LUCKILY, perhaps, for you, dear reader, my brief with this weekly column is not to range over national politics. So, the endless, tiresome, analysis of whether or not Theresa May will eventually step down as prime minister and how she’s going to manage with a minority government if she doesn’t need not trouble us today.

I am, as always, far more interested in how our individual members of Parliament, of whatever political persuasion, go about representing their constituents on a day-to-day basis.

Over the years, as a journalist, I have encountered extremes of behaviour in this regard, from long-standing Shipley MP Sir Marcus Fox – who frequently used his position as chairman of the backbench 1922 committee as an excuse for not commenting on local issues – to Keighley-born Chris Leslie (sometime Shadow Chancellor now serving Nottingham East) who, as Shipley MP, was giddily hyperactive, with opinions on any and every subject you can think of.

For most of the Bradford district, it’s clearly business as usual with Judith Cummins, Naz Shah and Imran Hussain, in the city constituencies, and Philip Davies, in Shipley, all being re-elected.

Keighley, however, is far more interesting, with Labour’s John Grogan taking over from one-time Conservative Bradford Council leader Kris Hopkins with a paper-thin majority of 249 votes.

There are so many factors that could have affected the result – Jeremy Corbyn’s surge in popularity, the youth vote, the Tories’ ineffectual national campaign, the transfer of most UKIP and Green votes etc – that speculation on the reason(s) behind the swing are, frankly, pointless.

It could, of course, also have been affected by the efforts of Hopkins and Davies to drive a breakaway from Bradford Council and create a new local authority.

Clearly, that’s an idea which has gained little traction with the voters but it points to the dilemma for anybody representing this, frankly, schizophrenic constituency: how to reconcile the interests of one large, urbanised town which, in many ways, could be said to resemble Bradford in miniature, with a more genteel, well-heeled and well-appointed neighbour with which it has little in common.

Halifax-born John Grogan will have some experience of that, in a small way, from serving for nearly 13 years as MP for my home district, Selby, which went from quiet market town to booming pit town followed by a subsequent decline and further (ongoing) personality change with the decline of the coal industry.

He will know, from that experience, that juggling the aspirations and needs of diverse communities is no easy task. And, even leaving Ilkley out of the equation, he will find plenty to challenge and occupy him in Keighley.

A sprawling town with a long industrial heritage it is, nonetheless, extremely attractive in many ways –not least through its geographical location at the confluence of the Worth and Aire Valleys, some stunning Victorian architecture, delightful parks and a physical position that could make it a real tourist gateway to spectacular countryside, a great base for visiting not just Bronte Country but the whole of the Dales and some dramatic parts of the Pennine range.

That’s its potential. But, removing the rose-tinted spectacles for a moment, it is beset with social issues, diverse communities, a dearth of social and infrastructural investment and a lack of identity and vision.

No single MP can resolve all that – or even hope to do much more than scratch the surface, especially as a member of Opposition. But he can help to effect change by bringing communities together and helping them to find confidence and vision.

Mr Grogan could start by getting stuck into the fast-developing farce over the derelict East Parade site.

What was once an attractive development, with multi-screen cinema and restaurants, with the potential to boost the retail economy by drawing people into the town, has been downgraded to a retail park with eight units and a drive-in food outlet.

It will add nothing to the town centre – encouraging shoppers to drive in and drive out as soon as they’ve shopped in one of the units. It may as well be next to B&Q on the Alston Retail Park for all the benefit it will bring.

The extensive leisure facilities envisaged in the original plan would help to make Keighley more of a destination and go a small way to developing a new vision for the town.

By resisting the new application and standing firm with planners and local retailers, Mr Grogan can help get Keighley on the right track.

It would be one small victory in the long campaign that Keighley must win to fulfil its potential and thrive in the future.

Sorry to drone on - but this is really dangerous

LAST WEEK I praised Jet2 for sticking to its zero-tolerance policy on anti-social in-flight behaviour which led to two boozy passengers being heavily fined.

Sadly, it seems, anti-social behaviour has spread to the outdoors with flights having to be suspended at Leeds Bradford Airport because of some idiot flying a drone in and around the airfield.

It beggars belief that anyone could be so stupid as to put people’s lives at risk for the sake of a toy. Let’s hope the culprit is caught soon and dealt with as effectively as those boozers.

An A-star example that really ought to be taken for granted

WHAT A pleasure it was to read about 15-year-old Amelia Passey, from Clayton Heights, who has completed 12 years of school without missing a single day. The former Shibden Head Primary pupil, who now attends Queensbury School, has completed 2,280 school days without going off sick.

It shouldn’t be remarkable – we’d all like to think it would be the norm for anyone engaged in full-time education – but, in the real world, any parent will tell you it’s not that simple.

So, we should congratulate Amelia on her achievement and highlight her shining example.

No doubt, she will be subject to some “teacher’s pet” ribbing but let’s hope it isn’t anything worse.

We need to celebrate all those who see learning as an end in itself if we’re ever to drive up education standards and help our children and our economy get to where they ought to be.