Local elections 23: Making our city thrive once more

You may recall that Peterborough is nominated for most improved council after having previously struggled. Whatever the outcome, there is no question that the city has made significant progress towards financial sustainability in the past year. Again, I also emphasise that the Improvement Panel, experts brought in to oversee how we work as an authority, insisted on the setting up of a Financial Sustainability Working Group. Group leaders and finance leads all took part, and it has been hailed as a success.

As leader of the Labour group, I could not ask my fellow councillors to vote against a budget that we actively engaged in. I sit on the Police and Crime Panel and the precept for the increase in what we pay for the Police and Crime Commissioner is predicated on a 2% wage rise for police officers. Just as well they cannot go on strike, eh? The precept for Adult Social Care also sees a marked increase on previous years, such is the pressure on our services.

In simple terms, there is no money for vanity projects. We are having to live hand to mouth for some time yet. So, you will not see any wild boasts about what the Labour group would do if we took control in May. There simply isn’t the money to do it. Instead, our aim is the change the culture in the city. After 23 years of a Conservative council, we think it is high time for a new start in Peterborough.

We will drive towards making Peterborough a Living wage city putting businesses, jobs, and people first, spending the money we have wisely supporting local jobs and Apprenticeships; real apprenticeships paying decent wages.

We’ll make keeping our streets safe and clean a top priority. No more excuses. No only able to order caddy liners online or throwing them out into gardens as was the case two years ago at this time of year without any obvious reason.

We will continue to address the issue of rough sleeping by working with local charities and supporting the rough sleeping team to highlight the brilliant work they do to find effective solutions to getting rough sleepers off the streets.

We will work towards making a new plan to bring life back to our city and neighbourhood centres. If they thrive, we thrive, don’t we? And we will put more emphasis on looking after our parks and our environment. I was a member of Greenpeace in 1980s when their slogan was “Thank God someone’s making waves”. We will.

And you will always be able to rely on the Labour party to fight for our NHS to get the improvements needed for a fast-growing city such as ours. Our health and wellbeing being of paramount importance if we are to continue to thrive.

None of these will cost huge amounts of money that the city hasn’t got. It calls upon us as a group to build trust, improve communication and be transparent in all that we do to give the city the new start that it needs and deserves. We will concentrate on spending efficiently and effectively, continuing to take wise counsel.

It is time for change, and I hope you will be part of it by voting Labour on 4th May.