Happy New Year!

I want to begin by saying how great it is to have the opportunity to keep in touch with you because you are the people that I work for. I am going to try and use this column to give my take on the big national issues you are reading and hearing about in the media and also keep you up to date with things happening locally you might want to know about.

For this first column I want to update you all on pretty much the most important thing the government is focused on right now - the vaccination programme.

We now face a new strain of the virus that is between 50 per cent and 70 per cent more likely to be passed from person to person. This has led to an explosion in cases including locally where infections jumped by 80 per cent in one week,

No one wanted to see us enter another national lockdown, however in order to prevent loss of life and protect the NHS I don't think the government had a choice. Though I know how incredibly difficult lockdowns are for all of us. The most important action we can all take is to stay at home where we can and follow the rules.

But the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines will be our way out this and, so far, 1.3 million people across the UK have been vaccinated, including almost one in four people aged over 80. We have vaccinated more people than the rest of Europe combined and are leading the world on this.

The vaccine will be distributed as quickly as possible and the NHS is committed to offering a vaccination to everyone in the top four priority groups – over 13 million people - by 15 February. I would ask you not to call your GP, you will be invited for a vaccine when they are ready. I know it is difficult but I have to ask for your patience.

I have been talking regularly to the GPs leading vaccinations locally and vaccinations will be starting in Crewe at the old MMU site this week. People have already been getting vaccines at Leighton in recent weeks, but the site in Crewe will make a big difference. People have also been getting their vaccinations at Nantwich Civic Hall.

Speaking to local NHS leaders this week I know they are still keen to have volunteers to help with stewarding and vaccinating so please do contact me if you would like to help on [email protected]. If you also have a sizeable venue that might work well for people attending for vaccines let me know as they may want more venues in future.

I know that with lockdown comes uncertainty and many people will be concerned about their job, their business, their child's education, or their physical and mental health. Lets all do what we can to support friends, family and neighbours to manage.

Elsewhere, after years of tirelessly campaigning and negotiating, the government has concluded its negotiations with the EU on our future relationship. We have secured the first free-trade agreement based on zero tariffs and zero quotas that the EU has ever agreed. There were a lot of people who said it couldn't be done.

When Parliament was recalled on the 30th December, I had the privilege of voting for this this deal, which delivers on what the British public voted for in both the referendum and in the last election.

With both political and economic independence, the UK now has the opportunity to strike trade deals with new markets and reassert our global position as a liberal and free trading nation. After an exceptionally challenging and strenuous year, this was a bit of positive news we can all be glad about.

Despite some Labour MPs admitting most of them are already planning to get us back into the EU, I know the vast majority of people just want us to stop arguing about Brexit and move on now. Count me among them!