Government faces critical decisions says MP

AS we begin 2026, the Government faces a series of critical decisions that will shape the country’s future in the coming years. Ministers have been open about the challenges ahead and three issues in particular stand out as areas where the Government’s approach will be closely scrutinised.

First, our relationship with the European Union remains a source of considerable uncertainty. The Prime Minister has indicated willingness to explore closer cooperation, but the details matter enormously. I voted to remain in the 2016 Referendum, but I have always believed the result must be respected. What concerns me now are the specific arrangements being contemplated. Last year’s fishing agreement locked us into EU access to British waters until 2038, damaging any prospect of rebuilding our fishing industry with our own stocks. The Government has also agreed to create an EU-wide ‘youth experience scheme’ having previously said it had no plans to do so. Without proper safeguards, this could risk becoming a return to free movement, with young people seeking work coming to the UK when unemployment is already increasing. While measures like expanded e-gate access for British holidaymakers are welcome conveniences, they cannot justify arrangements that undermine fundamental Brexit principles. The test for this Government is whether it can resist pressure to drift back toward single market membership or free movement.

Second, the Government has signalled its intention to reform apprenticeships, but here too the details will be crucial. For too long, young people were funnelled down a single route toward university, leaving many feeling that alternative pathways were somehow second-best. The apprenticeship reforms of recent years created prestigious, employer-led qualifications that transformed the status of technical education. When I visit companies like Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover in our constituency, I see apprentices gaining world-class skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Proposals to reduce minimum durations or remove literacy and numeracy requirements risk undermining the progress we have made. If we want more apprenticeships, the answer is not to dilute standards but to cut red tape and increase support for businesses investing in skills.

Finally, Ministers have acknowledged that tackling small boat crossings remains one of their most difficult challenges. The previous Government developed comprehensive plans that reduced crossings by 36% in 2023. I remain concerned that with the scrapping of the Rwanda scheme, the problem is unlikely to improve because there is no effective deterrent. The Government’s Border Security Act, which it claims will stop these crossings, appears weak and insufficient. With thousands more crossings since the Government took office, demonstrating that its approach can succeed will be essential. Locally, concerns about sites like Dunchurch Park Hotel are entirely understandable, and residents deserve reassurance that proper processes are being followed and their voices heard, until we get to where we really need to be, which is hotels no longer being used to house asylum seekers.

These three areas alone demonstrate the scale of the challenge facing the Government in 2026, but they are not the only tests it will face. The Family Farm Tax announced in the 2024 Budget has already caused huge worry, farm closures and plummeting business investment. The recent Budget concession allowing spousal transfers and the raising of the exemption limit just before Christmas were signs the Treasury knows it has got this policy wrong, but it would be better to scrap the policy altogether. Alongside tax increases more broadly, these decisions will have lasting consequences for communities across the country. The Government must make the right choices in 2026.