Philip Mutton is the right choice for Cosford

Out and about with Philip

Now that the County Council elections are only a few days away it is time to get political, and, as the sitting County Councillor for Cosford Division, to express my wholehearted endorsement for Philip Mutton,  the Conservative Candidate.

I have got to know Philip well over the last few months, and have been really impressed by his enthusiasm, energy and mature commitment.   Selected late (not his fault!), and also having to work for his living,  he has worked incredibly hard both to learn about and to get around the Cosford Division.  This has not been easy, since the area is huge, comprising 18 parishes and stretching from Cockfield in the North to Aldham and Elmsett in the South.  I have been lending a hand by delivering leaflets in and around Monks Eleigh, and also will be working in Cockfield tomorrow.

Refreshingly Philip is far from a stereotypical County Councillor, which is all to the good.  In his mid twenties, he is Suffolk born and bred.  Very approachable and friendly and a good communicator,  Philip works in Ipswich, and now lives in Chelsworth in the heart of the Division.  I know that from this local base he thinks that it is important to maintain my good record of Parish Council attendance, which is an effective way to meet local residents and to keep a close eye on problems and issues in the community as they arise.  A good listener, Philip has also committed to holding local surgeries.

Philip's interests focus on education, the economy (with emphasis on sustainable development) and social care.  With his forward looking and hard working approach I believe that he will make an excellent councillor, and will bring a fresh perspective to the challenging issues that the Council faces.

I will conclude with a couple of important points about party politics.  Firstly,  although in theory it should not matter what political party a councillor represents when it comes to speaking up for residents and resolving issues in the community, there is no doubt that it is a big advantage to be part of a large, or preferably the largest, grouping at the Council.  As part of a large group, you have the support of a large number of fellow councillors and you also have more power to influence policy and decision making.

 Having said that, my second point is that it is vital to leave party politics and ideology out of work in the community.  Once elected a councillor should  represent all residents, regardless of their political persuasion, and approach all problems in a clear eyed and open minded way.   I know that Philip understands this, and I am confident that he is the right person to represent Cosford at the County Council over the next four years.

Town Council election, a good fight, but a pity about the turnout.

Sudbury Town Hall

I was very pleased to read the article about my election to Sudbury Town Council in the Suffolk Free Press.  The journalist, Ian Parker, managed to extract the main points from my disconnected ramblings very well.  I was delighted to be elected, and have already had a constructive meeting with Jacqui Howells, the efficient Town Clerk.  There is a lot to do, it is good to keep a toe in the 'local government' water,  and I think the next two years will be interesting ones both for me and for the town.

Despite the fact that Christmas intervened with the timetable, and the weather was very cold, the election felt like the ‘real thing’.  The competition from other parties was quite fierce and it was good that almost all of them took the time to get round the town to try to engage residents.  It is sad that the turn-out was so low.  The lack of polling cards and the time of year has been blamed. Additionally, maybe it is optimistic to hope that working people will take the time to go out to vote on a cold winter evening.   However, even a good proportion of those receiving postal votes did not fill them in.  I do wonder why this is.  Is it just a feeling that politicians aren’t worth voting for?  Or is it the sign of a deeper malaise?

I share the view of the young councillor from Great Cornard, who was featured on the front page of the newspaper this week.   We really must do more to encourage people to engage in the democratic process.  It is not a perfect system but it is certainly the best one that there is.

Sudbury Town Council

As many now know I will be standing down from Suffolk County Council in May.  It was not an easy decision, but I feel that my time would be better spent supporting organisations closer to home.

As part of this decision I have decided to stand for election to Sudbury Town Council where there is currently a vacancy.  Our home in Newmans Green is actually in the parish of Acton, but it is in fact only 2 miles or less from Sudbury town centre as the crow flies. Nick and I have enjoyed Sudbury's amenities for over 30 years and have seen some changes in the town over the years.  Not all of these have been for the better.

HGV's..worth moaning about!

