ANDREW STUNELL'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

12.00.00am GMT Thu 1st Jan 2009

Heart-felt Wishes for a Prosperous New Year. We've come through a turbulent year, with some 'highs', but too many 'lows' - wars and terrorism, financial melt-down, soaring fuel prices, and squeezed wallets. It is a good moment to take stock, and to resolve to change things for the better in 2009.

In fact, heart-felt wishes for a Prosperous New Year are echoing round Stockport more loudly than at any time for almost fifteen years. It seems as though 2008 produced fresh news of financial and economic disasters every week. The experts say 2009 will be worse, and they are not too happy about 2010, either. It is a stark and very unwelcome turnaround, putting jobs and homes at risk, undermining pensions and savings, and leaving many anxious and fearful for their future.

Stockport is a thriving town, and better able than most to survive the recession we now face. But even here businesses are under real pressure, jobs are harder to come by, and home repossessions are rising.

It isn't all bad news. The world will be a safer place with President Obama in the White House than it was with George Bush. Thank goodness we will be out of the Iraq quagmire soon, as well. Nearer to home, Whitehall has found the money for our by-pass, and we won't have the Congestion Charge round our necks either.

And the Council is working hard with other local agencies to help people through the harder times ahead with practical support and advice. Their first and very best piece of advice is "Don't ignore the unpaid bills - ask for help now!" The Citizens Advice Bureau and the Council's own Welfare Rights Unit are the best places to go.

Of course there is much to be done nationally and internationally to get Britain back on course - and I'll have plenty to say about that in the months ahead. But as the New Year opens we all know it is how things turn out in our own homes and families that really matters.

That's why, despite all the storm clouds out there, we can all hope to enjoy a happy and successful year ahead.

Andrew Stunell MP