Regular readers will know that I almost always prefer to deal with local matters in this column, for obvious reasons. There are many outlets for discussion of national politics.
Even at times like this the NHS is never far from the headlines. So it is a little surprising that the body charged with collecting patient experiences and conveying them to the various parts of the NHS is not better known.
Even days later I am still buzzing at the success of my Jobs Fair at Ashford College. We could only just about cram in all the employers and organisations who wanted to attract new recruits, despite taking all the public space on the first two floors.
Damian Green MP for Ashford, is supporting World Book Day’s national ‘Share a Story’ campaign, encouraging parents and carers to read with their children for ten minutes a day.
Many charities organise events in the House of Commons to publicise their cause. Often the most useful part of this for me is obtaining the local facts and figures which illustrate how Ashford compares with the rest of the country.
One of the insights I gain from the increasingly heated debate on Brexit is that this has become a rare political issue which engages people across the board. Usually when people in Ashford talk to me in supermarkets or on the street it is about personal issues for them.
Now we have the Christmas decorations firmly packed away for another year, and the New Year Resolutions already looking unrealistic, it is time to look ahead to 2019 and what it holds.
