THE last week has been dominated by analysis of the implications of the local and then European election results.

It has been an election where people voted as a way to send a variety of messages. In Wiltshire the Conservative Party came out on top but nonetheless it is clear that the people of this country think that the EU is not working for Britain.

I hear that message loudly and clearly and have always agreed with it.

The question is who is capable of actually doing something about it?

We need to fix our relationship with Europe, deliver real change and then give the people a say with an in/out referendum.

The results across Europe suggest that the Prime Minister’s argument about reform will be heard more readily than in the past and he is the only national leader of a political party with MPs at Westminster who has the power to deliver a referendum. UKIP itself told voters that the European elections gave people a “free hit” and that they should use it.

I hope that last week’s results stiffen the resolve of Ministers to deliver on the economy, immigration and welfare in particular.

However, in 12 months’ time at the general election, when people have to decide the leadership and government of the country, I passionately believe that the Conservatives are the only party who offer a long term-economic plan to turn this country round, deal with immigration, fix the welfare system and pass the laws needed to enable an in/out referendum in Europe.

The answer will not be found by a “free hit” for UKIP which will only bring a Labour government offering more spending, more borrowing and more taxes – with no plans to deal with welfare or immigration.

This Government must also demonstrate more convincingly the commitment it has made to fairness in our society – a core value in the Conservatism I support.

In the past year a record £23.9bn has been raised through a crackdown on tax avoidance.

We need an economy that rewards people who work hard and play by the rules – the figures on tax avoidance released on Tuesday show we are taking an important step towards achieving that objective.