BARRIE HUDSON chats to Robert Buckland, standing for the Conservatives in South Swindon, in our series on all the candidates in the General Election on May 7.

ROBERT Buckland joined the Conservative Party during the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

For a 16-year-old in the mining heartland of Llanelli, it wasn’t an obvious choice, but that didn’t deter him from standing up for his beliefs.

“I felt very strongly that there was an issue to be resolved about who governed the country.

“Although I knew plenty of people who worked in the industry and admired them, I thought they were being very badly led, and that made me angry.

“Being a Conservative was a bit of a minority interest in South Wales, but it didn’t stop me. It remained a passion throughout my life. It burned in variable degrees. The flame burned high sometimes and lower at other times but it’s always been in my background.”

Now, as a Swindon MP and solicitor general, he’s still willing to upset the status quo when necessary.

“There is an element of my personality... I think it’s too easy just to go along with the flow.

“Sometimes you need to say, ‘I don’t agree – I think we need to go in another direction.’ I’ve never been frightened to do that, and I think that’s very important in politics.

“It’s easy to nod your head and agree with everybody; it’s more difficult to say, ‘Well, with respect, I don’t agree. We should do it another way.’

“Frankly I think that, especially at a time when the public seem to think politicians will do and say whatever it takes to get elected, you need that frankness more than ever.”

Robert is 46 and married to Sian, a former bank manager. Their twins, Millie and George, are 12, and the family have lived in Wroughton for six years.

The son of a high street solicitor and a housewife, Robert followed school in Llanelli with a law degree at Durham University and a career as a barrister. He became a part-time judge in 2009 and after being elected in 2010 would sit for a few days during summer to stay abreast of changes in the law. He no longer does so because of his senior legal role as Solicitor General.

Elected a county councillor in Llanelli in 1993, he first stood for Parliament in 1995 following Neil Kinnock’s departure from the Islwyn seat.

After contesting Pembrokeshire in 1997, he concentrated on career and family before coming second in South Swindon in 2005 and eventually winning the seat.

Robert takes pride in working for local charities including the Hop Skip and Jump children’s respite organisation and CALM – the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Movement.

As the parent of a child with autism, he takes a special interest in the condition, and as a member of the Autism All Party Group helped to engineer new legislation setting out clear care standards.

Other local achievements of which he’s proud include helping to secure an extra £20m in community health funding, extra cash for education and £100m to improve the town’s roads.

Nationally, he has campaigned successfully to strengthen laws against domestic abuse, stalking and harassment.

His put his career at the bar on hold when he became an MP, and has no regrets .

“I’ve always put my constituents first, and I think it’s right to say that usually there’s a way through, so that the interests of my constituents can be promoted in a positive way.

“Integrity is important to me, and also being available – being somebody who can feel easy to talk to, whether by email or on the telephone, on the street or in my surgery.

“The hospital is my hospital. The GP is my GP. If I want to relax I go to the cinema in town or in West Swindon or in Greenbridge. I take the kids swimming to the Oasis.

“Even when I’m so-called off duty, I’m sharing the experiences my constituents experience, and it equips me to be an even more effective MP, I think.

“As long as I’ve got the energy and enthusiasm – and that doesn’t show any sign of abating – I want to carry on as South Swindon’s MP. It’s an honour and a huge responsibility to represent people.”

Also standing in South Swindon are: Damon Hooton (Liberal Democrat); Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn (Green Party); John Short (UKIP); Anne Snelgrove (Labour).