Stephen Lloyd MP

Firstly, a belated Happy New Year to you!

The first few weeks of the New Year have been pretty packed both here in Eastbourne and Willingdon, and up in Parliament.

The arrangements for the Eastbourne Sunshine Carnival are starting to move up a gear. I had a recent meeting with the Chair of the Communal Committee, David Cooper, who tells me the detailed entrants pack will be ready soon, which is excellent news! A huge amount of work has gone into this from a small band of dedicated volunteers and I am really grateful. The complexity around traffic management alone is eye-watering and Dave's Vice Chair, Andy Holter, has been doing a fantastic job on this. Thanks to them both for what I am sure will be a stunning return of the Eastbourne Sunshine Carnival on June 2^nd.

Meanwhile, I've been pushing town centre regeneration hard both in Eastbourne and Westminster. I've had an excellent meeting with Mary Portas of 'Mary, Queen of Shops' fame and I am very keen to see her ideas put through their paces in our town. I've also been standing up for the pubs in Eastbourne and Willingdon by speaking in Parliament against the reforms of the Pub industry. Pubs are the backbone of our community and I want to do all I can to protect publicans and family brewers from the greed of the large pub companies and to help independent pubs to flourish. Click here for more information on the Town Centre and here to see what I had to say about the pub reforms.

As always I have been pushing apprenticeships hard, but I have been pushing just that little bit harder in recent weeks. In Eastbourne I have been meeting with numerous businesses and training providers in the run up to 'Apprenticeships Week' this month. I recently met with a number of Secondary School heads in Eastbourne, as well as launching a new report by the Association of Colleges, who do great work in supporting apprentices and getting young people into work. This report highlights the good work of colleges, including our own Sussex Downs College, as well as identifying areas where barriers to training can be removed to ensure that young people get the jobs they need. Click here for more information. I've also been appointed just this week as the Parliamentary Champion of City and Guilds, who are very supportive of my 'jobs' agenda.

Just this week the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has promised to reduce the barriers to employee ownership, in the style of the John Lewis partnership. Companies like these provide strong businesses, which lead to secure jobs and in turn a stronger economy. I am fully behind any measures that make companies like these more competitive and profitable, and I will do everything I can to help this come about.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about taxes and tax policy and I wanted to take this opportunity to explain where I stand. The basic principle in the taxation system should be fairness - no one should earn more on benefits than at work, the hard working many should be supported rather than the wealthy few and tax avoiders should be brought to justice. This is why the Liberal Democrats are delivering on their manifesto promise to raise the income tax threshold which is particularly relevant for those on lower salaries; and to raise this even faster and further if we can, whilst retaining the 50p tax rate for high income earners. We are also lobbying hard in Westminster for an introduction of the mansion tax (on properties over £2 million) to make sure that those who conveniently manage to avoid all their income tax liabilities will be unable to hide their property assets. In the current difficult economic climate where we are all being asked to contribute, I think this is only fair.

You may have seen the news that the Daylight Savings Bill which would push the clocks forward to give us an extra hour of daylight in the evening has been blocked in the House of Commons. As a fervent supporter of this Bill I was very disappointed that this occurred - I am certain that extra sunlight in the evening would give another fantastic boost to our town, increasing tourism and the local economy, not to mention reducing road accidents (according to the AA). Unfortunately the debate was dominated by opponents of the bill whose main argument seemed to be that they didn't want to share a time zone with Germany! This vital issue, supported by the British Hospitality Association, Chamber of Commerce, Greenpeace and Business Enterprise Scotland to name but a few cannot be finished with such a ludicrous argument, and I will be writing to the speaker to make my objections known. Click here to read more.

I have also continued to push the government with regard to the Equitable Life payouts. As a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Justice for Equitable Life Policy Holders, I have been appalled by how slow the compensation scheme has been since the first cheques finally went out in June last year. I have now written to Mark Hoban MP, First Secretary to the Treasury, to highlight the trouble, stress and anxiety that this delay is causing many people and also to keep lobbying the government to compensate the pre1992 annuitants. Click here for more information.

On to our local hospital, I still have real concerns about the DGH, but you can rest assured that we are giving our all in our fight to retain our services. I have organised a meeting in Parliament for all my neighbouring MPs who share our resolve. Liz Walke (chair of the excellent Save the DGH Campaign) and I will brief them on what the Trust management may be proposing. I will of course keep everyone updated. Click here for more information.

As many of you will have noticed, construction has started on the new Morrisons in Hampden Park. This development is taking advantage of the excellent local businesses in the construction area and they have promised to provide hundreds of jobs for local people. Not only is this development further proof that Eastbourne and Willlingdon is bucking the national economic trend, but it will provide countless benefits to help us to buck it further! Click here for more information

After being nominated for Sports Parliamentarian of the year for the success of the Eastbourne Tennis Open last year, I attended the awards night last month. As runner up I am very flattered to come so close on behalf of Eastbourne, but to be honest, my main priority is just to ensure that our town continues to benefit from this premier tennis tournament. We are already ramping up to the next one! Click here for more information

Finally, I had a very helpful meeting with representatives from the SHRA (Sovereign Harbour Residents Association) the other day to discuss the fees paid to the Sovereign Harbour Trust. I do think their concerns that the costs, how can I put this, are rather opaque so have agreed to take up the cudgels on their behalf. Watch this space!

I am very confident that despite the quite horrendous economic challenges facing UK plc, Eastbourne and Willingdon really is pulling out all the stops to not just weather the storm but come strongly through on the other side. Major companies are investing in our town - be it Legal and General for the Arndale Centre, Morrisions in Hampden Park or the improvements at the Crumbles retail park - they know that Eastbourne has a really positive future. Our ability to pull together as a town and a community is, I am sure, a key part of this essential confidence. It will certainly be my priority over the next 12 months to keep pushing Eastbourne and Wilingdon as hard as I can to ensure we get through, and get through well.