Cherilyn Mackrory was one of the fresh-faced MPs who took their seats in Parliament following the recent General Election – and she says she still can't believe she has "the best job in the world".

But the Conservative MP for Truro and Falmouth also confides that it was a tragedy which led to her to become Cornwall's newest MP.

She mentions the heartbreak she experienced when she explains how she has taken up a place on the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for babyloss.

"My husband and I lost a baby quite late on in the pregnancy a year ago," she said, before going on to explain that while initial support for the couple was "second to none" but "after that it drops".

Cherilyn said she initially went along to a meeting of the Parliamentary group due to her personal interest but now finds herself as co-chairman along with former health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

She said: "It is bigger than what we went through and covers a lot of other areas around losing a baby. There is quite a lot of work to do and it is more prevalent than you realise, it's just that people don't like to talk about it."

Later in our conversation she explains that it was the loss of her baby which directly led to her putting herself forward for selection to stand for Parliament.

"It was a long term ambition," she said. "I have been around a long time and helped out on more campaigns than I care to remember.

"But when you have got a five-year-old you don't expect to go to a position where you know that you will be away for more than half a week. I always thought it was something that I would do when she was a bit older.

"When we lost the baby last year I was in a bad place, I wanted to do something using my brain to see I was capable.

"I had been to a few briefings and had filled out the forms to be considered.

"When Sarah (Newton) decided to step down even then I thought it was a bit early but I had people behind the scenes asking if I was interested. I told them they had my form and they could move it along.

"I got through to the last three and thought I would do my best and that it would be good experience, but then I was selected. My husband and I woke up the next morning and felt like we were living someone else's life."

Family is clearly important to Cherilyn and she said she has received "amazing" support from her husband and her family, something she highlighted in her maiden speech in the House of Commons this week.

Asked whether her daughter Chloe was aware of her role as MP she said: "She sees a picture of Boris Johnson and says that is my boss and if she sees the Houses of Parliament on television she says that is where mummy works.

"In school today she told her teacher that mummy had said her name on telly (in the maiden speech). That's about it at the moment."

Reflecting on her first 100 days in office the 43-year-old says of her first week in Westminster: "I don't remember having time for a toilet break all that week."

And she is still getting used to being in Parliament. "You walk around and see all these people and you say hello to them, then you realise that person doesn't know you, you just know them from the television. I did that to Margaret Beckett the other day."

Talkiong about her maiden speech the former councillor said that while she never had any problems with getting up and talking in the council chamber at Cornwall Council, speaking in the Commons was altogether different.

"My legs were genuinely shaking, it is terrifying. A couple of girls went after me and had to stop and take a drink of water during their speeches.

"It is the history of the place and all the people who have gone before you."

Asked what the biggest surprise has been so far she said: "The atmosphere of the chamber is very surprising, it's so much louder than you imagine.

"You can hear the people speaking but then you can also hear all the comments that are being made by people around you. People call it a bear pit and it is like that sometimes."

Cherilyn said that since being elected she has been looking at a number of issues in and around Truro and Falmouth as well as the rest of Cornwall.

She said she was delighted that the government had confirmed £290 million to be spent on the dualling of the A30 between Carland and Chiverton Cross.

And she said a visit to the Hall for Cornwall, which is currently undergoing a major £20 million refurbishment, showed her that it would bring benefits to not just Truro but the whole of Cornwall.

But she also highlighted that she has had 350 pieces of casework sent to her office and felt this was one of the most important aspects of the job.

"As a former caseworker myself I know that is one of the most important parts of the job, you have got to get that right.

"You want people to know they will get a call back and get things sorted out. I have inherited some people from Sarah Newton which is really important to keep consistency, especially for issues which are ongoing."

She said she had met with local town and city councillors and was also lobbying Cornwall and Devon police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez for an extra officer for Truro after meeting with businesses and retailers in the city.

And she has met with health secretary Matt Hancock to confirm funding is available for a new women's and children unit at Royal Cornwall Hospital.

In addition she has visited the geothermal energy project at United Downs and lithium extraction projects which she said were "a really exciting opportunity for Cornwall" to create new jobs and industry.

Looking more widely, Cherilyn said she would be working with her fellow Conservative MPs in Cornwall as well as colleagues across the South West.

She said: "We are finding here that we will have to hunt in packs as Cornish MPs, we need to work hard to get investment here. We have been promised that and that levelling up will happen everywhere – I want to ensure that happens."

She said there was a focus on improving transport links to the South West by road and rail and there was a need to think strategically across the region and the benefits schemes would have for people in Cornwall.

Earlier this week Cornwall Council chairman Julian German challenged the Prime Minister to deliver on promises of funding and investment, claiming that priority was being given to northern towns and cities.

Cherilyn said the funding for the A30 dualling was evidence that the Government was supporting Cornwall.

"The Prime Minister could have taken that £290m and put it somewhere else. At one point we did think he was going to do that, but he didn't because he knows how important that is for this region.

"What they are looking for are projects that are ready to go, they don't want pie in the sky ideas.

"For example I am keen to get a cycle path between Truro and Falmouth but there is no point me going to the Treasury asking for money because I don't know how much it will cost or where it will be.

"I have indicated that I would like to see it happen and hopefully it will. It might not be next year or the year after but I hope we can eventually."

There is one project that Cherilyn says she will be involved in – Langarth Garden Village. She says that when campaigning ahead of the election she did not meet a single person who agreed with the plans, which could see up to 4,000 homes built at Thremilestone.

"I think it is a terrible place to put housing. It is a beautiful vally and my wish is for it to stay a beautiful valley. But I understand that is very difficult now with all the planning permissions in place.

"It is up to me to makle sure that we get the best, most sustainable nd beautiful housing we can get."

She wants the development to provide key worker housing and homes for local people, adding: "If we have to sacrifice that valley we need to make it the best we can."

So after the first 100 days what comes next? For Truro and Falmouth Cherilyn says she wants to ensure projects which come forward to benefit the area get the investment they need and wants to ensure young people don't feel they need to leave the area to get good jobs.

"For myself, all MPs say they don't have any ambitions – I never expected to be doing this. I am just keen to be the best MP for Truro and Falmouth ever.

"I am so grateful to be here with the best job in the world."