Bottom line for me as a voter: Does a person seeking office understand the self-sacrifice required to maintain the public’s trust?

Day-to-day governance involves many interests: staff responsible for operations, contracts and purchasing, property developers, and businesses affected by an officeholder’s decisions. To me, public service requires avoiding self-dealing—and even the appearance of it.

My concern, whatever the office, is whether a candidate’s personal ambitions or outside interests could make them vulnerable to a breach of trust. If so, do they have the strength and character to put the public’s needs ahead of their own?

Character can be difficult to judge from a single meeting, but a person’s actions and conduct can offer a glimpse. I felt strongly enough about this to say it directly to Helen Bunt and now to write it out. My view is based on my observations of her professional conduct, and on the roughly a dozen occasions I’ve interacted with her personally over the years.

Public trust carries great personal responsibility. I believe Helen Bunt has both the character and the sense of responsibility needed to make good decisions for Cornwall.