Happy New Year!

New Year is traditionally a time of hope and renewal and a time to make resolutions for the year ahead. I have just finished the last constituency mailbag of 2014 and it contains the usual mix of serious casework, general moans and, pleasingly, a couple of people who have written in to say thank you for something that we have managed to fix for them.

Fifteen years ago, when I entered Parliament, one of my colleagues observed that, as MPs, we tend not to say thank you enough. This year, despite a General Election, I am going to try and remember to say thank you more often – particularly to all those who do so much voluntary work in our local communities. Have a very happy New Year!