For me the most important job is doing something about the job losses we have seen in North Staffordshire. That means rebuilding the local economy - getting people to come and invest here - and getting the improvements that will help bring this about.

Exactly what do we do to face up to the large scale manufacturing job losses that we have seen in Stoke-on-Trent? Answer: we build a regeneration team that can secure funding and investment that will replace the jobs. That means that in Stoke-on-Trent/ North Staffordshire we have Tom McCartney heading up the North Staffordshire Regeneration Board, which is chaired by the elected mayor and which is drawing up a strategy to bring jobs and training here. Already we have had almost £2million from European funds to set up the Resource Centre to help train former pottery workers and help them back to work.

We have new jobs being created on the Chatterley Valley site in Tunstall. We have the Ceramics Industry Forum that is working to support ceramics as a creative industry. Don’t forget we still have 312 small and medium sized companies operating in ceramics - up from 232 eight years ago.

We live in a time when there are huge changes underway. Internationally, climate change threatens to destroy our planet. Much of my work in Parliament has been on the Environmental Audit Select Committee which is pressing for world wide reductions in greenhouse gasses. This means more use of renewable energies, and adapting our way of life so as to prevent flooding. The Government is introducing a Climate Change Bill and whether we like it or not we are going to have to get to grips with the agenda.

Another aspect of the challenge we face is education and skills. Workers who have been used to one job now need new skills and more training - the way we were when we could leave school at 16 and get a job - any job - doesn't apply any more. There is huge investment underway in local colleges and universities.

What else? I have lobbied for the new hospital building and the multi-million investment at the Haywood in Burslem - the biggest investment Stoke-on-Trent North constituency has seen - all going ahead now. Likewise, all our primary schools have been rebuilt or refurbished - one way of making sure our school children get off to the best start. And of course the children's centres being developed in Ball Green, Norton and at Port Vale in my constituency will give parents and their children the best start in early life. The £200 million Building Schools for the Future programme will transform Secondary Schools.

Helping get the health service improvements takes a lot of time - and recently, for example, I have received many letters of appreciation from people who now have been fitted with digital hearing aids.

I am also calling for a sports strategy for Stoke on Trent - one where we can upgrade the football pitches that local people use, and make best use of the Government decision that all schools should be increase the amount of sport in schools. This will help us fight the epidemic in obesity that threatens the health and well being of our children.

More than anything I want constituents get in touch about the issues that matter most to you as we regenerate our city and to see how you can use your wealth of experience and expertise to help make the changes that all of us face in our daily lives.