At the recent discussion with Larry Sanders, Sarah Lunnon, who was chairing the discussion, ended the evening with a memorable phrase:
“We can all see the potholes in the roads, but there are also potholes in our care system; just because they are harder to see doesn’t mean they are not there”
This clear analogy is applicable to all services provided at all levels of government. The same problems that create pot holes in the roads create pot holes in our schools, the NHS, social care and planning.
When Rachel Smith, standing for Minchinhampton, talks of Open Contracting and transparency in political decision making she is shining a light into previously darkened rooms and corridors.
When Eva Ward, standing to take Sarah’s place at Stroud Central, expresses her shock at returning to Stroud after several years away to find that a previously functioning care sector has been decimated by austerity; she is asking the questions that desperately need answering, “Why, when we could do this before, can we not do it now?”
And when Alan Mossmon, standing for Bisley and Painswick, seeks to understand how the very systems of governance are seemingly designed to fail; he makes a strong case that we should be working together to find creative and practical solutions to the challenges that face us.
Rachel, Eva and Alan will make a great new Green team to shake up and challenge the County to reform itself for the benefit of all.
From our recently released manifesto:
Public Services
To feel safe we need to know our families will be looked after in times of need, that our communities will be cherished and supported. We recognise that investment in early years support benefits families by allowing them to manage and reduce the need for council support. Sure Start has proven benefits and we will consider how we can re-instate this much- loved service. As pressure is put on Adult Care, we will bring services back in house so care is driven by service not by profit.
Contracts
We will adopt open-contracting so the pantomime of the Incinerator Contract will not be played out in court again. We will determine how services can be brought back inhouse as contracts end.
Economy
We will instigate a major review of ‘Gloucestershire First’ with a view to promoting low-carbon and genuinely local businesses. We will also press our pension fund investors to consider keeping money within the local economy. To this end we will promote local bonds and review the debt reduction policy in the light of interest rates. We will maintain the “living wage” and work toward agreement with staff unions that no one should earn a salary that is more than 7 times greater than the lowest paid full time employee (currently 13 times); press our contractors to also pay the “living wage” and employ a new apprentice for every £100,000 of any Council contract.
Video highlights from the campaign launch
Videos from Larry Sanders’ visit