Jade Botterill MP: Bringing trust back into politics

Jade Botterill MP for Ossett and Denby Dale, writes: Christmas is also a time for reflection on the year that has passed, with the last 12 months a period of great change for myself, our community, and our country. It was the honour of my life to be elected as the MP for the area I grew up in, representing you as part of the first Labour government in 14 years.

Looking back on the past five months, I am proud that this government has acted quickly to start tackling our broken public services and public finances. In the face of the worst inheritance in living memory, Labour has taken the pragmatic, difficult decisions needed to stabilise the economy and public services, while preventing a destructive return to austerity.

After the previous government's open border experiment, we acted quickly to secure our borders, securing international agreements to tackle people smuggling and launching the Border Security Command. Our practical approach will enable us to restore order to the asylum and immigration systems, deliver lower net migration, clear the asylum backlog to end the use of hotels, and increase returns and reduce small boat crossings.

Alongside starting the recruitment of 13,000 more neighbourhood police, we also announced new Respect Orders. These will give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on anti-social behaviour. We also announced measures to lower crime and disorder in rural areas, with tougher powers for the police to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

While I am proud of what we have achieved so far, December is equally a time to look forward to the year ahead, and I have spent much time thinking about our plans to truly change our community for the better.

Like most people in our area, I was raised to talk straight, and during the election I was clear that I would always be honest with you, especially when the going gets tough. So many of the people I met across the constituency were not just upset about those broken public services, but also about 14 years of broken promises. Over the next five years, it is incumbent on the new government to fix both.

To bring trust back into politics, the Prime Minister recently set out five clear milestones, built on a foundation of sound public finances and secure borders, which clarify our approach. From raising living standards, getting police back out on the beat, ensuring children get the best start to life and there are enough houses for them to one day have homes, to delivering secure home-grown energy while protecting bill payers, these are measurable targets you can judge us against.

Where tough decisions have to be taken to rebuild our country, I will show our community the respect of honesty, rather than offering quick fixes and ducking the challenges we face. I know that it will not always be easy, but when I look at what we’ve achieved so far, and what plans we have going forward, I know we can change this country.

I want to wish you all a joyous Christmas with your friends, family and loved ones.