John Harris’s articles are sometimes rooted in his conversations with and observations of components of the citizens whose voices are hardly ever heard, and provides a novel perception into the influence of nationwide coverage selections on native communities.
The examples of destruction and despair from 14 years of Conservative authorities are properly catalogued, however his go to to Thurrock revealed how a lot the savage cuts to native authority budgets have stripped naked the availability of each native service, from bin collections to important take care of older and weak individuals (We pay much more for lots much less, and folks understand it. That’s why Sunak’s Tories had been thrashed in these elections, 5 Could).
The anguish and struggling of individuals in Thurrock is replicated throughout the nation. Over the previous 14 years, my very own native authority, Derbyshire county council, has had its finances slashed in actual phrases by £780m and is now proposing to additional scale back youngsters’s centres from 56 in 2018 to 12 in 2024, and to shut an extra 11 residential houses and eight day centres for older individuals. Everybody is aware of who curated these years and years of austerity. Everybody additionally is aware of that the one path to redress is to elect a Labour authorities.
However those that have suffered most know that simply electing an overcautious Labour authorities is just not sufficient. Solely by implementing a complete “tax and spend to take a position” programme and starting to maneuver to a fairer and extra equitable economic system will the individuals of Thurrock and comparable communities see an enchancment of their day-to-day lives. Something much less will additional diminish individuals’s religion in politics.
Peter Riddle
Wirksworth, Derbyshire
I’m acquainted with the kind of scenario Thurrock finds itself in. I used to be born in Woking, the place the council went bankrupt for comparable causes to Thurrock. It was additionally run by the Conservatives on the time (Liberal Democrat now). Whereas one may say that a few of this was aimed toward empire constructing, the impetus for this sort of factor was the savage cuts in grants to native authorities in the course of the years of austerity, which many councils have suffered from. These bold plans might need supplied some progress however, in fact, then alongside got here the pandemic and far of this exercise (reminiscent of lodge constructing) collapsed, with big losses and in all probability comparable points to Thurrock.
The very fact stays that many native authorities’ funds are in a parlous state. Whereas the Conservative social gathering will speak of “profligate Labour councils”, this scenario has beset councils of all hues and was primarily attributable to lack of presidency help in what’s, in impact, decreasing the flexibility of native authorities to hold out even their statutory duties.
John Greenaway
Studying, Berkshire
John Harris is strictly proper. Complaints that Keir Starmer is just not “thrilling” sufficient, or has no large headline-grabbing plans are lacking the purpose. The damaging results of this 14-year nightmare are so profound and so critical that it’s going to take a protracted interval of onerous slog to get Britain reconstructed, which is what is required. We want a brand new prime minister who understands this and is aware of tips on how to do it – as Keir Starmer does – and gained’t waste time on showmanship, gimmicks or “vivid concepts”. We’ve had sufficient of these.
Judith Fage
Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire