Maria established the Sustainable Basingstoke Forum in February 2012 to highlight the importance of environmental issues in Basingstoke and to bring together some of the wide array of local environmental and biodiversity groups. The Forum offers an opportunity for organizations to meet regularly, share their views and have a stronger voice.  The role of the Forum is threefold:

For too long politics was seen as for men only. Maria believes that having more women in elected office helps to improve politics locally and nationally. Maria is the first woman to be elected to Parliament in North Hampshire, the 265th woman ever to be elected as an MP and the 38th ever to be appointed as a Cabinet Minister. Maria wants to see more women in Westminster to ensure we have a representative Parliament.

Maria ran a six month campaign for a change in the law when she was contacted by one of her Basingstoke constituents who had been affected by 'revenge porn' being posted online. 

Basingstoke is one of the top ten centres of employment in the South East, and supporting local businesses is one of Maria’s key prioritiesHaving worked in business for almost 20 years before becoming an MP, Maria has first hand experience.

Basingstoke is a great place to live and Maria wants to keep it that way. Lower taxes puts money back into people’s pockets.“More money in people’s pockets means they can choose how to spend it, which in turn can benefit the local economy. 45 000 people have seen their taxes cut in Basingstoke in the past 5 years and almost 5 000 have been lifted out of tax altogether.

Maria believe it is important to residents to protect the quality of life we have in Basingstoke. That means local services need to expand before new houses are built, something that hasn’t always happened in the past.“Over the past 5 years Basingstoke has secured £35million to improve our roads, including Black Dam roundabout. A new school is being built in Rooksdown, there will be more than a thousand new school places across the Borough and there are plans for a new critical care NHS Hospital.

There is nothing more important than the NHS – it is a service we all rely on. We all have a moral obligation to make sure it provides the best care possible and is there for everyone who needs it.Over the past 5 years spending on the NHS has rightly increased every single year to make sure our healthcare system remains the envy of the world. Basingstoke has an ageing population and there is more pressure than ever before on our local NHS. We have to look for new ways to provide healthcare alongside greater demand for eldercare.

Maria's 20 years’ experience in business makes her well placed to represent Basingstoke.As a working mum she has championed the modernisation of the workplace, spoken out for the need to invest in Basingstoke’s success and worked to help make the internet a safer place for everyone.Maria holds a regular Advice Bureau at The Orchard and the Multi Cultural Forum in Chute House.