Esher and Walton’s new Conservative MP Dominic Raab has used his maiden speech in Parliament to condemn the disparity between the amount of money Surrey taxpayers give to the Treasury and the money the county received back from the previous government.

In the speech made on Monday, June 7, Mr Raab also highlighted the problem of poverty among the young and the elderly in the constituency.

He said: “My constituency is an aspirational place, and generally my constituents enjoy a high quality of life-generally, but not uniformly.

“Last year, the Hidden Surrey report for Surrey Community Foundation found that child poverty in Walton Ambleside was double the national average and that poverty among the elderly in Walton North was two thirds above the national average.

“No county pays more to the Treasury than Surrey’s taxpayers, yet we get back just one third of the national average level of funding for local services, resulting in the neglect that I have mentioned.

“The Hidden Surrey report concludes that the previous government had choked money for local services in the area because there was ‘no electoral cost’. I hope that in the forthcoming spending reviews we can ensure that the funding formula reflects a truly objective and less political assessment of local needs.”

Mr Raab also took the opportunity to pay tribute to his predecessor Ian Taylor.

He said: "Ian set the bar high. He promoted our diverse local enterprise, he fought for our community hospitals, that are cherished in Walton, Molesey and Cobham, and he promoted local charities.

"[His] contribution to national life was no less important, particularly as Science and Technology Minister at the Department of Trade and Industry from 1994 to 1997.

"Ian’s immense contribution to science and technology will be sorely missed as we seek to diversify and reinvigorate our economic base."