South Devon MP Caroline Voaden has concluded her Summer Surgery Tour, making 52 stops across six days to meet constituents.

The tour offered residents the chance to raise both local and global issues. At Kingsbridge bandstand on Monday 18 August, shop owner Dena Bex challenged Voaden over her recent email urging residents to “manage expectations” about demands for a parliamentary recall concerning the conflict in Gaza.

“My frustration is that she is my MP representing me in Parliament,” said Bex. “I don't believe any MP should be asking me to manage my expectations over a genocide… she basically said in her email that people needed to manage their expectations over a recall to Parliament.”

While opposition MPs cannot directly recall parliament, they can pressure the government to do so. On the same day, politicians from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales signed an open letter urging a recall for “urgent diplomatic intervention” and to end arms sales to Israel.

“There are people in European parliaments visually representing solidarity with Palestinians, and it’s about time British MPs did that too,” Bex added. “Caroline is all over it with local news, but what I was trying to impress upon her is that Gaza is the issue. This is the moral compass.”

Another Kingsbridge shop owner, Adam Taylor, raised concerns about the impact of online shopping on high streets. He suggested measures such as online retailer taxes, which Voaden said she would consider raising in parliament. Afterwards, Taylor described the exchange as “productive” and praised her for listening.

Throughout the tour, Voaden met hundreds of South Devon residents, hearing concerns from public transport to farming.

Reflecting on the week, she said: “Lots of people turned up and several just to say thanks. We’ll follow up all the casework then draw the themes together. That will inform what I do in Parliament — broadband and mobile, buses, Gaza and farming have come up quite a few times.”