IT'S THAT time of year when the clocks go forward, the evenings get longer, and the campaigning for the Westminster elections have begun in earnest.

Since Parliament dissolved I have been out and about knocking doors and listening to people across Penarth, the Vale, the constituency, and Wales.

Through the correspondence I receive and case work that myself and my office deals with, along with the surgeries I attend out in the constituency, I am given an awareness of the sorts of problems some of my constituents face and myself and my office do our utmost to help with. But door knocking provides me with another perspective.

What’s interesting is that people are interested in the big UK issues, like the state of the economy, and not just whether people have jobs but the sort of jobs people have. The issue of zero hour contracts has come up on the doorstep as well as concerns regarding the bedroom tax. There’s an issue about trust as well. There is a sense of the broken promises rhetoric in particular about whether both coalition partners have kept their promises, not just about Nick Clegg. This broader issue of trust is why it’s important to be out and about as it does make a difference. Once people look you in the eye they are more likely to trust you.

There is a genuine sense of whether politicians really understand the lives of normal people and normal communities or whether they are out of touch. And what has been interesting is how normal people see us when we go out knocking doors. Most people are happy to see us and want to engage in a conversation as well as debating those big UK issues there’s been lots of discussion of Assembly issues as well. I think there is a growing understanding of what happens at the UK election will have a huge impact on devolved responsibilities.

So whether a future UK Government wants to invest in public services or whether it’s committed to further and deeper cuts is something that people will understand will make a difference. People are also looking for a government that will actually be on the side of normal families and communities. Whatever people think I hope that everyone takes the opportunity to go out and use their vote on May 7.