Alec Shelbrooke: We are looking to the future to build an economy that rewards hard work

THE Conservative Party arrived in Manchester for this week’s annual conference at a crossroads, proud of what we have achieved in government but looking ahead to the policies we will bring forward over the next year – policies for people who want to work hard and get on.
Prime Minister David Cameron (centre) arrives at Manchester CentralPrime Minister David Cameron (centre) arrives at Manchester Central
Prime Minister David Cameron (centre) arrives at Manchester Central

We mustn’t be shy about what we’ve achieved either. Conservatives in government have created 1.4 million jobs in the private sector, cut net immigration by a third and delivered a £600 tax cut for 24 million hardworking people.

On welfare we have capped benefits; in the NHS we’ve employed 6,000 more doctors and 6,000 fewer managers. Crime is down, unemployment is down and we’ve cut Labour’s deficit by a third.

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These were the fundamental demands made by the electorate in 2010. Slowly but surely we are reversing the decline Britain was left in and laying the strong foundations it needs to grow and expand again.

Britain’s best days lie ahead, but we have a lot to learn from the days now behind us. Growing up in the 1980s, my parents were both teachers and, like many hard-working families, they felt it wrong that the hard-working people who always do the right thing often receive little reward.

But it is those hard-working people on which a strong economy is built and the Conservative Party conference this week must show the country that we share those values – that the Conservatives are the party of working Britain.

It’s now time to reset our course and look ahead to the next few years. To quote President Barack Obama, “we have cleared up the rubble, now we start the rebuilding”.

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We must set out how we will further grow the economy so people in work can look forward to real pay rises, provide more work so people can increase their earnings and have a renewed sense of job security.

Concurrently, we have to outline the importance of our continued welfare reforms, abolishing the something-for-nothing culture and making work pay. It is right that we have a welfare system to support those who fall on hard times, but it must be a safety net that supports people back into work.

A poll in the Yorkshire Post last week showed that 99 per cent of those questioned do not trust Labour with the economy – a damning verdict.

There is no doubt that the next election will be won or lost on the economy, but we must not take our record in government for granted and must use this week’s conference to highlight exactly how Conservatives are supporting families with the cost of living – abolishing the fuel duty escalator, freezing Council Tax and introducing childcare vouchers to name but a few.

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So in what spirit is the Conservative Party going into this conference?

Seldom have we been so united on the question of Europe, with all sides of the argument enthusiastically backing our European Referendum Bill to let Britain decide; despite vehement opposition from Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The achievement of the Home Secretary in finally deporting Abu Qatada has shown that a Britain led by Conservatives is no longer a country willing to be walked over. On these matters of national security we will fight for what we believe is right and deport anyone who threatens our safety.

We are in good spirits having seen tough decisions vindicated, tough headlines overcome and tough criticism proved wrong. However, the constant bugbear for many Conservatives is the fact we are in coalition.

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Nick Clegg proudly listed 16 points that he has stopped the Conservatives from delivering in government – but it did not go unnoticed that these were some of the most popular polices in the Conservative manifesto at the last election.

We must now do something that is very rare in British politics; we have to fight for re-election but not to re-elect the current government. We must fight for an outright Conservative majority in 2015.

We want to recognise marriage in the tax system, renegotiate the European Bill of Human Rights into a British Bill of Rights, further cut immigration and let Britain decide on its future relationship with Europe.

We want to grow an economy that is balanced across the country, with a high-speed rail link providing greater opportunities to grow the Yorkshire economy. We want a society that is responsible and an education system that puts the next generation at the front of the global race. Our message this week will be one of economic competence, a government fixing the economy so people who want to work hard and get on can do so and will be rewarded for it by future prosperity.

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The mantra of “are you better off today than at the last election?” has evolved during this time. The cost of living is a crisis the Government is trying to tackle head on, by cutting fuel duty, pushing for the lowest energy tariffs and cutting business taxes allowing companies to create more jobs. We are laying the foundations for solid growth and future wage rises.

This week in Manchester there won’t be any announcements made simply because they are popular with some voters. There won’t be any undeliverable policies financed by more borrowing and more debt.

We will simply highlight exactly what Conservatives believe in – a country where those who work hard and want to get on, can.

*Alec Shelbrooke is the Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell.