MP Andrea Leadsom hopes to be children's champion
She's a woman with a mission.
Andrea Leadsom, the newly elected Conservative member for the newly created seat of South Northamptonshire, is an MP with an agenda - and it's all about bonding.
Not the cosying up kind, so prevalent in parliament but the most fundamental link of all: between parent and child.
She's a former chariman and trustee of the
The charity aims to target families in need of help. Families where mothers and fathers can't identify with their offspring and run the risk of failiing in their care.
"Early intervention is very effective," she tells me. "Do you know that 40% of under 5's have family bonding issues?"
No I didn't and frankly, I'm horrified.
The charity aims not simply to prevent terrible cases like Baby P but to ensure that the next generation is raised with affection and develops sociably, helping keep them from a downward spiral in the long term.
Isn't there a name for that? Oh yeah... love. Teaching them to love their children. Well I never.
"Saves money in the long run. We'll all end up paying if they turn to crime."
I suppose we will.
This certainly chimes in with David Cameron's ideas on the Big Society and yes, she is a fan.
She's also a fan of George Osborne and her position on the Treasury Select Committee, after 25 years in banking - stay calm, she was a hedge fund manager among other things - will afford her plenty of opportunities to indulge that particular interest.
But Mrs Leadsom does not support the Alternative Vote system, which we are due to have a referendum on next May.
"I'm in the 'No' camp because I think you should be able to hold a party's feet to the fire over delivering their manifesto promises.
"AV produces more coalitions and if you don't deliver, then you can blame it on our coalition partner; no-one will actually have to put a policy into practice."
What she would like to see put into practice is a national roll out of these children's charity centres.
If those figures stack up, there appears to be a significant need for her to achieve that goal.
Welcome to the political blog for the East. I'm Deborah McGurran, the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's Political Editor for the region. From Lowestoft to Luton, this is the place for politics with an eastern twist.
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