I would like to wish all my constituents a happy Christmas and Chanukah Sameach. I hope that the festive season will provide you all with the opportunity for some rest and time with friends and family.
This is a good time to remember people who are apart from their families at Christmas - the brave men and women of our armed services on duty overseas, and the dedicated staff keeping essential public services running over the holiday period, such as police officers, firefighters and NHS workers. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude for the work they do for our whole community.
Christmas can also be a sad time for those who have been bereaved over the preceding twelve months with a poignant reminder of a lost loved one missing from the festivities.
It has been a very eventful year with real progress on delivering a healthier economy. Times have been difficult for many people including here in Barnet but the economy is on the way back. The UK is due to grow faster than any other country in Europe or the G7. Earnings are rising faster than of inflation for the first time for some years. There has been a record fall in unemployment and there are more women in work than ever before. So as we head towards 2015, there is some genuinely good news.
So whether you are lighting candles for the Festival of Lights or decorating your Christmas tree, I hope that you have a great time over the festive season along with a happy and prosperous New Year.