I grew up on a farm and I love the beautiful landscape of Wiltshire, its tranquillity and of course its history. I am also inspired by the future of our county. Here on the M4 corridor, at the centre of a vital economic artery and also a key tourism route, close to hubs of innovation in cyber, defence, and agriculture, we have huge opportunities for prosperity.
To make the most of these advantages we need a lot of things to get better: more support for our farmers and for the environment; better rural transport and broadband; more affordable housing in the places and the volumes where homes are needed; quicker access to a doctor and dentist or a hospital appointment, and more support for carers and care workers; more police officers and tougher action against criminals; and of course, more spending on defence to support the Army here in Wiltshire.
In each of those areas I am proud of the progress that has been made since 2019, despite the huge challenges of the pandemic and the inflation crisis caused by Russia. But more needs to be done. The following pages set out my thinking on each of these topics.