WE in Central Devon know the value of hard work, thrift, and doing things properly.

Whether you’re running a small business in Crediton, raising a family in Bovey Tracey, or farming around Okehampton, you understand that you can’t spend what you don’t have and expect no consequences.

That same truth applies to how we run the nation’s finances.

Last week, I gave a speech at the Royal Society for Arts where I set out the direction of travel on the economy for the Conservative Party.

I made it very clear that my party made big mistakes in 2022 in what was called the “mini budget”.

What I was saying wasn’t new. As Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, I was openly critical of the decisions made at that time.

Regrettably, my side of the argument was ignored.

For a few short weeks, economic stability - something Conservatives have long regarded as sacrosanct - was put at risk. The markets reacted brutally. Mortgage rates increased.

We acted quickly to steady the ship, but rebuilding trust takes more than action. It requires honesty.

As your MP and now as Shadow Chancellor, let me be clear. Never again will the Conservative Party undermine fiscal credibility by making promises we cannot afford. Never again will our party gamble with Britain’s hard-won fiscal credibility.

Economic stability is not some abstract Westminster buzzword. It matters for people’s living standards.

So when I hear the populists shouting from the roof tops - promising massive spending, sweeping tax cuts, all without a credible plan - I don’t just worry for the national balance sheet. I worry for every family here in Central Devon.

Take Reform, for example. They claim we can massively cut taxes and increase spending on welfare. And without any clear plan as to how they are going to fund it all.

It’s fantasy economics, pure and simple. It’s back to Jeremy Corbyn and the “magic money tree”.

And then there’s Labour. Rachel Reeves’ numbers simply don’t add up. By fiddling the rules and borrowing hundreds of billions more, she’s pushing up debt interest payments by £80 billion.

That’s not balancing the books - it’s maxing out the national credit card and asking our children to foot the bill.

People in Central Devon deserve better. They deserve leadership rooted in realism, not rhetoric. They deserve a plan that’s bold but believable.

That’s why our priorities are clear. Stability and fiscal discipline first. That means reforming welfare, demanding more from government, and getting more value from every pound of taxpayers’ money.

No gimmicks. No reckless promises. Just serious, thoughtful leadership focused on securing a better future for Devon - and for Britain.

Because in the end, fiscal responsibility is not just good economics. It’s the only way to truly protect the people we serve.

Sir Mel Stride

MP for Central Devon