Skipton MP's priorities for next five years

I AM delighted to have been re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Skipton and Ripon and look forward to serving this beautiful constituency for another five years. I am honoured to have received the support of over half of those who voted.

As we prepare for the Queen’s Speech, the first put together by a Conservative majority government in 19 years, I also want to set out my priorities for readers of the Craven Herald.

Ensuring our economy continues to grow will be my main priority. I will be supporting the government’s efforts to cut income tax, get the deficit down, reform welfare and to help businesses create two million more jobs.

I also look forward to supporting parents by voting for 30 hours of free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds and by continuing to support those who work hard or are committed to education, training and getting a job.

The coming months will also be really important for the future of Skipton and the market towns of the Dales, and I will be doing all I can to ensure they thrive and have the support they need to attract more shops and shoppers.

I want to ensure our rural area receives a fair deal in healthcare and education. We have made improvements in this area over the past five years with additional funding for rural schools and more power to GPs to ensure those we trust most in the NHS have the say about our treatment. The £6m investment into Airedale Hospital’s Emergency Department is providing improved care already and I will also work to ensure Skipton Hospital has a strong future at the heart of healthcare for the area.

It is vital that young people have the best possible opportunities and this will be one of my continuing priorities. Over the past five years I have welcomed a large number of groups from schools across the constituency to Westminster to ensure they are aware of the work of Parliament. I will be encouraging more to visit in the next five years and I will also continue to visit local schools and host an annual School Leaders’ Lunch for pupils from every secondary school.

Charities and voluntary groups do hugely important work supporting people and communities across the constituency. I will be supporting them by listening to their issues and helping them with finding sources of funding. I will also work closely with organisations who provide support and care for older people and those with disabilities across the constituency to ensure their issues and challenges are tackled.

These continue to be difficult and challenging times for farmers and those who work in the agricultural sector. Over the past five years I have done all I can to support farmers and hill farming on issues such as milk prices, tagging, livestock movement and agricultural crime. I will continue to speak out for these issues in Westminster and ensure Ministers are aware of the challenges being faced.

We have made huge advances in connecting more premises to high speed, high quality broadband with £70 million of investment into North Yorkshire. We now need to finish the job and ensure even the hardest to reach communities have access to these vital internet services. I will be pushing the Superfast North Yorkshire team and BT to ensure they use the latest technology to achieve this as quickly as possible.

The coming years will also see a vote on our future in Europe. This is something which I have campaigned for, and voted for, over the past few years and I am delighted a majority Conservative government means that we will now be able to deliver an in/out referendum on our membership of the European Union after the Prime Minister’s full renegotiation of our relationship. It is only right that, 40 years after voters last had their say, everyone has an opportunity to have their voice heard.

I look forward to meeting many constituents in the coming weeks and months at my regular MP Surgeries or on visits across Skipton, the Dales and South Craven. Please get in touch with me and my office if you have any concerns or issues you would like me to be aware of or help with in the future.

I am also pleased and humbled to have been asked to join the Government as a Minister in the Whip's Office. I look forward to being part of the team delivering the Conservative Party's manifesto to support individuals and families to have a more secure future and provide backing to the businesses who are working hard to create jobs and growth in our economy.

It is an honour and a privilege to be the Member of Parliament for this stunning constituency and to represent the incredible people who live and work in it. I look forward to serving and representing everyone, no matter how they voted, in the coming years.