A few weeks ago, I sat down with the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to discuss the issues facing people and businesses in East Devon.

It was an important opportunity to influence his thinking ahead of the Budget. Boosting growth, halving inflation, and reducing the national debt are the top priorities of the Budget unveiled last week.

Despite enormous global challenges, the UK economy has avoided recession and growth is forecast to return.

I know the big headline measures in the Budget will be welcomed by many people across East Devon.

Extending the Energy Price Guarantee until July 2023 at the current level will help with the cost of living.

Expanding 30 hours of childcare a week to working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years will help families with children with one of the most significant costs they face.

Freezing fuel duty for the thirteenth consecutive year will save £100 for the average driver.

And abolishing the Pensions Lifetime Allowance will encourage highly-skilled workers, such as senior NHS doctors, to remain in the labour market.

It was also encouraging to hear the Budget gives a £200 million funding boost for fixing potholes across England. Devon will receive £9 million to help tackle the problem. I know it’s a big issue locally as I drive around the constituency every week. It has also been a regular grumble in my inbox, too. I will continue to work with Devon County Council to help tackle our pothole problem and we can all do our bit by reporting them via the council’s website.

I am really pleased that our leisure centres and swimming pools will get further support to cope with rising energy bills. As you’d imagine, they are really costly to run and after visiting Exmouth’s swimming pool recently, I made sure to mention their plight to the Chancellor. He listened and launched a new £63 million fund to help them out. It’s a real lifeline that will be welcomed by those who use LED pools in Sidmouth, Exmouth and Honiton.

This week’s column will be my last until after the elections for East Devon District Council on Thursday 4th May 2023. There are understandable editorial restrictions on political content during the pre-election period.

Conservative candidates will be standing this May to deliver what local people have told us they want from their local district council – low council tax, value for money parking for residents and visitors, protecting our public toilets, and a proper review of the shambolic local housing plan. I have already joined local Conservative candidates as they talk to residents from Axminster to Exmouth about the issues that matter across the district.

As regular readers to this paper know, Independent and Liberal Democrat councillors trying to run the show at EDDC frequently remind us what they are against. If only they’d reveal what they are for.

Sadly, it’s still a mystery to most of us who pay council tax in East Devon. Thankfully, we all have the opportunity to send a message to Blackdown House in just a few weeks.

The scars of the decisions made by ruling councillors are clear to see across our district. They’ve hiked council tax, doubled the price of parking, and tried to shut public toilets.

The parking price hikes have been a hammer blow for residents and visitors by putting East Devon among the most expensive places to park in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. Their bonkers decision was made without any consultation, ignoring government advice. We need to encourage people back into our towns and high streets, not drive them away.

If you want to be kept up to date on what I’m doing as your MP, you can visit my website (simonjupp.org.uk) where you can sign up to my newsletter, or follow my updates on Facebook and Twitter.

I look forward to returning here after the local elections on 4th May.