Happy New Year! I hope 2023 proves to be better for many than 2022 did.
The last 12 months have been remarkable in many ways. Three Prime Ministers, 4 Chancellors, the UK economy crashed by a Government in permanent disarray and a cost of living crisis with inflation at a 40 year high are just a few examples of how ordinary people are now paying the price for twelve years of arrogant Tory unfairness and incompetence.
I see on a regular basis families across Llanelli who are struggling to make ends meet. Life can be pretty tough for some, even in the good times, but things have got undoubtedly worse for many over the last year or so. The impact of a Conservative Party more interested in themselves than in the difficulties faced by the British public is very real indeed.
A general election and the hope this country need from a change of government can’t come soon enough but it looks like that will have to wait until 2024. Until then, along with other Labour MPs, I will continue to press the UK Government to change tack and make more decisions that help the most vulnerable and not just those that are already comfortable and well off.
As we enter the New Year, the Government really needs to up its game across the board.
They need to get around the table and take a more constructive approach to ending the strike disputes we have seen across many public services. Frontline workers really deserve to have their efforts recognised and supported during these difficult times.
They also need to concentrate on delivering an economy based on fairness. One that achieves a level of growth that they have failed to get anywhere near for more than a decade and one that create jobs and helps businesses, big and small.
Massive backlogs that have accumulated, from driving tests to asylum applications, court cases bringing criminals to justice to passports, need time, energy and resources to be cleared. So far, the Government has shown little sign of providing the investment in our public services that they require. Their record of complete and utter failure is letting people down and holding our country back.
Only time will tell whether any of this will happen under the current government. Whilst I remain optimistic about the future, I am also in no doubt that the next twelve months may well turn out to be as difficult as the last.
As always, I am keen to help people in my Llanelli constituency and to meet as many businesses, local organisations and community groups as I possibly can. If you have any problems or issues that you think I can assist with and would like to discuss them with me then please do not hesitate to get in touch either by email on nia.griffith.mp@parliament.uk or by calling my office at 43 Pottery Street on 01554 756374.