CHRISTMAS is probably the most special time of year. In our fast-moving world, it is a haven when families and friends can come together, enjoy one another’s company, and simply be happy.

It is all too easy to be cynical about Christmas; to complain that it has been consumed by commercialism and gluttony and is not what it was.

To do so is to overlook the reason we celebrate Christmas at all. It is the festival when we remember the birth of a baby in the humble surroundings of a stable in a poor village in Palestine; a baby who became hailed by millions as the saviour of the world.

Jesus Christ preached a message of peace and love. That is a message that is as relevant today as ever it was.

So may I wish you all, and your loved ones, a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year.

Rt Hon David Jones MP