One of the things I cherish most about Christmas is the opportunity to step back and reflect. This has been a very busy and significant year for me, and it’s important to keep sight of what really matters.
Since I was elected as your MP in May I’ve been very busy, speaking up for you on issues like police numbers, hospital parking, school funding and defending local services like our NHS. In my first six months I spoke in Parliament more than a hundred times, and I’ve not slackened the pace.
The role of an MP really does give you a unique opportunity to get involved in your community, whether it be helping residents with their problems or organising a local shop campaign!
I’m really looking forward to spending the holiday in the constituency, without having to divide my time with London as I do when Parliament is in session.
Christmas is a time of peace. Very recently I took part in that dramatic debate in the Commons about allowing the RAF to take the fight to Daesh in Syria, and the plight of Daesh’s victims really illustrated to me how fortunate we are in Britain, and how even when times seem tough we have so much – food, clean water, a warm home, safe streets – that we should be grateful for.
Yet after a busy year, I’m grateful to be able to spend some quality time with my family. No man is an island, and without their practical and emotional support I would have been far less prepared to meet the challenges that this year presented.
I must never forget that nothing I do would be possible without the support and care of my wife, Philippa. I owe her a huge debt.
Not everybody is so lucky, and one of the things that makes me most proud about Solihull is the great tradition of taking care of the elderly and the lonely at times like this. Isolation is old age is a national problem, and other parts of the country could do well to learn from the example set by our community.
Through all the festivities, I will never lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas and Philippa and I are looking forward to attending church together over the holidays.
We wish all the residents of Solihull a truly happy Christmas.
Julian Knight
Conservative MP for Solihull
