Celebrations and Challenges in 2012

In looking ahead to the next year we know that 2012 brings the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games and with it a global audience of billions of people from every continent – all watching Britain.

Cornwall will play its part from the arrival of the torch at Lands End to the sailing competitions in Falmouth. It is an opportunity for us to promote our great inventiveness and creativity. It should not only be good for tourism this year, but, in projecting an image of so much that is positive about our country, for many years to come.

We know that we don’t know how the financial situation around the world, and in particular the Eurozone, is going to affect the UK economy. However there is international confidence in the difficult course the Government has set to ensure we are well placed to weather the storm and navigate the unchartered waters ahead. At the same time there are indications that the vitally important long term aim of re-balancing our economy onto a more sustainable footing is working. For example we have record levels of cars manufactured and exported from Britain around the world. 2012 should see the first shaft for the first deep geothermal energy plant in the UK completed at United Downs.

But there are things that we don’t know that we don’t know. While this has always been the case, for many this is the first time we have had to face this level of uncertainty.  I am in no doubt that 2012 will be a difficult year, especially for those people looking for work.

Having woken-up with the hang-over of the debt binge of thirteen years of Labour, it is critical we collectively stay on the road to recovery and avoid the addict’s temptation to lapse into more of the same.

Although the future is uncertain there is much to be positive about. I believe that this Coalition Government by combining skills and values to serve in the national interest will continue to prove effective in tackling the economic mess we inherited.

As your MP helping sort out the economy for me mostly means championing local businesses and growth of skilled jobs by overcoming the obstacles to achieve this.

It also means ensuring that we are laying the foundations for the future with radical reforms to our vitally important public services and investment in our education system.

Listening to my constituents and making their voices heard at the heart of Government will remain my firm focus in 2012.