One of the big issues that is going to dominate the political news this year is the looming referendum on our membership of the European Union.
I am starting to hold a number of 'Talk to Tim' public meetings around the constituency and one of the issues I want to have a proper debate on, without scare stories, is what our continued membership, or not, of the EU will mean.
I have always taken the view that the EU is not working. We have seen that in so many areas, most recently in the chaos of the Syrian migrant crisis, whilst the wider issue of immigration and the pressure it is having on our country is one of big issues people feel strongly about.
There are also problems economically too. The EU's share of the World's GDP will be just 60% of what it was in 1990. The rest of the World is leaving the EU behind. The EU needs to be more competitive for the UK to secure a better deal and for it to be worth us staying in.
So everything hinges on the Prime Minister's negotiations. I want to see what the Prime Minister comes back with before I commit myself to the way I am going to vote. Hopefully we can secure major reform - and it would have to major reform. Realistically, that may be a tall order.
I would hopefully vote to stay in, but the way things are looking I would probably vote to leave.
There are important questions to ask and I hope we can have a proper debate on this issue, similar the the independence referendum in Scotland last year. I discuss a number of these potential concerns in my podcast, including the free movement of labour, 'ever closer union', reforming the Common Agriculatural Policy, protecting the non-eurozone countries from deeper eurozone intigration and reducing the excessive waste in the EU. So please do watch and let me know your thoughts.
I would be really interested to hear your Top 3 reasons for wanting to Stay and Top 3 for worries that may make you want to Leave. Please get in touch to tell me your thoughts, attend one of my 'Talk to Tim' public meetings (1st Sat 9 Jan 2016 @3pm in Sompting Village Hall) or email me at loughtont@parliament.uk.