I am incredibly proud to represent the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Four centuries on he’s still a major employer in Stratford, bringing in 4.9 million visitors a year and generating £355 million for the local economy. Overall, 15,000 jobs in the Stratford and Warwick areas are connected to tourism. But the Bard is so much more than just an economic asset. Not only did he give the world its best and truest accounts of what it means to be human, but for millions of young people - here and around the globe - he is their way in to the greatness of English literature. With the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth this year, I’ve been determined to make sure that he and Stratford get the recognition they deserve. In April I invited pupils from 7 Stratford-on-Avon secondary schools and Stratford College to Parliament, to give a special performance of Henry IV Part 1, under the direction of the RSC. The young actors were joined by schoolchildren from Bridgetown Primary School, ably assisting the Birthplace Trust to exhibit some of the most precious artefacts in their collection. It was a truly memorable evening, and one which highlighted the fantastic educational outreach work performed by the RSC and Birthplace Trust. The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, and the Secretary of State for Culture, Sajid Javid, were both hugely impressed with the performance. For me, it was a great privilege to be able to showcase the very best of Stratford at the heart of Westminster. The following week, in the House of Commons, I asked the Prime Minister if he would tell the House ‘what Shakespeare means to him’. This was the first Prime Minister’s Question which has ever been asked in iambic pentameter - the poetic metre of Shakespeare’s plays. You can hear the PM’s response in the video below: That same week I managed to secure a debate in the House of Commons secondary debating chamber to commemorate the birth of Shakespeare. In my speech I called upon the Government recognise Shakespeare’s birthday officially in the calendar, with the ultimate aim of making April 23 a public holiday: a national day for England to celebrate the finest writer in English. You can read the full debate here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2014-05-06a.52.1#g52.2 Responding to me, Ed Vaizey, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, agreed: ‘that there is no doubt that we should ensure that more attention is paid to the celebrations of the Bard’s birthday.’ As we approach the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2016, I will continue to press the Government for action on this. Thanks to Shakespeare, Stratford is no less a part of the nation’s heritage than the ‘cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples’ of the nation’s capital. As the local MP I will never tire of making that case.