Parliament will be dissolved next Monday.

This will end the current parliamentary session, and herald the start of the so-called “short” general election campaign. It looks set to be very close.

For working people, things have become harder, not easier, over the last five years. Households are now on average £1,600 a year worse off than at the time of the 2010 election.

The choice now could not be clearer. Voters could choose another five years under David Cameron, who increased VAT for everyone but introduced a large tax cut for people earning over £150,000 per year. The alternative is a Labour government, led by Ed Miliband, which will seek to make Britain work for everyone, rather than for just a privileged few.

One of the big worries for the coming years is the state of the National Health Service. A Labour government will introduce a new tax on homes worth over £2 million, to fund recruitment of 20,000 more nurses and 8000 more GPs. And – with some people having to wait a week or more – we would guarantee a GP appointment within 48 hours.

And we want a better deal for young people. After the coalition’s broken promises on university tuition fees, Labour would reduce the maximum from £9,000 to £6,000; make sure there is an apprenticeship available for every school leaver who gets the basic grades; and introduce a Jobs Guarantee for young people.

This will be the fifth parliamentary election I have contested. I stood first at a by-election in 1994, for the then seat of Newham North East, following the death of my predecessor Ron Leighton. I aim to continue to serve.

If you want to speak to me about any issue during the campaign, then please contact my office. The details are on my website: stephentimms.org.uk. More from Stephen Timms.