This week the Prime Minister spoke about the scale of the damage left to this government by its predecessor, and about the need for tough choices to fix the foundations of our economy and society.

Before the election Labour already knew, and was clear with the public, that were we privileged enough to enter government, we would face the worst inheritance since the Second World War, with taxes at a seventy-year high, debt through the roof, and an economy in trouble and just emerging from recession.

But when the Chancellor arrived at the Treasury seven weeks ago, it became clear that there were things we did not know. What Rachel Reeves discovered, in fact, was a £22 BILLION black hole hidden in the previous government’s spending plans – hidden from the public and from independent experts, and left for the next government to clear up and deal with.

The Tories, instead of making tough decisions and levelling with the public about their many failures, simply covered up the true state of the public finances and then ran away.

This Labour government will never do that. It WILL deal, honestly and up-front, with the catastrophic inheritance it has been handed. It WILL level with the public, tell the truth, and not shirk from making the difficult but necessary decisions to get our economy and our country back on track.

That is why the Prime Minister’s speech this week warned of tough choices and difficult decisions ahead in the upcoming budget. We have already seen this is a government prepared to take difficult decisions to get our economy and public finances back on track.

In the end, without a strong economy and strong public finances, we can’t attract the jobs and investment to Inverclyde that we need to fulfil our local economic potential, and we can’t properly fund the public services we all rely on such as schools and the NHS.

This area, and the country as a whole, voted for change, and this government will deliver that change. But it will not be an easy process, and there are tough choices ahead to fix the foundations first.

Part of the government’s mission to clean up its predecessor’s mess involves action in Parliament, which returns next week after the summer recess.

We have a full week of legislation starting on Monday – a big change from what Parliament was used to under the last Government, with short sittings and very little getting done.

The biggest piece of work next week will be the second reading of the new government’s flagship GB Energy Bill, which I have written about before.

I think this is one of the most exciting commitments the incoming government has made: a publicly-owned energy company, headquartered in Scotland. It will cut bills and boost our energy security, addressing this country’s over-reliance on foreign energy supplies, particularly from Russia.

It also represents a great opportunity for Inverclyde, to attract new, high-tech, high-quality jobs of the future in a growing energy and renewables sector. This government’s vision is for nothing less than the UK to become a clean energy superpower – and I am clear that Inverclyde stands to gain much from that effort in jobs and investment.

Over the last week I have used the opportunity of recess to hold surgeries at Morrisons in Greenock, and to attend both Port Glasgow West and Greenock South West Community Councils.

I also attended a fantastic gathering of the Warm Hands of Friendship group in Gibshill, and toured the container terminal to talk and hear from one of our vital local employers.

However, one of the highlights of the week was meeting P3-P7 pupils at Newark Primary School in Port Glasgow, alongside Google, for an assembly on online safety.

All of these events are an opportunity to meet people where they are, to hear their views, to respond to problems and to take their perspectives and problems to Westminster when we start back next week.