Last week was extremely busy in Westminster, with the Defence Review, the Autumn Statement, and then the Prime Minister's statement on potential military action in Syria.
The Autumn Statement is like a mini Budget that happens towards the end of the calendar year. Happily, and thanks to George Osborne, it contained successful results for campaigns I have been pursuing: for greater spending on healthcare; for arrangements in local government to fund social care more flexibly; for fairer funding for Somerset's schools next year; for protection of secondary and college education funding; for protection of central government funding of the police; for protection of the defence budget; and for more spending on counter-terrorism at home and abroad.
This was all done in the context of moving towards budget balance in 2019, and surpluses thereafter, which is essential to getting our nation's finances back into a position where high quality public services can be sustained for the long term, without over burdening our children and grandchildren with debt.
Many were surprised when Labour's Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell replied to George Osborne's Autumn Statement by reading from Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book" that had been used to "re-educate" people who disagreed with his brand of Communism.
The Defence Review showed the Government's strong commitment to our armed forces and national security, and I am confident that as we look into the future we should be able to protect ourselves and the next generations.
That does not however mean we live in a perfect world, and that we can expect never to suffer from random events and setbacks.
A large part of the freedom that we have to live as we do at home, moving from one place to another, in and out of public spaces, without worry, is due to the strong outer ring of intelligence and protection that we gain and deliver, a long way from home.
As I write this piece, the Government is considering whether to bring forward a vote on military action in Syria. Putting our forces in harm's way, and the consequences for our diplomatic efforts and our home security, is one of the most serious things any Parliament has to consider.
I am due to meet the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary to follow up on our correspondence of the last few weeks on the matter, and I am asking questions and making suggestions to the best of my ability, to try to make sure we make the best of a difficult and complex situation.
I am determined to make sure that in addition to any military action we insist on a much better job being done by our partners and allies in security and intelligence sharing. The EU has not shown itself to be very effective in this regard to date, and it needs to change.
Allies in the rest of the world also need to be more robust in tackling extremism and helping to create the conditions for prosperity and contentment in developing nations, and our diplomatic effort there needs to be strong and credible.
Only by offering moderate, attractive alternatives will the madness of fundamentalist religious extremism be countered in the long term, and we must not shy away from a muscular foreign policy that can help this happen.