Last week the Prime Minister made an important speech outlining the priorities for the Government this year. 

His first target is to half inflation over the year.  

Inflation has been a problem for all of us as we see prices going up.  Inflation has fallen, but it is still too high. 

 One of the key reasons is a rise in the cost of fuel and power following Russia’s unwarranted attack on Ukraine.  

This rise has a knock-on cost to everything else and the Prime Minister said he would help people with energy costs.

The second target he outlined was to return to economic growth by the end of the year, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity across the country. 

Although we face economic challenges, the fundamentals of our economy are strong, and the Government is continuing to invest in innovation, skills and infrastructure.  

I want to ensure that Cornwall gets its fair share of this investment.

The third target is to reduce debt as a percentage of the economy.   This can’t be done immediately as we recover from the pandemic. 

But the Prime Minister is determined debt falls as a share of the economy in five years’ time.  

The Prime Minister wants to do this so we can ensure a secure future for the services upon which we rely.  

Without sustainable public finances we will not deliver sustainable economic growth.

The fourth target is to cut NHS waiting lists. 

The pandemic put huge pressure on the NHS, leading to 100,000s patients waiting too long for treatment. 

I have been dealing with patients as part of my casework.  

Having worked for the doctors’ surgery before becoming an MP, I have been catching up with my former work colleagues and asking about the issues. The Government says it is on track to eliminate waits of more than 18 months by April and will build on this and reduce NHS waiting lists by March 2024, so people can get the care they need more quickly. I see this as essential. 

Many constituents I have spoken to want to see the small boats bringing illegal immigrants stopped.  

I see this as important both because we need to control immigration into our small country and to stop people making this incredibly dangerous crossing.  

We can no longer afford to put the people up in expensive hotels which communities need to encourage tourists who bring much needed business.  

The Government has made the commitment that it will pass legislation so that if you come here illegally, you are detained and removed.  

I will support this legislation and will push the Government to make this a priority. 

Parliament has now returned and I am determined to make the most of this coming year to make the changes we need as a country.  

As always, you can email me at [email protected] or ring my office on 01579 344428.