The North Norfolk parliamentary constituency has had every political colour. Post war it was Labour until the 1970 election when Edward Heath surprised everyone by defeating the governing Labour Party under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The seat remained in Tory hands until Sir Norman Lamb took it for the Liberal Democrats in 2001. With his strong constituency presence and personal following, North Norfolk remained loyal to Lamb until he stepped down from politics in 2019. Duncan Baker was then elected for the Conservatives when Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a landslide victory.
Come 2024, when the Conservative Party were certainly no flavour of the month, Steff Aquarone defeated Duncan Baker with a majority of 2,585, returning the constituency to the Liberal Democrats.
Norfolk-born Aquarone has been a county councillor for the Melton Constable division since 2017. He is not new to local politics, but it’s a very different beast compared to the somewhat arcane, procedural world of Westminster. As he told East Anglia Bylines just after he first won the seat: “Not unexpectedly, it’s been full-on since being elected as the new MP for North Norfolk. Lots of parliamentary inductions and meetings during the first week.”
As Aquarone completes his first year as an MP, East Anglia Bylines invited him to put pen to paper about achievements and challenges. These are his words:
Putting North Norfolk first
It’s incredible to think that it has only been a year since I first took my seat in Westminster as North Norfolk MP. I have spent every minute of the last 12 months putting North Norfolk first, making the voices of my constituents heard and making sure that North Norfolk’s priorities are right up there on the agenda, alongside places like London and Cambridge. I didn’t come to Westminster to play it safe and blend in. I came here to make a difference and fight for what’s right.
I’ve been very vocal about the fact that Westminster politics is broken. Despite decades of modernisation everywhere else, government and the state are still siloed. Complex, convoluted systems make it difficult to deliver change, and often impossible for people to access the services they need.
This year, my team and I have closed 6,000 constituency cases – and that’s so much more than just a number. Behind each and every one of those cases is a person who has come to me via my office to get help overcoming a challenge, navigating a very complex system, or to ask for support on an issue that is impacting their daily life. It has been so rewarding to support my constituents on the issues that matter to them most.
Campaigning for change never stops
Since being elected, I’ve raised issues on healthcare, housing, schools, benefits and so much more that impact residents living in our rural and coastal towns and villages.I’ve also fought to secure rural services like banking hubs, nurseries and dental surgeries.
My campaign to improve dental provision in North Norfolk has already resulted in more than 21,500 appointments being made available to residents.
A recent campaign secured the future of East Ruston Nursery School, saved from closure thanks to a joint effort with local parents.
I’ve also extended my successful campaign to bring banking hubs to our towns so residents and local businesses can access the services they need.
In Parliament, I’ve led debates on flood preparedness, coastal communities and the support our rural economy needs to thrive.
A new kind of politics
We need a new kind of politics in order to make a real change and, with my new office now set up in North Norfolk and serving as a meeting hub, I have made it a priority to get leaders, constituents, councils, businesses and organisations around one table to talk, connect, share resources and solve problems. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if the Government followed this same approach to tackling issues like education, healthcare and the environment?
Whether it’s joining the queue to make a call to save the Sharrington phone box or pitching up to protest the closure of a nursery school, this year has been a vivid reminder that we are stronger together.
My favourite part of the job remains spending time in North Norfolk – knocking on doors, meeting people face to face and listening to what they have to say. Every time I step through the gates of Westminster, I do it to represent the views and needs of the people who live here, and I want to thank the people of North Norfolk for putting their faith in me.
I’ll be spending the next year building on everything that my team and I have achieved this year, helping people to solve their issues, securing millions more in funding to stop sewage dumps off our precious coastline and fighting tirelessly to lift the NHS up off its knees.
My first year as MP got off to a flying start, but there is still so much to do and I won’t stop listening, showing up and getting things done. We’re just getting started. Let’s keep pushing to move North Norfolk forward.
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