It is a great honour to have been re-elected as Waveney’s Member of Parliament. It was a hard-fought but fairly contested campaign for which I thank Bob, Simon, Graham and Steve. I wish Bob all the best following his announcement of his retirement. The three General Elections that I have contested have all been against him and he has always been a formidable opponent.

 

Waveney is a unique place with special people. While improvements have taken place in recent years, there are many challenges that need to be tackled, including raising standards in schools, improving the NHS and giving local people the opportunity to have a home of their own.

 

There is a need to create new jobs; to ensure that the offshore energy sector is given every opportunity to realise its full potential and that the fishing industry has a secure future. Local people must be provided with the opportunity to acquire the skills that businesses looking to move into the area require. This means continuing to invest in apprenticeships.

 

Above all, we must upgrade our infrastructure; the roads and railways to Waveney, flood defences for which funding has been secured and the universal rollout of superfast broadband. A good start has been made on all these fronts but it is vital that the work is completed as quickly as possible.

 

The Third Crossing has dominated the local debate in recent months, during which there have been significant developments including the provision of £2 million in the Budget for preparing the plans, the Prime Minister’s requirement that this work must be completed by next March and his pledge to build the crossing by 2020. There is a great deal of work that now needs to be done and many challenges lie ahead, but it is my duty to do all that I can to ensure that these commitments are met and to hold the Government to account.