After promising readers progress on the Midhurst North Mill Bridge last month, I am pleased to say that good progress has indeed been made. The specially quarried stone arrived at the start of last week. I have popped along to monitor progress a few times and repairs and repointing are coming along well. Hopefully just a few more days until the road fully re-opens.

As the days lengthen and the growing season starts, please try to buy British food where possible. Last week I visited a West Sussex grower whose greenhouses are already delivering fresh strawberries to major supermarkets. A close look at the raspberry and blackcurrants on the shop shelves still reveal other countries of origin like Morocco, Egypt and even Peru. Let’s support our farmers and growers.

Last week saw the Chancellor unveil her Spring Statement. The accompanying OBR forecasts confirmed what independent commentators have been saying for a while – that the economy is flatlining and corrective action in the form of cuts to public spending were necessary. I am certainly not against tough choices and the number of people on welfare in our country is too high but as a former finance director, I also know that it is only business that creates truly sustainable growth and jobs. I would have liked to see measures like the jobs tax, family farm death tax, rise in business rates or the red-tape Employment Bill ditched or reduced.

As I write it’s just a day or two before the potential imposition of US Tariffs on British firms exporting to the US including no doubt many from West Sussex. With the clock ticking down to ‘tariff day’, our government have gone ominously quiet. If, through immature things that they said before becoming Ministers - and things that they haven’t done since being elected – Labour fails to secure an exemption for the UK, this will be one of greatest failures of trade policy ever.

Political opinion with Andrew Griffith MP: Please try to buy British food where possible