The new MP for Chester South and Eddisbury is determined to get to know constituents' issues in each part of her patch, after a whirlwind start to her Parliamentary life.

Aphra Brandreth won the reshaped seat, which also covers Weaverham, Cuddington and Sandiway, for the Conservatives in the General Election earlier this month.

It was one of few bright spots for the Tory Party on the night, earning 19,905 votes to closest challenger, Labour's Angeliki Stogia's 16,848, in what was the highest turnout in any contested North West seat.

Speaking exclusively to Newsquest, the new MP – daughter of former City of Chester MP Gyles Brandreth – said she wanted to reassure people in the constituency their issues will be heard.

Aphra said: "I know people are concerned because it is geographically a very large constituency and I want to reassure them I understand that, and I'm happy to listen to people's ideas on how to address that, but I've already got ideas of my own.

"Over the summer I'm going to try and start surgeries across the constituency.

"Of course, people can get in touch with me via my office anytime if they have an urgent concern or they want me to help them with an issue, but I will also be able to see people at surgeries across different parts of the constituency, whether it's Westminster Park or Wybunbury, or down in Malpas."

Further afield, in the traditional rural parts of the constituency, Aphra said the same issues of access to good education and GP services are also present, while 'a key priority' for her is 'listening to and speaking up for farmers and protecting our rural communities', as well as encouraging investment into rural public transport.

Asked if her father – now Dr Gyles Brandreth, chancellor of the University of Chester – had offered any helpful tips on being an MP, Aphra replied: "I would happily ask him, but I don't need to because he loves to give me advice.

"He regularly sends me text messages with thoughts that he has. I'm very lucky I have a really supportive family, my mum and my dad – somebody who has experienced the job – it has really helped to get his insights."

Aphra Brandreth becomes the first direct descendant of an existing Chester MP to become a Chester MP themselves, since the days when generations of the Grosvenor family would regularly be MPs between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Both Aphra and Gyles have hosted The Commonwealth Poetry Podcast, run in association with the University of Chester and the Royal Commonwealth Society, exploring the literary wonders across the 56 countries in the Commonwealth.

Among their first guests were The Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla) and Dame Joanna Lumley.

The new MP also paid tribute to her fellow candidates for the seat: "I ran a positive campaign and I am pleased to say all the other candidates were.

"Whilst we don't always agree on policy, [they were] people who were interested in doing the best for everybody in Chester South and Eddisbury, and that's exactly as it should be."

For now, the new MP is busy setting up her constituency office, while looking forward to touring 'the best possible constituency', as Aphra noted the area contains 'so many lovely different villages', and is aiming to get regular surgeries set up in at least one location per ward.

Chester South and Eddisbury residents can get in touch with Aphra on local issues at aphra.brandreth.mp@parliament.uk.