Having first stood for election in the midst of the MPs’ expenses scandal, I know what it is to face voters who have completely lost faith in Parliament.

A democracy cannot work without trust between the electors and the elected – and in the fairness of the democractic process itself. So since I was elected I have worked hard, as I know others have, to find ways to restore trust in politics.

As a back-bencher, I have secured as many debates on behalf of my constituents as possible. Each has been the result of a conversation with a constituent about a subject of great importance to them and the community: from fuel poverty, to the post office network, to community pharmacies, to the environment.

I know many of my colleagues, too, have done all they can to make themselves approachable and accessible, not only to people who voted for them but to those who voted for someone else and to those who may not have voted at all. Like me, they have tried to put trust back into politics.

The problem is, we have not been very successful – because for many people the problem of mistrust is rooted in the system. The First Past the Post voting system we use for general elections means that many voters do not feel they have a stake in our democracy.