2014 has been a good year in many ways. The economy continues to recover with the jobless total falling by one third locally. The future of Whitby Hospital has been secured and, at long last, improvements to the A64 are in the pipe line. 2015 will see the start of the Scarborough Water Park project, progress on a new college and university campus and hopefully the green light for the Potash Mine. This New Year will also bring the General Election in May!
Sadly, international terrorism still casts its grim shadow over us with recent atrocities in Australia, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan as well as the continuing threat at home. On the centenary of the start of the Great War it is also right that we should cast our minds back to that first Christmas in the trenches and, closer to home, the bombardment of Whitby and Scarborough.
Let’s hope that we can continue to build on the progress we have made since the dark days of recession. The Chancellor’s long term economic plan is really working. The UK has created more net jobs over the last four years than all our European Union partners combined with real people working in real jobs producing products we can buy or export. It would be a big mistake to put all that a risk by changing course now just as we are seeing the benefits of the tough journey we have been through together.
Many I wish all my constituents a happy and prosperous New Year.
Robert Goodwill MP