reinstate the postbox over in Trelights. Residents were promised a replacement within weeks of the original being removed. More than six months on, despite correspondence from both Cllr Moore and myself, quite literally nothing has happened, and for many older residents in particular this is having a real impact on daily life. We have demanded clear answers and a firm date for reinstatement.

It was great to hold another Brew with Ben event last Thursday, at Sea View Farm Shop just outside St Teath. These events are always a brilliant opportunity to hear directly from constituents, answer questions, and have a proper conversation over a cup of tea about the issues that matter most to people here. Please make sure to attend my next Brew with Ben event if you’re able to!

I also had the pleasure recently of meeting the team behind Storybook Dads, a wonderful charity helping children maintain bonds with parents in prison through storytelling. Starting at HMP Dartmoor over twenty years ago, they have expanded their work to almost every prison in the country, and recently launched a phone app to increase contact between parent and child. The evidence that maintaining family ties reduces reoffending is compelling, and this is exactly the kind of work that deserves far greater recognition - especially by organisations based here in Cornwall that we MPs should be giving our full support to.

It was also great to stop by Native Burger in Bodmin recently, which is a brilliant example of the kind of thriving local business that makes our constituency such a special place. Finally, a very happy one-year anniversary to our eleven brilliant Lib Dem Cornwall Councillors, who have already achieved so much on behalf of North Cornwall's residents in the last twelve months alone. I am incredibly proud to work alongside such a dedicated team, and look forward to keep pushing for progress on core issues that we’ll be focussing on, on behalf of Cornwall’s residents.