Earlier this month I attended the annual Party Conference in Manchester, the first one since our Party won the General Election last May. The Conference message sets out what the Government is going to be doing over the next five years and the key themes underpinning everything will be Security, Stability and Opportunity.
Security. We have already seen assurances for our Security, with the commitment to the NATO requirement of spending a minimum 2% of GDP on Defence being guaranteed. This is in stark contrast to Jeremy Corbyn’s pacifist leadership of the official Opposition in saying he would not do what is necessary to defend the British people. We now have a Prime Minister prepared to take the tough decisions to keep our borders safe to protect our people.
Furthermore our economic future is secure with the Conservative Party. The UK is one of the fastest growing economies in the G7 and there have been in excess of a million new jobs created since we first came to office in 2010. Indeed in South Derbyshire we have just 0.8% unemployment which is 379 people, which is not just good news for families in our area but also for our local businesses who are benefiting from more customers with money to spend.
Stability. We now have a stable one Party Government that can get on with the job of governing without having to compromise to keep a coalition partner on side. The policies laid out in the manifesto can be pursued but the Prime Minister has always made it clear this is a Government prepared to listen.
David Cameron and his strong team of Ministers are showing how a Government can live within its means financially but still provide high quality services like the NHS all across our Country.
Having laid the foundations in Education, Business and all other areas since 2010 we are building onwards and upwards for the benefit of all.
Opportunity. The opportunity to succeed has been a bedrock of the Conservative Party throughout history and whether it is Education where our reforms aim to ensure our youngsters leave school with the skills and qualifications they need to go into further education or the world of work or the creation of 2 million apprenticeships over the next parliament our childrens’ future could not be in safer hands. Our commitment to enterprise and our reform of the business sector make it easier to start and grow a business and have led the way to creating the jobs we all need and given opportunities for all who want them.
All of this along with our commitment to taking the lowest earners out of tax mean the Conservatives are ensuring Security, Stability and Opportunity for all.
(This piece was originally wrote for, and appeared, in the Burton Mail).