There has been a distinct shift in the wind in Ashford businesses’ attitude to Brexit in recent months. At the start of this year the real fear was of a No Deal exit, and all the potential difficulties that would cause. More recently the biggest problem has been the continuing uncertainty.

In a world where technology changes everything very quickly, the best way to make sure you can keep up as an individual is to learn new skills and gain new qualifications.

The running sore that is the continuation of Operation Brock of the M20, restricting the London-bound carriageway to two lanes, is going to continue until November at least, I am sorry to report.

As today (Thursday) sees local elections take place, I want to take the opportunity to pay tribute to those who are standing from all parties.

The delay in the Brexit departure date means that the emergency measures on the M20 can be taken off—or does it?

As we huddle together for warmth while the April rain falls it may seem odd to be celebrating English Tourism Week, but this is a vital industry for all of us and it is good to mark the start of the season.

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.