The death last week of the oldest surviving former MP for the Ludlow constituency, Eric Cockeram, who was born in 1924, prompts me to reflect this week on what the public expects from their elected representatives.

Eric, whom I never met, had an unusual background for South Shropshire, as he did not have a special connection with the constituency before he was selected, unlike all MPs elected for our constituency before, or for that matter, since. 

But he was well suited to the role of MP in Westminster, as he brought to Parliament his experience from a successful career in business working in his family textile firm of Watson Pickard. He was colloquially known as the ‘Merseyside draper’.

The demands on our elected representatives, at every level, have become more intense since Eric was first elected. This makes the role more interesting, yet more challenging, at the same time. 

Of course modern communications makes it easier to reach out to local people to get your views across. But this is a two-way street, so the volume of constituent issues which any MP seeks to address would be unrecognisable to anyone elected 50 years ago. The range of issues may be similar, from the individual problems with local bureaucracy to the great national political debates of the day, but I have certainly noticed that I am increasingly being asked to help with problems over which I have no real influence.

Under our political system, the Government of the day is largely selected from MPs. To be an effective Minister requires, in my view, a range of experience which is hard to learn on the job. So we need to ensure the vast majority of those elected meet the threshold and have experience to draw on should they become Ministers.

The Committee on Standards in the Commons is currently consulting on what changes they wish to recommend to the way in which MPs conduct themselves inside and outside Parliament. I support change as the system has some obvious shortcomings and MPs should be held to a higher standard of propriety than others, as we seek to provide leadership in our communities and for the nation. 

But I want to ensure we do not impose a system that becomes the preserve of the professional politician, where those with needed experience of the world beyond politics choose not to put themselves forward for election.

I have sent my sincere condolences to Eric's family on behalf of the constituency he represented for eight years.