Further relaxation of lockdown restrictions will commence next Monday and I am looking forward to having a ‘sensible hug’ with my parents.

I use the term because the Prime Minister is right to highlight the ‘sensible’ bit. Those hugs – the first for a long time – can happen because myself and my parents have been given a Covid vaccine.

If people have not been vaccinated then I do not necessarily think it's sensible to go hugging anyone. However, it’s up to everyone to use their common sense and I’m sure the good people of Stourbridge will do just that.

So, for the record, from Monday groups of six or two households will be allowed to meet indoors for the first time. People can also stay overnight. The outdoors group limit will rise to 30.

Hotels and B&Bs are permitted to open - as well as cinemas, museums and theatres but with mask wearing still mandatory. It’s been a chilly spring, so I am sure many people will be pleased that restaurants can open indoors and you can get a pint inside too.

But there is not going to be a speeding up of the lockdown road map and for good reason.

The Government wants to make sure these new regulations do not lead to a surge in infections. Millions still remain unvaccinated and the experts need to crunch the numbers to see if all is going well.

If nothing goes wrong then all restrictions will be ended on June 21.

This has only been possible because of the Government’s world beating vaccination programme. The end is in sight.

Many congratulations to Andy Street on his re-election as the West Midlands Mayor. It was a comprehensive victory for someone who is delivering for our region.

I look forward to working with him on a range of issues such as prioritising brownfield development and the Stourbridge Dasher rail improvements. I am also pleased as punch that we now have Conservative Dudley Council councillors in Lye, Cradley and Quarry Bank and all three in Amblecote. I congratulate them all and I thank voters for the trust they have put in our party.

It goes without saying that myself and our councillors are a team and we will do all we can to improve residents’ lives across the whole of the Stourbridge constituency.

Our priorities remain, jobs, education, aspiration through home ownership and improving our towns which have been neglected for far too long. There is a job to do to level up and we have a positive agenda of change locally, regionally and nationally.

As the visit of the Prime Minister showed last week, Stourbridge matters to this Government.