I intend taking a positive attitude towards Sudbury. I believe that there is far too much mulish pessimism expressed, particularly in the pages of the Suffolk Free Press on a weekly basis.  I very much support the campaign recently announced by the Sudbury Society urging local people to take pride in the town and to do their bit to support it.  It is good to see people pledging support to what is, after all, a very beautiful and unique place.

The election will be on 19th January and we shall see whether I will be successful.  Seats on the town council are hotly contested and there is a slate of 5 candidates of different political persuasions so it is hard to judge.

On my leaflet I have listed my priorities as follows:

• Focus on Sudbury;  A thriving town centre for everyone, young and old.
• A buoyant local economy; more skilled jobs in the town
• Encouraging tourism; supporting Gainsborough’s House and other local attractions
• A sustainable environment ; protection of our fine buildings and green spaces
• Working in partnership; support for our local voluntary organisations

I will be happy to talk to anyone who wants to contact me about this, particularly if they live in Sudbury North.

Green spaces, worth protecting.

 

The Year Ahead 2017

Not foreseen in 2016!

It was with some trepidation that I looked back at the ‘Year Ahead’ post that I wrote on this day in 2016.

I was aware that I had been horribly wrong on two counts.  Firstly I was convinced that by now the US would have its first female President elect.  Secondly, I believed that David Cameron would have had the sense to postpone the referendum on whether to leave the European Community into 2017.  Despite the fact that I am now aware* that many of his advisors, including Linton Crosby, counselled him against an early poll, he decided to put the question to the People in June last year, and we all know the result.  I was however correct to suggest that ‘Remainers’ would be guilty of scaremongering, although the extent of this continues to amaze me,

My prediction that Jeremy Corbyn would still be delighting us as Labour Leader at the year-end proved to be correct.  So did the forecast that Tim Passmore would retain his job as the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner following the election in May.  

Suggestions about happenings at the County Council were more or less spot on; educational standards have continued to improve and the Better Broadband contract has rolled out on time and on budget.  However, as predicted, those in remote areas are becoming increasingly frustrated about the lack of progress in their areas.  The Council’s budget has continued to be squeezed by cutbacks from Central Government resulting in the need to dip into the council’s quite sparse reserves in 2017/18.

Something else not contemplated in 2016

Looking ahead, politics in the UK will continue to be dominated by Brexit and attempts by Remainers (anti-democratic bad losers!) to thwart the will of the People.  Inexplicably, the persistent failure of economic Armageddon to become a reality will surprise the pessimists.   The Supreme Court is likely (on a majority decision) to insist on a Parliamentary Vote before Section 50 can be triggered, but in the end both the Commons and the Lords will comply and a General Election will therefore be avoided.

European Politics could be dominated by four major elections this year.    Voting systems in the EU, based on proportional representation, will not be helpful for populist parties and therefore, although they are likely to make good progress in both France and Germany, I do not believe that they will actually lead the field.  This means that Mrs Merkell and the Right Wing French Candidate, Francois Fillon, are likely to prevail.  The situation in the Netherlands and, most particularly Italy, are more difficult to call, and in Italy at least, if there is in fact an election,  I believe that an upset could well be seen as more extreme parties from both Right and Left combine to create an anti EU combination.  Disillusion with the EU will continue to grow among residents across mainland Europe.

Sadly the outcome of the Russian election is not really worth forecasting.  Putin, with or without his shirt, will win.

As far as Suffolk County Council is concerned, I believe that the financial situation, which will look unpromising during the Budget setting debate in Early February, will seem a little better later next year, despite a continuing cash grab by Central Government.  Post the election in May it will be politically possibly to contemplate announcing further cost saving measures, and the Conservatives, if they still form the administration, will no longer be bound by a promise not to increase council tax.   Residents can anticipate a continuation of the 2% social care levy (at least), plus, in early 2018, a hike in the underlying council tax rate.  This is likely to result in quite a large increase overall.  The state of the roads will continue to irritate residents, and the council will continue to diminish in scope, gradually losing control over many schools, possibly losing responsibility for the Fire Service, contemplating the merger of Adult Care with the NHS, and also losing a good deal of control over its Pension Fund assets.   Any progress on a Suffolk Only Devolution Deal, which I believe to be ultimately improbable, is likely to accelerate this process.

