TRAVELLING back to the constituency ahead of the Easter weekend I'm sitting in a warm waiting room on Newark station thinking what to put in this week's column I reflect on what has been a full week – one that could provide enough copy for a dozen columns, but there's space for only a couple so let's take two of the big items.
First there's the Budget; it's just over a week since the Chancellor's statement – plenty of time for pages and pages of analysis of the small print. The Opposition have done their best to find something that they think the public won't like and then repeatedly criticise it in the hope that it will stick in the mind of voters.
But what's happened? Despite the difficult circumstances in which the Chancellor had to put it together it hasn't unravelled and there's been no pasty tax or similar PR disaster.
The main messages are that the massive increase in personal tax allowances goes up again, reduce the costs to business of employing people, yet again the latest petrol duty increase inherited from Labour is cancelled. Another Labour increase to go means that beer will be down 4p a pint.
Then there's the innovative initiative to provide £3.5 billion to support those wanting to get on or move up the housing ladder – great news. I could go on ...
Turning to immigration which, even in northern Lincolnshire which has one of the smallest immigrant populations in the country is a major issue on the doorstep and it's not difficult to see why. People are concerned about their jobs and those of their children, they worry about the capability of our public services to cope with additional demands on them; all important and justifiable concerns.
So when the Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured, makes a major speech on this trickiest of subjects we should sit up and take note.
He made clear that the Government has implemented a comprehensive policy of reform to our immigration system to make it more robust and more selective. These reforms have seen net immigration cut by a third since the general election. That's good as far as it goes but ministers have made clear that they are redoubling their efforts to ensure that everyone who comes here pays their way and gives something back. By tightening the rules on benefits and NHS treatment, something that should have been done years ago, we will stop our system from being a 'soft touch'. It's a basic principle of the Welfare State that entitlement to public services is something everyone must earn by way of contributions and it is not an automatic right.
Along with my three neighbouring MPs I went to Downing Street last Tuesday for a meeting with the Prime Minister about the economy of northern Lincolnshire. It's not often MPs are given an opportunity of this kind so we were determined to make the most of it; pre-meetings to narrow down our 'shopping-list' and to discuss who was going to take the lead on specific items.
Entering No. 10 you can't help but feel that you're getting that bit closer to where real power lies. Sometimes you are shown upstairs via the famous staircase lined with past occupants of this most famous of London town houses but on this occasion we were ushered into the Cabinet Room, offered a cup of tea and chatted for a few minutes before the PM arrived.
The discussion centred on how we make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead but if we pull together we will all benefit. The Humber has been chosen as a pilot for one of Lord Heseltine's initiatives, a year after Bridge tolls fell there's been a higher than anticipated increase in traffic. New investment on the Dock Estate is taking place and the South Humber Energy Park inches closer. It's time to start talking up the area rather than preach doom and gloom; we've got the ear of David Cameron and senior ministers but we must grasp the opportunities and not let them slip through our fingers.