THE economy is recovering but our future prosperity cannot be taken for granted, Taunton Deane MP Jeremy Browne has warned.

Mr Browne told Taunton Chamber of Commerce at a speech at the Castle Hotel, Taunton, that the economy is getting stronger, with businesses expanding and unemployment falling.

He said: “Income tax has been cut for everyone earning typical Somerset wages and vital extra investment has been attracted to Taunton Deane.

"But we’re not out of the woods and we cannot take our future prosperity for granted. Government borrowing has come down but it is still much too high.

"The stark truth is that we now live in a much more competitive world with countries like China and South Korea rising in importance.

“Britain will need to keep raising its game in order to be successful.

"That means continuing to raise education standards, improving our transport infrastructure, helping businesses to create more jobs and living within our means.

"Taunton Deane is a great place to live and we have many reasons to be positive.

"At the same time we need to stay focused on how we can attract new businesses and more jobs into our area."