East Devon is blessed in that it has a community hospital in almost every town. Whenever change comes it causes distress because these units are community assets that local people have over the years donated money to sustain and improve. The recent changes to hospital ownership have been no exception.

I have found this media feeding frenzy around the personal tax affairs of the Prime Minister somewhat distasteful. What exactly is the accusation? Has our PM done anything illegal? No. Immoral? I don’t think so. He has benefited from his late father’s will. Is this not one of the most fundamental of human instincts, to help your children, whatever your income bracket? Was he even responsible for his father’s investments? Hardly. Yes, he did benefit from his father’s estate and yes it transpires that some of that money came from a perfectly legal overseas investment vehicle. 

As a One Nation government, we want to support everyone – no matter their circumstances – to achieve their full potential and live independent lives. 

It must seem to outsiders of the Westminster Village that all the major parties are experiencing difficulties in their ranks. Labour is indulging itself ideologically with a leader who is not plausible as a Prime Minister and who in turn has appointed a Shadow Chancellor who believes capitalism is a dirty word. The Liberal Democrats, have been all but “abolished” and the Conservative Party has suffered a resignation of one of its key architects of welfare reform. 

In the budget last week the Chancellor unveiled a new tax on sugary drinks, pledging to use the takings to provide more sports funding for schools. Some saw this policy, including some of my colleagues as “nanny statism at its worst” but I disagree. 

Sometimes the Commonwealth is seen as a relic of the past. I argue passionately that it is nothing of the sort. The test is always the same – would we invent the Commonwealth today? The answer is that we would. It is an important organisation for the present and the future.

Like many of my Conservative colleagues I am a Eurosceptic. And like many of them I have been reconciling the views of my constituents, my loyalty to the Prime Minister, my dislike of many European institutions and my belief as to what is ultimately in the best interests of our country at this time.

Exmouth Journal Junior doctors already work seven days a week, playing a vital role in our NHS and doing a fantastic job delivering excellent care for patients. The Government’s reforms are intended to improve patient safety and properly reward – not penalise – NHS staff, ensuring safer working hours and delivering a truly seven-day health service. We know that’s what doctors want too, so it is extremely disappointing that the BMA chose unnecessary industrial action, which helps no one, in place of negotiation. Quite frankly, it used the unwell in a nationalised health service as bargaining chips. Its operations also bordered on dishonesty. It published a fake pay calculator on its website, wrongly suggesting the pay would go down.

Exmouth Journal Last week a smaller than planned demonstration of about 30 or so people took to the streets of Sidmouth to protest against corporate tax avoidance. Among the crowd were members of the public service union Unison and sellers of the Socialist Worker newspaper.  Those that organized the event had taken to Facebook to rally troops for the march, which is somewhat ironic considering Facebook itself has been condemned for paying just £4,327 in Corporation tax in 2014, despite handing out £35.4 million in share bonus to UK staff. It is now refusing to pay the British taxman a penny more.

I don’t want to underestimate one of the most challenging areas of Government at the moment, that of tackling tax evasion, particularly at a time when we are struggling to get the public finances back on track.