Hertford and Stortford MP Josh Dean: ‘If I hadn’t been selected for Hertford and Stortford, I would not have stood’

Bishop’s Stortford’s new MP Josh Dean is halfway through a marathon but running at a sprint pace.

That’s how the first Labour politician to win the Hertford and Stortford constituency described his first weeks in office.

He made a pit stop at the Indie office to talk about life since his historic victory on July 4, when he overturned Conservative Julie Marson’s December 2019 majority of 19,620, beating her by 20,808 votes to 16,060, giving him a majority of 4,748 with a 20.44% swing.

Despite his party’s overwhelming success nationally, his performance in a true blue Tory constituency was unprecedented.

He confessed: “I’ve grown up in Hertford and Stortford so I always believed that we could win. In the last week I really did start to think that we might. And at that point you have a couple of sleepless nights trying to reason with that.

“On the final day, interestingly, I was certain that we wouldn’t win, but I think that’s natural for me. I think I got nervous. And I think that’s natural for any political candidate.”

In 2019, newly-elected Mrs Marson slipped into her predecessor Mark Prisk’s shoes and shared an office in Harlow with the new town’s MP, Robert Halfon.

Mr Dean has to start from scratch and is determined to do things differently: “It’s like setting up a small business. And a phrase that I’ve heard is ‘It’s a marathon, but it’s a marathon at sprint pace’.

“It’s a challenge, but I’ve been supported by some really wonderful volunteers – people who supported me through the election and have offered to help out and give me advice. So we’re bringing the team together quite quickly.

“We’ve already started holding our advice surgeries and we’re moving quite quickly on a constituency office as well. So I don’t think I anticipated the size of the challenge, but I’m more than up for it.”

Mrs Marson, from Kent, had twice tried to win the Dagenham and Rainham seat. She was short-listed to be the Tory candidate in Grantham, Lincolnshire, before Hertford and Stortford Conservation Association selected the ardent Brexiter and Boris Johnson fan as their contender.

By contrast, Mr Dean said: “When you had the chance to apply for seats, when those applications opened, I applied for one seat: Hertford and Stortford.

“If I hadn’t been selected for Hertford and Stortford, I would not have stood as a Labour candidate.

“There’s one seat that I want to represent and that is Hertford and Stortford. And the same would have been true if I’d lost the election because this is my home and I love it here. So this is the constituency I’ve always wanted to represent. It wasn’t about being a Labour MP, it was about being Hertford and Stortford MP.”

He believes that commitment played a part in his victory.

“I think many of our residents came out and didn’t vote for a party. They voted for change. And, you know, that’s what they got.

“And I do think some people voted for me because I’ve lived in and understand our community. When I talk about the issues people are facing, it’s not just residents, it’s my friends, my family, my neighbours. And that’s important to me.”

Mr Dean had hurdles to clear before those votes were secured, not least his tender years and the perception of a 24-year-old student.

He conceded it was a challenge: “There were some people early on that thought I was too young. But from my point of view, we need a diversity of experience in Parliament.

“I can’t tell you the number of times people wrote to me or replied to me on social media and said, ‘Oh, he’s never had a job’.

“I’ve had many jobs. I left school early to go straight to work. So sometimes there’s a difference between perception and reality. I took it as a challenge and was more than happy to meet it.

“But when I went into this, I didn’t think about my age. I just thought about the fact that this is my home and I know our community. And I felt very strongly that that was the MP that we needed. So I was more than happy to meet any challenges.

“I was very conscious to put my best foot forward during the election because I think that’s what people expect and deserve from their politicians. And I wanted to do justice to the community that I grew up in.”

Now he has to deliver. Surgeries have already been held with constituents, work on securing an office in Bishop’s Stortford is nearing completion and he has met a range of charities and community groups.

The former Hertford town councillor has also engaged with local authorities across the constituency and believes collaboration is key.

