Parliament has now entered the summer recess and I am out in Stroud, the Valleys and Vale visiting companies, summer fetes and organisations while hosting a minister or two for my local projects.
Politics usually moves out of the spotlight in August but before that happens, I would like to highlight some UK government achievements over the last few months.
The first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has been commissioned to train, retain and reform the workforce over the next 15 years.
This has been praised as it will put the NHS on a sustainable footing into the future.
It feeds into my campaign for more midwives and to reopen postnatal beds at Stroud Maternity Hospital too.
England also now has the highest literacy rates for primary school children in the western world.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is the international benchmark for primary reading capability.
It comes following the government’s focus on teaching phonics since 2010.
I visit all our excellent schools in Stroud regularly and see this progress firsthand.
Education is a strong route out of poverty and this too is good news.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a bit of a mouthful but we have joined it and this gives us free trade access to a £11 trillion market in the fastest growing region of the world.
It will help drive growth and lead to export opportunities for Stroud businesses.
Another economic positive is the government launching Great British Nuclear to drive forward new nuclear energy across the UK.
The Severn Edge project at Berkeley Green is in a prime position to become a home for small modular reactors (SMRs) as we build energy security and net zero.
Inflation is falling now and employment remains at record levels.
The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have been challenges for the world and cost of living pressures are tough for families and businesses.
However, with sensible economic policies and a commitment to support those who need it, there are many positives for the UK.
Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie's weekly column | Stroud News and Journal
