Running up to the General Election I
campaigned hard on the pledge to work with local businesses in order to support
economic growth and the creation of more better-paid jobs. I believe that a growing national economy
will give us the resources we need to invest in our vital services, and that a
growing local economy will give our young people the chance to build a life in
Cornwall.
There are many ways that I can support
these aims as your MP and I have taken the opportunity in the last few weeks to
work on these issues.
There has been much debate in the press and
on the radio about the subsidy paid to Newquay airport. I featured on BBC Radio Cornwall in support
of the airport last week. The airport is critical to the whole of the Cornish
economy; it provides connectivity for local businesses, local people and
visitors to the area. Without it, many
businesses would leave Cornwall and new investment would be harder to
attract. I will continue to support the
airport and fight for its future.
Later in the week I met with local business
leaders in Newquay; representatives from the Newquay Business Improvement
District and the Newquay Chamber of Commerce.
It is great to be involved with people so passionate about their town
and prepared to put in significant effort to bring real change. I look forward to working closely with them.
We discussed a wide range of topics
including one that I feel strongly about, the ban on taking children out of
school to go on holiday. This rule
impacts Cornwall and especially Newquay in two important ways. Firstly, the so-called shoulder months of
June and September have seen a significant decline in visitors to the
area. Many businesses in Newquay have
reported a drop in profits and some are considering whether they can
survive.
Secondly, many Cornish people work in the
tourist industry and so it is impossible for them to take family holidays
during the school summer holidays. I
believe that family holidays are an important feature of family life; a time to
bond and spend time together away from the stresses of everyday life. If families are not allowed to take their
children out of school, I struggle to see how many Cornish families can manage
a holiday together.
This is an issue that I am extremely
concerned about and I am already working at Westminster to address this issue,
raising the issue with Government Ministers and will continue to campaign for a
more flexible approach to families holidays.
My team and I are here to serve the whole
constituency and seek to make a real difference to the lives of everyone who
needs help and support in any way.
If there is any issue that we can help you
with then please contact us on either 07555069714 or on office@stevedouble.org.uk.
