LAST week I spoke at a business breakfast for patrons - and hopefully future patrons - of Carlisle Youth Zone.

The Carlisle Youth Zone was the first in the country and supports around 1,500 children and young people every week, all thanks to the support of its business patrons.

The businesses which support Carlisle Youth Zone are investing both in individual young people and in the future prosperity of our city and region. 

Investment is also at the heart of the government's Budget that we passed in the House of Commons.

Both before and since the election, local people have repeatedly raised concerns about hospital waiting lists, the lack of NHS dentistry, local policing, buses, and special educational needs.

The Budget is the first step towards fixing many of these public services with much needed investment. 

Investment is about choices and priorities – and the Budget made the choice to invest in and prioritise public services, so that we can rebuild Britain and fix our schools, hospitals, and broken roads.

In Carlisle and north Cumbria, that means better wages, with increases in both the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage.

It also means an increase in the amount carers can earn and still receive carers' allowance.

And it means £1billion more investment in provision for children and young people with special educational needs (SEND) - an issue that local families contact me about on a weekly basis.

Pupils with special education needs can find themselves missing school and experiencing mental health problems, while increasingly stressed parents can find themselves missing work and unable to cope.

By investing in SEND the Labour Government is taking the first step to improving outcomes for these young people, and to unlocking their potential and that of their parents.

Any business knows that the return on an investment can take time. That's why the Budget turned a page on the politics of quick-fixes and started a new chapter, focusing on long-term solutions to make Britain better off.

Whether that’s putting more pounds in people’s pockets; delivering 40,000 more NHS appointments each week; building the affordable homes we need; or fixing our crumbling schools - the Budget invested in your future.