Vaccine need brought home to Newark and Bingham MP Robert Jenrick

That’s positive of course, but suggests there are many more residents who could be jabbed and boosted and have yet to do so.

If it is any encouragement, let me tell you about a dear friend of mine — I won’t name her as she’s asked me not to.

She and her sister, both mid 50s, both carers of different kinds.

My friend had serious reservations about the vaccine and we had numerous conversations over the summer about its efficacy, as I know she did with her family, who were worried about her safety at work and living in a busy multi-generational household. Eventually, she agreed and in August her son drove her to be vaccinated — in fact, at Newark Showground.

Her sister, who I did not know, never did.

This autumn both contracted covid-19 and both became most unwell.

To our relief my friend pulled through, albeit she came close to hospitalisation, and we enjoyed a coffee and a minced pie together this Christmas.

I’m sorry to report that her unvaccinated sister was not so fortunate and passed away in November.

What a terrible waste of a kind and loving mother, wife and sister. I don’t know with certainty that three shots of vaccine would have prevented this tragedy, but it seems likely.

Perhaps you know other such stories yourself.

Perhaps you’re own family has suffered such losses.

Please do get vaccinated, and do get that booster shot as soon as possible.

l A New Year always brings new possibilities and opportunities for fresh starts.

The end of last year was, without question, a bad period for the government.

It fell in the estimations of many fair-minded people.

I’ve had a number of conversations to that effect locally.

This year the government and those of us serving in politics need to work hard to maintain (or regain) trust and respect and to concentrate on the issues that matter most to people and improve the lives of our constituents.

If I can be of any help, please do get in touch.

Happy new year.