Last week a group of 40 Commando Marines visited Parliament for a tour. Their mood was buoyant and filled with confidence as a result, they said, of hearing that the cloud of uncertainty regarding their future in Taunton has been lifted.   

Following a focused campaign, Rebecca Pow MP for Taunton Deane achieves a remarkable U-turn on the Norton Manor Camp decision taken in 2016. Today, the MOD confirms the camp has been saved.

The New Year will of course have a backdrop of Brexit and given that my aims are to benefit the most people, to support business and to respect the outcome of the referendum, I shall be supporting the current deal. Should circumstances alter I shall make my decisions accordingly.

£500,000 of partnership funding has been secured from Highways England towards the restoration of the Wellington Monument in Somerset.

Following the announcement that The County Stores in Taunton would be closing, the question arose as to where the Post Office would therefore be housed.

I have been heavily lobbying the Post Office to ensure that they remain in Taunton and come up with a suitable solution.

Following a question I asked to the Secretary of State for Defence  ("I am delighted that the Secretary of State has seen fit to protect our amphibious capability—HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion —and their related technologies, both new and conventional. These are such crucial tools for the Marines.

On Sunday, I took part in Remembrance services across Taunton Deane.

Voting has now closed.

Following summer recess, at the start of this Parliamentary term I was moved from my role as PPS in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to PPS to Esther Mcvey in the Department for Work and Pensions.