Terry Bennett talks to West Dorset’s first Liberal Democrat MP, Edward Morello, who is still negotiating the Westminster jungle
When Edward Morello walked into Westminster for the first time last summer, he found himself not only lost in the corridors of power but also searching for something far more basic.
‘Nothing can prepare you for it,’ he says. ‘It is a completely different world. Everything about it is bizarre and antiquated … and you’re also trying to work out how to find a sandwich?’
It’s a typically down-to-earth reflection from the man who overturned one of the safest Conservative seats in the country to become West Dorset’s first Liberal Democrat MP. It’s also a clue to how Edward approaches politics – practical, thoughtful … and never afraid to acknowledge the steep learning curve that comes with the job.
Career in transition
Edward’s route into politics was far from traditional. Raised in a lively, debate-filled household where opinions required evidence to back them up, he developed an early interest in the science and practise of politics. ‘I just got extremely lucky to have grown up in a big, loving family where we sat around the dinner table and talked about stuff … You couldn’t just say, “This is my opinion.” You had to come with the evidence,’ he says.
After studying International Politics and Strategic Studies at Aberystwyth University, Edward spent a decade in geopolitical risk consultancy before pivoting to renewable energy finance.
It was that move, combined with his wife’s desire to be closer to family, that brought him to West Dorset. ‘My mother-in-law was already down here, and when our son was born, my wife said, “I want to go and be close to Mum,” which was a totally understandable response.’
His grounding in international relations and renewable energy now shapes his focus in Parliament. Despite early hopes of joining the Net Zero Committee, Edward found himself back in his old world, sitting on both the Foreign Affairs and National Security Strategy committees.
‘It’s funny how things come full circle,’ he says. ‘And let’s face it – international politics is hardly quiet right now!’
Farming, fairness and future
Edward is acutely aware of the pressures facing rural Dorset – and nowhere are they more evident than in farming: ‘Farming is a really tough job at the best of times. It is less a job, more a lifestyle. Farmers have had years and years of successive governments making decisions that negatively impact their businesses and operations.’
He’s particularly vocal about the impact of inheritance tax changes, which he believes could devastate family farms. ‘Farmers have repeatedly effectively rolled over on these levies and decisions that have impacted their business. Now they are supposed to say “I’m going to work all of my life, and I can’t pass it on to my son.” And that’s really the final straw.’
While he acknowledges the Government’s focus on growth, Edward worries it comes at the expense of rural businesses. ‘If you’ve got a growth agenda, then hurting businesses with National Insurance contribution rises makes it very difficult. They will cut investment and they will not hire – and so then don’t get the growth that you want.’
Power struggles
As someone with a decade of experience in renewable energy finance, Edward is passionate about tackling climate change … but he’s also pragmatic about the challenges. ‘We’re in desperate need of infrastructure investment,’ he says. ‘The grid is old and decrepit … We lose 10 per cent of the energy we generate just on transmission, and that is a terrible waste of money.’
It’s this bottleneck that’s driving controversial developments like the proposed solar farm near Wyke Farm near Sherborne. ‘The grid means that we can’t get energy around the place,’ he says. ‘So you have this issue where people want to build solar farms near large urban areas, like Yeovil, because you can connect straight in to the grid.’
His solution? Investment in the grid to unlock more suitable locations for renewables – and a serious push for better community benefits when projects do go ahead.
‘What I think communities should be doing is saying “if we accept the possibility this is going to go through, how can we shove as much community benefit into this as possible?” We have to require as much public access land, community orchards, an education centre – chuck as much cost as possible into this project to make it commercially unattractive to the developer.’
Lost in the palace
Edward admits that adjusting to life as an MP has been a whirlwind: ‘You arrive in Westminster and you suddenly realise the learning curve is steep. There’s something fundamentally different between understanding our political system and then working out how you do it.’
But there is a camaraderie among the newcomers. ‘For at least the first month and a half, possibly longer, we were in co-working spaces. We’re all trying to figure this out – so you turn to a colleague and ask, do you know how to do this? How do I do this?’
It’s that mixture of humility and humour that seems to define Edward’s approach to politics. ‘You’re really learning as you go,’ he admits.
Looking ahead
So what does Edward hope to achieve before voters head back to the polls in 2029?
‘If people feel richer, healthier and happier, then I’ll know we’ve done something right,’ he says. ‘And if not, well, they’re perfectly entitled to kick me out!’
In the meantime, he’s focused on the issues that matter most to Dorset – improving NHS access, protecting farmers and balancing renewable energy ambitions with preserving the rural landscape.
‘We’re here to make life better,’ he says. ‘And I’d like to think that’s what people judge me on.’
If you are a West Dorset constituent and would like to get in touch please email [email protected]
