Electors have spoken. The politics of the UK, of Cornwall and of this constituency have all changed. Any victor euphoria is over. The hard work now commences.

I returned to Parliament this week after a decade “sabbatical” away. As a former MP I’m aware that, outside politics, “civvy street” is a nicer place; more pleasant than the open prison of Westminster and our position in the public stocks formed by the self-appointed armchair judges in our media and social media.

It is nevertheless an enormous privilege. There’s no shortage of candidates who wish to take up the position (nine in this constituency). So, despite the challenges, the merits seem evident.

From my experience I should applaud the culture of the House of Commons, which has always been able to reach beyond nil-sum-game party tribalism. It is better able to knuckle down in cross-party cooperation to the task in hand than many realise. Though the media seems more interested in the disputes and the “Punch of Judy show”, much of the work of parliament is more consensual than is given credit for. That is certainly how I used to conduct myself most of the time and that is how I will seek to conduct myself again.

The challenges faced by the new Labour government and non-Conservative MPs will be immense. As explained during the election campaign, I don’t have a magic wand. There’s a substantial mess to be cleared up. The previous government pursued a scorched earth policy. There’s no “magic money tree”. Public finances are in a mess. With £2.8-trillion of debt – greatest level in history, representing approximately 100 per cent of annual GDP - the new government cannot spend its way out of the NHS, housing, education, defence and other crises.

However, as two-thirds of national wealth is held by just one in five of the population, it should be time for “those with the broadest shoulders to bear the greatest burden” (as PM David Cameron promised in 2010, but which has been followed since by still widening inequality). Perhaps the greatest challenge of the next parliament will be to arrange policy so that we create a more equal country and society.

As I committed in the general election, my priorities will be to fins a way to rebuild our NHS; reverse the widening inequality; restore our reputation in the world; fight climate change; secure housing justice; restore nature and curb the appalling sewage spills around our coast.

Signs are that the new government agrees with many of these aims, but I of course await the King’s Speech this week to see some of the detail.

However, I first need to set up an office, appoint staff, and establish a way of managing the tidal wave of requests and demands from all quarters. Please bear with me while I put these things in place. I’ll make further announcements later this month and when I hope to be in a better place to forge ahead with the duties of the job.

Andrew George

Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives