It's Conference season again and I’m glad to be attending the Conservative Party Conference for the second time as an MP. Over the past week I have spoken on several platforms, raising a variety of issues. I continued to call for more of our schools and colleges to champion apprenticeship programmes in their careers advice. I started work aged 16 as an apprentice in a car factory in Kirkby. It is this experience that changed my life. My degree apprenticeship provided me with comprehensive business experience that I wouldn’t have gained through mainstream education.
For me it was my first step on the ladder of opportunity and I have been taking part in events throughout the week to discuss how we can increase social mobility, along with colleagues like Justine Greening who has been championing this across the country.
As the former Director of Women2Win and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Women and Work I have also had the opportunity to share my experiences of moving from business to politics with Conservative women who are looking to make the same step. It was wonderful to meet so many inspirational and talented women all looking to step-up and serve their communities and I hope to see more of them in our councils or on the green benches after the next General Election.
The Prime Minister made a brilliant speech that was uplifting and funny at times, but at its heart was her plans to steer the country though the Brexit negotiations whilst focusing on those things that matter to us day to day. She announced a new NHS cancer strategy to ensure diagnosis is faster and more efficient. She has also launched a review into the railways, to identify what can be done to improve the services, something all of us in Chichester will welcome. Another big announcement was the lifting of the cap on Local Authority borrowing so we can get the housing we need supported by the £9bn already made available by the Government. Overall, it was a very positive conference with big ideas and lively debate.