He said: “Our residents don’t look at us as a Labour politician, a Conservative politician, a Green or a Lib Dem. They look at us as politicians and what they expect is that their politicians will work together for the benefit of our community.

“Getting things done is important to me… I think we face real challenges locally and nationally. So I’m focused on speaking to as many residents as I can at the moment and engaging with them.”

An early priority will be protecting the “precious” chalk streams, like the Stort, which cross the constituency.

He also accepted that Labour’s decision to review the Tories’ hospital building programme, pausing plans for a new Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, was a thorny issue.

He acknowledged that he would not get universal approval for his actions in Parliament but said: “I think people can accept if you don’t vote the way they might like, up to a point, but you have to explain yourself and you have to be honest.

“That’s why engagement is a really important part of what I want to do as our MP. When I go to Parliament and when I vote, when I make a speech, when I ask a question, it has to add value for our residents.

“Likewise, I want them to know about the work that I’m doing, understand my reasoning for certain things, but also have that chance to engage with me and share their views.”

He said he remained passionate about securing funding for the new hospital off the M11 at junction 7a but there were serious problems to be faced.

“I know the importance that it [the hospital] has for residents in our community. But the financial inheritance the Government has been left with – a £22 billion black hole – is appalling. And it does mean that a review of the project is unavoidable.”

He and Chris Vince, Harlow’s new Labour MP, were working behind the scenes to find a solution, he said.

“I want to work constructively with the Government on this because I recognise the huge importance to our residents. I also recognise the dire circumstances of the public finances. As soon as I have the chance to come back and report to residents on that work, I will do so.”

He has returned to the House of Commons after a busy summer recess rather than returning to the University of Westminster, where he was studying politics and international relations. The General Election meant he deferred finishing his dissertation and his victory has put its completion on hold.

As many of his youngest voters have headed off to university after A-levels, he reflected: “I didn’t take a traditional route to university. But the one thing I would say, the number one thing I’d say is enjoy it.

“You will make friends for life there. But whatever you choose to do through uni or afterwards, don’t give up is my advice and keep going.”

He attended Richard Hale School in Hertford but scrapped sixth form to work in a coffee shop as his appetite for activism grew on issues like votes for 16-year-olds after the referendum to leave the European Union.

“I felt that I needed some time out to work things out for myself. So I went into my first job in Hertford town centre and I took it from there,” he said.

“I took the long way round to university, and the reason I went back was during [Covid-19] lockdown. I thought, there’ll never be a better time to go back and get my degree.”

As he made those decisions, he benefitted from the support of youth workers and wants other youngsters to have the same positive network.

“There’s a mental health crisis for young people. It’s something that I’m personally very passionate about. You know, that was the issue that politicised me in a lot of ways.

“I think the number one thing I’d get across if I could, particularly to those young people that didn’t get the results that they wanted, is that even though it might feel like the worst thing in the world, there is always a route to find the thing that’s right for you.

“That’s what I learned because when I left school there were times when I felt like my life was over. I was watching my friends go off to uni, I was working in the town centre and I thought, y’know, my friends are gone. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to go and do what I want to do without A-levels, without a degree. And I found the path that was right for me.

“I think the key thing from my point of view is we need the support there to support young people, to find the path that’s right for them. That’s why I’m passionate about mental health support. That’s why I’m passionate about youth services. It was our youth workers that helped me find that path. I want to see that support for all of our young people again.”

Mr Dean also wants to improve housing prospects for young people. His election comes with a £91,346 salary and choices which he is conscious others his age do not have.

As he gets ready to leave the Hertford home he shares with his mother and brother and strike out on his own, he backs Labour’s ambitious housebuilding plans.

“I think every young person should be able to move out from home. They shouldn’t be struggling to get on the housing ladder.

“They shouldn’t be stuck living with their parents until they’re in their 30s. I can certainly tell you that my mum doesn’t want me there till I’m in my 30s!”