false

I read this:

Mrs Hodge was a local hero: here, at last, was a politician who was prepared to listen to voters and speak out on their behalf.

That should read: "here was a politician who was prepared to say what her electorate wanted to hear."

The reality of British politics is that even if a group of politicians want to do anything, the real power is held by a tiny cabal of dripping wet fucks who are only interested in social democracy. And the truth of the matter is that there are only a tiny minority of the 646 who actually have a coherent, articulated agenda. The rest of them are just lobby fodder.

That means that the residents of Barking and Dagenham will continue to be a dumping ground, that means that welfare (rather than beneficial economic growth) will continue to attract people from poorer EU and other countries and that empty posturing will continue to be the order of the day.