It feels incredible to me that we are now in the New Year of 2021 and I hope that you all had a great Christmas. Last year was very difficult for us all, but this January is full of optimism as we move forward. The coronavirus vaccine which began rollout out in December will put an end to the pandemic which caused so much disruption to all our lives. I am very proud that this country came together and was able to deliver the first vaccine in the world to its population.  

Britain’s spirit and ingenuity will be showcased this year as we once again take our place as a global trading nation. I look forward to working with partners around the world and in Europe as we strive to make the very best of our ability to trade independently with other nations. North Cornwall’s businesses have an exciting role to play and an opportunity to open into new markets. I look forward to supporting them, as promoting our constituency and our fantastic companies is a great part of the job I do on behalf of North Cornwall. 

Businesses thrive and expand when there are people with the skills and training they need to fill roles. This is one of the reasons I have been pushing hard to ensure there are better opportunities for our young people to train in science, technology, and apprenticeships right here in North Cornwall. The new Truro & Penwith STEM centre at Callywith College is a big part of that vision.

Students will be able to learn the skills that local employers and businesses are seeking without having to travel outside of the constituency, and students can graduate, move into the workforce, and build a life here without leaving. When I was first elected in 2015, children growing up and being forced to leave to build careers was one of the biggest concerns for parents in North Cornwall.

I believe that my colleagues and I have taken great strides to change this over the last six years, and I am proud of what we have delivered so far.  

None of this is possible without the infrastructure in transport, healthcare, and services to support it. For too long successive governments of all parties failed to address the need to level up the national economy and support the regions.

The government which I am a part of is the first in a long time to really push for a self-sustaining and balanced economy for the South West, the North, and the Midlands, rather than one which is reliant on the South East and London.

Despite the best intentions of programmes such as European Regional Development Funding, Cornwall has not seen the economic benefits which people were promised.

In 2021 it is one of my key ambitions that we see a Shared Prosperity Fund which is simpler, more streamlined, and most importantly – far easier to access than anything which has been proposed before.