A properly funded military
As the son of a soldier, I have learnt over the years to be deeply suspicious of politicians pledging large chunks of change to the military, all the more so during an election year. However for four years, some of us backbench parliamentarians have been calling for additional money to be given to the military. At last the Government has listened.
Last week the Prime Minister announced plans to raise Defence spending to 2.5%, meaning we will be spending £87bn a year on Defence by 2030. The world is unfortunately a far less safe space than it was, and we must therefore be equipped with a strong military to defend our interests at home and abroad. Added to which, this increase in funding means the UK will remain the second largest defence spender in NATO after the US.
The price of freedom may well be a significant one, but in a world that has become far more conflict-orientated, it is essential we are prepared to protect our shores and our people across the world.
Our evolving Banking Hub
It is a source of continual pride that South Devon became home to one of the country’s first Banking Hubs. Situated in Brixham, it is now turning over hundreds of thousands of pounds in transactions each month with hundreds of customers making full use of its current services. It is also now trialling opening on Saturday mornings due to popular demand.
Banking Hubs are the answer to the high street banks closing their doors in our towns. This one-stop shop is helping to ensure that local face-to-face services continue, and the needs of communities are met. However, it is important to note they are by no means the finished product. If you believe the Brixham branch still does not provide the service you need then do let me know, as they are set to evolve with the needs of the public firmly in their minds.
With Dartmouth’s Banking Hub soon to be opened, it is welcome to see our calls for a high street banking presence are being listened to. However, it is never a case of job done, but more a continual effort to ensure we have the facilities we need in South Devon.
HS2 Benefitting South Devon
The reallocation of funds from HS2 to the rest of the country equates to almost £34bn of extra spend for our transport system. For both road or rail, South Devon can expect to a good investment to help our railway network, expand our bus routes beyond the £2 bus fare cap and repair our roads.
At present, Torbay is set to receive an additional £7m for our road network, meaning we will have the investment to ensure that our roads are durable, safe and pothole free.
To ensure this money is well spent, the public must play their part by reporting dangerous and poor condition roads through the Torbay Council website, and the Council must respond in a timely manner and be transparent about their work. Providing transparency, repairing adjacent potholes and introducing new technologies are all essential ingredients to remedy the problem.
Our network will be steadily repaired over the next few months, but the key is to ensure our roads have resilience and provide durability to allow people to safely navigate across the county.