I will start by updating you on the James Cracknell rowing challenge, I definitely won’t be getting called up for Rio 2016, although it was a lot of fun! The aim of the challenge is serious – getting us to live a healthier lifestyle and getting a bit more exercise – with England out of the Rugby World Cup it’s important to remember that, despite this heartbreak, we should still get involved in sports and exercise.
After the rowing challenge I had a busy evening and this will continue into today. I have various speeches and meetings lined up about issues relevant to Cannock Chase, as well as areas that I am working on in Parliament. These include broadband, the economy, job creation and apprenticeships.
Today this started with ‘The Economy’ session in the main conference hall. This included speeches from the Secretary of States for Business, Innovation and Skills, Department for Culture Media and Sport, and Transport. This was followed by the Chancellor, George Osborne, who is no stranger to Cannock Chase. He reinforced the message that the Conservatives are the real party for working people. Delivering lower taxes, higher wages and more apprenticeships. Plans were also announced to unlock billions in infrastructure investment.
This was followed by his announcement that a Labour big hitter, Lord Adonis, had left the Labour Party to lead an infrastructure body for the Government. He knows that it is only the Conservatives who are serious about building infrastructure, investing in jobs and helping working families.
I also had the particular privilege to accompany the Prime Minister on his way to the Chancellor’s speech. This gave me the opportunity to talk to him about some local issues, and of course, praise Cannock Chase as a place with a booming economy, great businesses, hardworking residents and has a bright future.
Finally Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary and well-known former resident of Cannock, talked about some of the Governments big transport plans. It’s good news that the Chase Line electrification is well underway and that Cannock Chase is to have a share of a £1.8bn programme of regional road investment. I have already been working hard to ensure that this gets delivered, and on time!