“I very much hope readers had a peaceful Christmas. I know so many local organisations have gone the extra mile this Christmas to help those who may feel lonely at this time of the year and it is so heart-warming to hear the stories of those who have made extra room in their home or business to provide a Christmas lunch for people who may have no one else.

As 2018 draws to a close I have been reflecting on some of the significant events which have occurred this year, from Theresa May’s EU Withdrawal Agreement, to ministerial resignations and Boris Johnson’s haircut – no one can deny it has been a year to remember and not necessarily for wholly positive reasons.

2019, however, promises – for some time at least – to be more of the same. In January, we will see the meaningful vote on the EU Withdrawal Agreement and, if that passes, move forward to exiting the European Union on March 29th. At present the success of the vote is certainly not assured and last week in Cabinet we agreed a package of contingency plans to ensure we are as prepared as possible for a no-deal scenario.

Readers will not be surprised that I am very keen to ensure we achieve a deal with the EU. Having sat through many hours of no-deal preparation meetings and heard from hundreds of constituents and business owners, I am certain that a deal will be in the best interests of the whole of the UK.

I wish all readers a very happy new year and look forward to providing further updates to constituents in the coming weeks.”

Caroline Nokes MP for Romsey and Southampton North