Messages of hope from your MPs

Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness

"What’s the legacy of 2020? Is it the tens of thousands of tragic deaths around the world due to Covid-19, or the profound impact on the well-being of millions more? Or is it the exponential growth in vicious, lethal misinformation, where millions believe vaccines aren’t safe or Coronavirus isn’t real?

I wonder if it’s none of those. Asked what 2021 holds I want to say it’s guaranteed to be better than the year that preceded it. I want to say it can’t be worse. I want to say those hugs you haven’t had will be freely given by those you love or who you want to love you. We all want to say that the vaccine will lead to a kind of normality.

Rationally, I’m sure it will. It has to. Really, 2021 is the year we’ll stop having to wear masks in every shop, when fathers can attend every minute of a partner’s labour, when the trivial and the profound impacts of Covid-19 will recede. It will be better. We will all feel better.

But there’s another side: I wonder if my hesitation in expecting sunlit uplands is a symptom of how profoundly 2020 has changed all our worlds. It’s not that the legacy of Covid will linger in redundancies or lives shaped forever by an unprecedented year, although it will. It’s not that we all know jobs and wealth are the most likely predictors of happiness and health. It’s bigger than that.

So let’s hope 2021 is the year our previous preconceptions are reasserted. When we can say with confidence that we know what the next day or month holds. It will be better. It will be healthier. It will, I’m sure, be the year we look back on as the dawn after the long night.

There is no greater gift."

Edward Leigh, Gainsborough's MP

"As the birth of Our Saviour draws near I wanted to send a brief message of thanks for the support I have received from so many constituents over the past year.

The coronavirus has given us an unprecedented challenge and it's been the job of backbench MPs like me to hold the Government to account. I have been relentless in standing up for the people of Lincolnshire in the Commons and urging the Government to protect our vulnerable people, support our small- and medium-sized businesses, and adopt risk reduction measures that can get our communities back to some semblance of normality and respecting the freedom of individuals, families, and communities.

While the virus will undoubtedly dominate our memories of 2020, it's by no means been the only thing going on. In the past year I've advocated for Gainsborough Trinity FC and its fans, welcomed the funding for 79 extra officers for Lincolnshire Police, helped secure a support grant for Trinity Arts Centre, advocated passionately for a direct London train through Market Rasen, and made representations to ministers over the future of RAF Scampton.

In addition to these, there have been hundreds of cases of individuals, families, and businesses I have been able to advocate for by corresponding on their behalf with ministers, local authorities, landlords, corporations, and others.

Viewed from the Lincolnshire Wolds, the world looks significantly different from this time last year. The United Kingdom has left the European Union, the world has faced the greatest public health crisis of our time, and the UK has overcome the odds to begin a massive rollout of a vaccine to fight the virus that has so dramatically changed our everyday lives.

Our challenges have not yet been overcome, but we are turning a corner and I continue to think our future will be a bright one. Please rest assured that I will continue working in Westminster to put that future on the best footing possible.

On behalf of Mary and all my family, I send you my very best wishes for a happy Christmas and a good new year."

Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham

"2020 has been a year like no other. I know this has been an incredibly challenging year for everybody. The disruption caused by the pandemic has touched every corner of our society.

As we look forward to the New Year there is reason to be hopeful. The worst days of the virus are now behind us. Across the country thanks to the people’s hard work and the amazing professionalism shown by our key workers, we are seeing the rate of infections fall once again.

With the announcement of a vaccine being approved we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and a time beyond lockdowns, restrictions and social distancing. Through a nationwide vaccination campaign by the spring we can hope for a return to a way of life as close to normal as possible.

While we are at a turning point in our fight against the virus our focus must be on how to build back better, how to save not just lives but livelihoods. We need to deliver an economy which is stronger, more sustainable and more resilient.

A key part of this will be the Government’s levelling up agenda, ensuring rural areas such as Lincolnshire gets their fair share of investment. The £110m promised to complete the ring road around Lincoln is a good start and I look forward to working with the Government to get the economy moving again.

I wish you all a prosperous and happy New Year. "

Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle

"2020, what a year! This has been a very difficult year for all of us but with the first vaccines being delivered we can look forward to 2021 with more optimism. I have been incredibly proud of the way everyone has played their part, from workers on the frontline to people who have been shielding at home. I would like to thank all healthcare, care and key workers, volunteers, community support groups, East Lindsey District Council and Lincolnshire County Council who have worked tirelessly to keep us all safe locally.

Supporting people’s jobs and livelihoods in East Lindsey is now more important than ever. The Government continues to take steps to support our local business owners during the pandemic, with over £67 million of support through business grants and bounce back loans for small companies and over 11,000 jobs protected through the furlough scheme in the constituency this year. Investing in skills and training will be key to our recovery, with the Kickstart and Restart schemes providing new opportunities and tailored guidance in training and employment.

By investing in areas such as regional infrastructure, we can forge our way forward as we build a bright future. Locally, the work on the Towns Fund for Mablethorpe continues with the submission of the board's innovative proposals to the Government. The submitted projects will provide improvements for connectivity, tourism and wellbeing, driving economic regeneration along our coastline and helping to deliver long-term economic growth, which I have pressed the Government for since being elected in 2015.

Finally, it is vital that we continue to back our local businesses, services and hospitality sector in the year ahead. It is also important for businesses to be prepared for new regulations when trading with the EU as we leave the single market and the customs union at the end of the year. During the pandemic, I have led social media campaigns focussing on the importance of shopping and ordering local where we can. This sentiment does not stop as we head into 2021, and it is vital to continue to support our rural and coastal towns and ensure their essential part in our economic recovery."