This week I attended Labour Party conference in Liverpool and watched the Prime Minister’s speech from the conference floor.

His speech very clearly set out how the tough decisions this government is taking for the short-term are the first steps on a journey of national renewal.

The short-term pain of tough decisions means long-term gains for the country, such as lower waiting lists and higher living standards, will come much quicker.

Decisions won’t always be easy or popular, but he – and this government as a whole – will not be knocked off-course in their mission to fix the foundations and to change our country for the better.

And the work of change has very much begun. GB Energy, a publicly-owned energy company that will lower bills and aims to turn Britain into a clean energy superpower, has already been launched. I am clear that I see huge opportunities for jobs and investment in Inverclyde, especially in clean energy and renewables, stemming from this.

It may be headquartered in Aberdeen, but the economic investment and economic benefits are far from restricted to the North East, and I will always be Inverclyde’s biggest advocate in this respect.

The onshore wind ban has been lifted. The disgraceful and extortionate Rwanda gimmick has been scrapped and a Border Security Command established to smash the people smuggling gangs. A National Wealth Fund has been set up, getting Britain building again, and moves begun on renters’ reform and bringing railways back into public ownership. A Budget Responsibility Bill has been passed to help ensure we place our economy on a rock-solid footing and never again have a Liz Truss situation where careless politicians crash the economy and send our mortgages soaring.

Change has begun – and this is just the start. Just because Britain isn’t working at the moment doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. The Tory government beat the hope out of the country – but this government is determined to bring it back.

For 14 years, they ducked difficult decisions and ran down public services. This government will rebuild our country, deliver for working people and in doing so show that politics can change lives.

One of the pleasures of conference is away from the main stage, where I had the chance to meet with a range of groups of interest and importance to constituents, to discuss the work they do, and opportunities for Inverclyde.

This year I met with a number of energy companies to discuss energy investment, part of my efforts to ensure I am Inverclyde’s biggest advocate for jobs and investment.

I met with the Institute of Engineers to discuss skills and how we can build on Inverclyde’s fantastic heritage of skilled work to create the highly skilled jobs of the future.

I also met with the Scottish Refugee Council to discuss how we can best support vulnerable people who arrive and live in our community having fled persecution and conflict. I am proud of how our Inverclyde community has welcomed and embraced these individuals and families who have often faced trauma and hardship beyond our imagining.

I met with Marie Curie to discuss end of life and palliative care, which I think is a vital aspect that we must not lose sight of in the midst of the ongoing debate on assisted dying – and I know from my correspondence that many constituents feel the same.

Finally I met with FareShare to discuss access to food – this is a food poverty charity, used for instance by pantries in Inverclyde and more vital than ever in a cost-of-living crisis.

Last week I was delighted to welcome the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland Kirsty McNeill to Inverclyde for a full day’s visit.

I showed her the fantastic business and growth opportunities that this area has to offer, as well as to meet with inspiring local organisations such as the Bellville Community Garden, Rig Arts , and Barnardos’ Inverclyde Family Support Centre.

The Minister also attended a meeting of the Inverclyde Task Force to learn about the challenges and opportunities that this area faces in terms of economic growth and investment, and to see the hard work of the task force in its mission to bring economic opportunities to Inverclyde.