Political View: One election done, now on to getting the budget approved
Following the result of the recent byelection in Fletton and Woodston, there is a lot of chatter about how Reform has broken through in Peterborough, writes LibDem group leader Christian Hogg.
To be fair, there were only 36 votes between first and second or less than 2% of the vote. On a positive note, I welcome Andrew O'Neil to the council and look forward to hearing what positive ideas he has for our great city.
Fletton and Woodston elections have traditionally been close contests between Labour and the Conservatives, but both parties lost significantly: Labour lost 65% of their previous vote share and the Conservatives 35%. The Green Party more than doubled their vote share, but it wasn’t enough to beat Reform. For me, though, the worrying part was that the turnout was so low at just 25.2%.
Has Peterborough had enough of elections every year? How do we get people reengaged with the democratic process? With all up elections next year for the new local authority that will replace Peterborough City Council, and the biggest change in local government in most of our lifetimes, it is essential that local people have their say on who should represent them.
As part of the Cabinet, I am pleased that we recently approved the budget for final approval at the next full council meeting. This is the first time since I have been a councillor that it not only balances for next year but also for the following two years. A large part has been due to central government listening to local government and implementing the Fairer Funding Settlement, and to the incredible work from all the council officers in producing budget figures that don’t just balance but allow the council to continue to give Peterborough residents the services they deserve. It is refreshing to see that this year’s draft budget didn't have a long list of service reductions or closures.
Speaking as Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory Services, I am proud to see the Housing Team significantly reduce the need for B&B accommodation for temporary housing, and crucially, no children in B&B accommodation for more than a few days. From the Regulatory Team, we recently introduced Additional Licensing to regulate homes of multiple occupancy (HMOs) that fall below the already nationally regulated larger HMOs. This will close the gap, ensuring that people in all types of HMOs are protected from substandard conditions and that landlords meet established criteria.