Simon O'Connor

My net MP salary donation this month is going to Centre 81. One half to their local transport service for elderly and disabled residents, helping them to access day-to-day activities. One half on sailing sessions for disabled individuals. I am delighted to help.

There is a big story about to break - I have spent weeks and weeks uncovering the true extent. It is a scandal, going all the way up to ministerial level. All regarding the disgraceful dumping of almost 300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in the sea off Great Yarmouth, and a truly outrageous cover up that has followed. I have been relentlessly pursuing the authorities involved. Quite frankly, I have been absolutely ashamed as to how this has been handled. Incompetence, after incompetence, after even more incompetence. Jumped up individuals desperate to protect their own careers. All will be revealed in the next day or two. It is shocking. I am furious, and I want answers.

I've been involved in the creation of more businesses than I can remember - investing in, and developing companies alongside, young British entrepreneurs is a real passion of mine. Starting a business from scratch, building it up, making it a success? It is bloody hard work, and there is real risk involved. Anyone who has given it a go, successful or not, has my respect. Not many in the Labour Party can say they've done that... There needs to be a total reset of the relationship between Government/HMRC and private businesses. Just look at these average call waiting time figures, it sums up how the state treats the people actually paying the bills... HMRC? 24 minutes, 18 seconds. Universal Credit helpline? 3 minutes, 24 seconds. It's a joke. Trying to get anything out of HMRC is pathetically difficult, as it is with ANY Governmental organisation. Any of them! Don't get me started on local councils... They're working from home, off for the week, it's someone else's problem. Nobody takes any responsibility, and guess what? NOTHING gets done. All work is done in silos. There is no joined-up thinking, with ZERO consequences for failing to deliver. I'd link senior public sector leadership pay to performance. See how that gets them jumping up and down. Before I was elected, I knew it was bad. Having seen it from the position of an MP? Bloody hell. It's even worse than I thought, and that is saying something. The services we're paying an increasing amount of tax for aren't serving the people actually funding the whole charade. If it were up to me - I'd slash corporation tax, cut dividend rates, double the VAT threshold, reduce income tax/national insurance contributions, increase personal allowances, abolish businesses rates for high street small businesses, and generally simplify the tax process. Incentivise people to make money and generate success. And guess what? They'll end up actually paying more tax. I will never understand how politicians can't grasp this basic idea. It is NOT POSSIBLE to tax our way to economic prosperity. Governments don't drive growth, individuals and businesses do. To anyone in business who is wading through this nonsense trying to make a success of themselves, you have my full admiration and respect. I know it's difficult at the moment, but keep plugging away. Your hard work is appreciated!