On Monday, I was Wiltshire’s only MP in the Aye Lobby for a historic vote, as the House of Commons passed a motion to recognise without pre-conditions the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel.

This support for the Palestinians’ journey by diplomatic means is an important contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution, so that in future both they and Israelis may enjoy the peace, security and freedom that we take for granted here.

Having agreed a ceasefire at the end of August, following a summer of violence that killed more than 2,000 people, both Israeli and Palestinian politicians must work together for a final-stage peace agreement. This week’s vote puts Britain in a good position to support people, like those I met in Jerusalem and the West Bank two years ago, who want to leave the violence behind.

In his speech at Liberal Democrat conference last week, I was pleased to hear Nick Clegg announce the first ever maximum waiting times for mental health treatment, to help raise access to mental health care to the same standards as for physical care. The Liberal Democrats are making this possible by investing an extra £120 million in mental health services this year and next.

Prioritising mental health will help to build a fairer society where people are not left to suffer in silence. In coalition government, the Liberal Democrats have placed a legal duty on the NHS to give mental health parity of esteem with physical health, and now we are backing that up with extra resources and clear standards.

Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday Politics show at the weekend, I was asked how I felt about other parties ‘pinching’ policies from the Liberal Democrats, such as Labour joining Liberal Democrat calls for a ‘mansion tax’ on houses worth more than £2 million or David Cameron’s conversion to our plans to raise the income tax personal allowance to £12,500.

As I said, the other parties are welcome to share any of our policies. We campaign and develop policies to help build a stronger economy and a fairer society, and I’m ready to work with people in either party to make that happen.

After a constituency surgery in Bradford on Avon last Friday, my next ones will be at Bradford on Avon library on Friday, October 24 from 9.30am to 11am and at Melksham Town Hall on October 25 from 10.30am to noon.