Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash says 'Britain is moving in the right direction again'
People in Hartlepool are realistic.
They know life is still hard.
Families are still watching every penny, businesses are under pressure and too many people still feel they have not yet seen the benefits they deserve.
Nobody should pretend otherwise and nor should anyone pretend there are magic wands that can be waived that will fix things over night.
But after years where things seemed to get steadily worse, there are now genuine signs of progress and that matters.
Last week, new figures showed the UK economy growing faster than any other major G7 nation at the start of 2026.
Growth in the first quarter reached 0.6%, putting Britain ahead of our international competitors.
That growth alone will not fix every problem overnight but it is evidence that economic stability and serious government are beginning to restore confidence.
We are also seeing progress in our NHS.
The latest figures show the waiting list has fallen to the lowest level in three and a half years and down by more than half a million since summer 2024.
The number of patients waiting over a year for treatment has almost halved in the past 12 months.
Anyone who has waited anxiously for an operation or appointment knows there is still a long way to go.
But these are real improvements that are changing lives.
The Government’s Great British Summer support package, meanwhile, includes reduced VAT on family attractions, children’s meals and free August bus travel for children to help ease pressure on household budgets.
At the same time, ministers have acted to protect motorists, farmers and haulage firms by extending the 5p fuel duty cut, suspending road tax for hauliers and reducing taxes on red diesel.
On immigration, the public rightly expects fairness and control.
New figures this week showed net migration falling sharply to 171,000, down 82% from its peak under the Conservatives, while the asylum backlog and use of hotels continue to reduce.
Small boat crossings are down 42%, asylum applications down 12% and the number of asylum seekers in Hartlepool is down 12.4%.
None of this means the job is done. Far from it. But progress is beginning.
Britain is moving in the right direction again and Labour must now go further and faster so communities like Hartlepool truly feel the benefits.