Parliament was a hive of excitement this week ahead of the final reshuffle before the General Election. Eager MPs were hoping for the call from Number 10, whilst existing Ministers hoping it wouldn't be at their cost.
I am thrilled that my good friend and colleague Robert Buckland has been promoted to Solicitor General. Robert works exceptionally hard in Parliament and combined with his wealth of experience of Parliamentary process, legislation and the legal world, he will do an absolutely cracking job. I think in recognition of his promotion I might even let him have the window seat when we travel to Parliament on the train!
Whilst the headlines of the reshuffle was the influx of females into key positions, each and every one of them has secured their roles on ability. I have seen first-hand, that having found their feet they have stood out as effective Parliamentarians and will grab the chance they have been given with real gusto. Less high-profile were the number of promotions given to MPs who have either served previously, or have been working hard for a number of years – showing that real knowledge and experience is rightly recognised. Good luck to all those given an opportunity to shine.
It is time to celebrate for Warneford High School in Highworth, having secured £1.8m funding from the Government to build the exciting Sports Centre plans. This new fantastic (and long overdue!) facility will comprise of 4 sports courts, 2 classrooms and changing rooms. They will be well used by the School in the daytime and community in the evenings and weekend. I was proud to support this application, which I have to say was one of the most professional bids I have seen – an example some of the larger public bodies could learn from. We had a tense time when the initial application wasn't successful, but we felt this was a mistake so we bombarded the Education Funding Agency to recheck their calculations and thankfully we were given the green light. The project should be delivered and built within 12 months and I know will make a real difference to the community.
Further good news on our local economy this week. The latest unemployment figures in North Swindon show that the number of people out of work and claiming benefits has fallen by a staggering 45% since the General Election; following a positive trend month-on-month. Even more encouraging is the fall in Youth Unemployment, traditionally the hardest to tackle, is also down 46% since the General Election. Having taken the tough decisions to get the economy back on track, we are creating real opportunities and I am delighted Swindon is directly benefitting.
