Christmas Message from Christopher Pincher MP
As I look back over the last twelve months, I think we have had another busy and memorable year in Tamworth.
2013 has seen some fantastic outdoor events in the Castle Grounds such as St George’s Day celebrations and Bonfire night. Tamworth has also seen a sporting boom this year with the Olympic legacy inspiring young people to become active in sport, many of them for the first time. Primary schools have received additional ring-fenced sporting funds and Landau Forte Academy QEMS recently opened their new sports hall and many local clubs have received Lottery money to improve and sustain facilities. In other education news, it is very encouraging that GCSE and A level results have improved across the town with some schools showing really excellent results. On the sporting front, Tamworth FC was the lowest ranked club left in the FA Cup when they welcomed Bristol City to the Lamb in the FA earlier this month (sadly the result did not leave us cheering).
This year has seen the economy start to turn a corner. In Tamworth JSA claimants are 48% lower than 12 months ago with just 1,000 job seekers in our town. Nationally 1.4 million new private sector jobs have been created bring the unemployment rate to its lowest level since 2009. In October I held a Jobs Fair at South Staffordshire College where up to 400 jobs were on offer to the 150 people that attended – it was striking to see there were more jobs on offer than jobs seekers. The deficit inherited by the last government is down by a third, and 2 million of the lowest paid workers have been taken out of tax all together. All of this has resulted in the Britain becoming the fastest growing economy in Europe and only 0.1% behind America. I believe this Government has taken the hard choices necessary to get the economy moving, giving the opportunity for hardworking apparitional people to get on in life. There is no doubt it has been tough and not all the decisions have been popular, but I think they have been the right ones and the results of them are now showing their benefit.
Sadly not everyone will be able to spend Christmas with their families this year due to bereavement and the engagement of our troops in Afghanistan, which thankfully is now drawing to its close. This Christmas the 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment will be on tour in that country and my thoughts go out to them and their families this year. Before the battalion departed for their tour we aimed to provide every soldier with a beanie hat to wear under their Kevlar helmets. We received over 700 hats, which were generously donated or knitted by people from as far afield as the US. I want to thank all of the wonderful knitters who put so much effort in to ensure that every soldier got a hat. I would also like to extend thanks to all of the very generous people who have donated to the Support Our Soldier shoebox appeal. Many individuals, charity groups and schools have donated items to ensure that every soldier from our battalion has a gift box to open this Christmas in Afghanistan.
Finally I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2014. I hope you are able to spend time with your families and friends. If anyone has any issues they would like to raise with me then please call 01827 312 778 or email christopher.pincher.mp@parliament.uk.
