I hope you and your loved ones are able to spend some quiet time to celebrate Christmas.

2024 has been a hectic year. It began in the knowledge that the Conservative Government had less than a year left but it was still one of the big surprises of 2024 was when Rishi Sunak called an early election in July. The scale of Labour’s victory in part reflected the electorates determination to end fourteen Conservative years but also to give our country a fresh start.

During the campaign I met with Citizens UK who questioned me about our plans for Government including school counselling, social housing and support for carers. I returned last month to talk about progress made.

But just as in all areas of public policy change takes time and money, money which the financial legacy of 14 years has denied us. A financial blackhole, an economy struggling to escape the doldrums and an even more dangerous international situation have made the job of Government even harder. However, as the Prime Minister confirmed in his speech about next steps, our plan for change remains as does our determination to deliver.

Being in Government is difficult. As a Minister every day you face a new challenge, but having a clear vision of what the future might look like makes those challenges easier to overcome. So recharging batteries over the holiday period is welcome.

Let me thank all those people who will be working as usual to keep us safe and well.

To them and to you I wish you a happy Christmas.