MP for Reading East Matt Rodda talks this week about the efforts now needed from government.

I BELIEVE we all should support the new measures to help tackle coronavirus and I am proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our community at this difficult time.

It is important that children get back to school and that we protect people’s jobs. We all now need to play our part in helping by taking practical steps to reduce the spread of the virus, and I have to say that I am impressed by the efforts of people in Reading and Woodley.

I should add that I wish the Government had given the public a clearer and more consistent message over the summer and I have called on them to step up their game.

Ministers have not done enough to improve testing and tracing of infection. The system has been under severe pressure locally, with residents asked to travel to South Wales or Tewkesbury for a test, which is clearly just not good enough.

I’ve written to the Health Secretary to explain the problems in our area and to call on him to improve testing and tracing.

I hope the Government will also provide more resources for the NHS and care system as a whole as well as for local councils and other services which are responding to the crisis.

I believe it is now time for the Government to respond to the needs of businesses and to continue to support jobs, particularly in the sectors which have been hardest hit.

We are living through exceptional times and our country and the wider world faces a significant challenge. However, there has been encouraging news about the development of vaccines and better treatments for the illness.

I am confident we will get through this difficult period.

And, I would ask people to think about the message written by a child and put in a window which I used to walk past at the height of the crisis in the spring, it simply said in beautiful bright coloured crayon “we can do hard things”.

It is worth remembering this simple but powerful point as we face difficult times in the weeks ahead.

Westminster column

Reading East MP

Matt Rodda