Opposing View: It is great to see the city coming alive
It was Churchill who once said: “Democracy is the worst form of government - except for all the others that have been tried” writes Peterborough First Group leader Mohammed Farooq.
In a democratic system it is crucial every resident is represented fairly at local and national government level, and receives the right services delivered to them efficiently.
To ensure every resident is represented, council wards and Parliamentary constituencies are reviewed approximately every 10-12 years. This ensures each ward represents approximately equal numbers, by accommodating the changes taken place during the previous decade.
For example, my ward of Hargate and Hempsted has almost doubled in size since the last boundary review in 2015; it seems likely a review is due imminently.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for reviewing local authority wards. When the time comes, it will consider the number of councillors needed to represent the city of Peterborough and decide on ward boundaries. A full public consultation will take place with community groups, parishes/council and the wider electorate.
The boundary review is important as local democracy matters, and residents having their local voice matters too, especially at a time when local services are increasingly tightened and under strain. We serve as your local voice.
My biggest frustration is no government in the recent past has been prepared to tackle the elephant in the room, which is the huge shortfall in finances in adult social care and local government funding. Yet these two elements are at the forefront of providing services to our vulnerable residents. Without local government reform, we will see considerably more councils issuing Section 114 notices, in effect declaring bankruptcy. More than one in four councils are now finding difficulty meeting these increasing demands within their budget. Local government is at a tipping point and only national government has the power to correct this local funding injustice.
At the time of writing this article, we are anxiously waiting for the Chancellor’s budget presentation. Politically, as the first budget of this new government, it will define the next five years and the direction of our country. Early disclosure of budget indicates that ‘please pay attention to what I say, not what I do’. Increasing employer national Insurance, increasing bus fares and so on will have a serious impact on growth and makes no sense either economically or environmentally.
One can argue that to repair public services such as the NHS and education, we must all increase our contribution. The strapline of ‘fixing the foundations’ is an empty sentiment if the budget decisions don’t match the rhetoric, and we await the announcements. For the city council, we can only hope there will be some attention to our funding levels to ensure we can provide vital services to residents. We will be watching with interest.
As a local council we are already holding the government to account for their decisions. At a recent full council meeting, I am glad my Peterborough First group collectively backed a motion proposed by Councillor Rafiq, to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling for the winter fuel allowance to be reviewed and to protect our city’s pensioners from fuel poverty. It’s a cruel policy that wasn’t in their manifesto, and as has been said before, the cover of tough decisions should never be an excuse for bad decisions. We will continue to be your voice and support fair and reasonable challenges to local and national decision making.
On a different subject, when Peterborough First was serving as the administration last year, we spoke up for innovation and imagination to increase activity in the city centre during the festive season. An ice rink in Cathedral Square is not enough!
The council is now inviting market traders and street entertainers to participate (December 1st to 24th). It is great news the Christmas light switch-on was saved, supported by many of us in Peterborough First, and we hope the city centre will come alive with a mix of stalls and entertainment.
The city is certainly coming alive in these weeks ahead. It was a delight to see the Diwali celebrations so well attended in Cathedral Square, organised by Hindu Bharat Samaj. Since then, we’ve had Halloween events hosted by Peterborough Museum, and ahead we have the poignant Remembrance Day services. We are also looking forward to the stunning Starlight by Luxmuralis at the Cathedral. Peterborough is at its best when it comes together, and we hope many residents will support the busy calendar of events ahead.