This year the council is up for election, and my prediction is that the Conservatives may improve their position somewhat at the expense of UKIP, although a revival of the fortunes of the Liberal Democrats, as memory of the Coalition Government fades, is likely to limit the number of additional seats won.  I predict a small majority of 4 or 5.

As far as my own year ahead is concerned, I am preparing for change.  I have decided not to stand once again for the County Council, believing that my time will be much better spent devoted to causes closer to my home in Sudbury.  Principal among these will be working with Gainsborough’s House to build a landmark national museum in the Town, and also work with Compassion and as a Governor at Great Waldingfield School.  And then there is the Town Council, of which I will be writing more in another article.

Life taking a different track in 2017

*I learned this from a marvellous book that I am currently reading: Total War, The Full Story of how Brexit sank Britain’s Political Class, by Tim Shipman .  Highly recommended!

The Year Ahead

Well I didn’t do too badly with my predictions for last year.

The most important event was the General Election in May. It was a relatively easy call to predict that James Cartlidge, our new Member of Parliament in South Suffolk, would win the seat, although when there is a new candidate success is not always a foregone conclusion.

I was also right to say that the appeal of UKIP to voters on the right would wane somewhat and to predict that they would disappoint in the election.  My forecast that the Conservatives would be the largest party, and would probably form the Government, was correct, but I did not predict the surprise overall majority of 12.    I was also too cautious when it came to the elections at Babergh.  I thought that the Conservatives would not quite manage to get an overall majority, but the coincidence of the local with the General Election brought out the Tory vote, and for the first time ever the District Council has one party in the driving seat.

As far as the County Council is concerned, I was right to predict that we would balance the budget for the current year.  It was also correct to say that educational standards in the County would continue to improve, albeit slowly.  Finally the first High Speed Broadband Contract, which has brought Broadband to over 80% of households in Suffolk, was, as I foretold, completed on time and within budget.

So turning to 2016, the most important political event is of course the United States Presidential Election, and my prediction is that Hilary Clinton will become the first woman President of the United States.  The Republicans will, like Labour in the UK, fail to find a moderate and electable candidate.  This transatlantic lesson may not be lost on some of the more moderate members of the Labour Party here in Britain, but nonetheless I suspect that Corbyn will be continuing to delight us this time next year.

In Suffolk we are relatively election free in 2016, apart from the poll for the Police and Crime Commissioner. I anticipate that Tim Passmore will win once again.   He has worked hard to maintain a high public profile during his first three year term, and certainly knows how to kick a political football.

I do not believe that the much discussed Referendum concerning our future in the EU will take place in 2016.  My best guess is that it will coincide with the County Council elections in 2017 (ensuring a high turn-out for us!).  This means that we face a year of endless campaigning by both sides, with a high level of scaremongering coming from those who wish to maintain the status quo.

At the County Council, we are unlikely to be able to balance the budget over the next two years without dipping into reserves.   I predict that despite this we will stick to our promise not to raise council tax during the four year term of the Council so there will be a zero increase for 2016/17.  However, I think that it would be wrong not to take advantage of the ability to charge a 2% Social Care Precept  to ensure that the old and vulnerable in our community are protected.  Educational standards will continue to improve and more people will be connected to high-speed broadband.  As we start to move into more remote areas however there will be some frustration at the speed of delivery of the service, and we will be focussing on alternative technology to get the job done.

Last year I predicted that the County Council would be involved in negotiating agreements with other public sector bodies both within and outside the county.  This proved to be correct as promises made to Scotland concentrated the mind of central government on the question of the devolution of powers to English authorities.  Much of the second half of last year was spent up in somewhat mysterious interaction between Suffolk County Council, central government, Norfolk County Council and other public bodies.   This activity will doubtless continue in 2016 and, with luck, some light will be generated from the heat.

So that’s it folks!  I’ll return to these predictions next year to see how wrong I was!