I would like to wish local residents a merry Christmas and happy New Year in what will be my final newsletter of 2020.

The coronavirus restrictions of course mean festivities will be far from normal this year.

I know that the news of London going into Tier 4 has been devastating for many.

Like many of you, I have also had to cancel my family's Christmas plans with children and grandparents heartbroken not to see each other.

I am all too aware that many local residents face the prospect of spending Christmas alone.

My heart goes out to them, and if you know anyone who will be lonely this Christmas, please take the time to pick up the phone and have a chat.

We all must continue to pull together and follow the rules to keep ourselves and others safe.

Cases in Richmond-upon-Thames have seen a significant increase, as has the whole of London, and the discovery of the new faster spreading variant means that we must do everything we can to contain the virus.

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We know there's light at the end of the tunnel soon, with the hopeful news of more vaccines on the way, and I'm so excited to hear about local residents starting to be vaccinated. We must not let our guard down now.

Over the last year, it has been an absolute honour to serve as your MP.

Although these times have been exceptionally challenging and required enormous sacrifices from everyone, I have been overwhelmed and so proud to see the fantastic community spirit locally.

So many people have acted with immense kindness and generosity to help others and support the most vulnerable. I would like to say a big thank you.

Take care of yourselves, stay safe and see you in the New Year.