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Cllr. Wendy Randall, leader of the Labour Group, announced that Labour is contesting every seat in the unitary authority with more candidates out knocking doors and listening to the views of residents. She announced that the theme of the Labour Manifesto is ‘Fixing the Foundations of West Northants’ with an ambitious plan to make it the best place to live, work and raise a family and that more can be achieved through a Labour Council, a Labour Government, and a Labour Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. She said that ‘Labour will listen and engage with our local communities to rebuild trust after years of Conservative mismanagement and neglect’.
Noting that Conservatives had been in power in Northamptonshire since 2006 and that change is overdue, she stated that Labour will spend council tax wisely, fix failing services and work in partnership with our parish and town councils working under five pledges to:
- Fix the council’s finances and invest in West Northamptonshire
- Rebuild our care services and local NHS
- Tackle crime and anti-social behaviour
- Fix our roads and fill the potholes
- Action on the cost-of-living
Cllr. Bob Purser, deputy Labour Group leader, said that a manifesto priority was to get help to people earlier, preventing the need for more costly later help and to get council departments working together in the most effective way. Residents in West Northamptonshire want their potholes filled and their streets to be kept clean. In addition, a significant increase in the building of new social housing is necessary.
The meeting enjoyed a stirring address from Joe Fortune, the General Secretary of the Co-operative Party, saying that West Northants had the highest number of candidates standing under the Labour and Co-operative banner in England in this election. He emphasised the importance of the 100-year partnership between the Labour and Co-operative parties and noted that the WNC Labour manifesto is imbued with cooperative principles. This is underscored by the plan to support the development of community-based carer cooperatives for children and adults, providing local services for local people rather than our tax money going to provide dividends for foreign-based investment funds.
Danielle Stone, Labour’s Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, closed the meeting by emphasising the great opportunities that would come from having a Labour National Government, a Labour Commissioner and a Labour West Northants Council working together to deliver the change that West Northamptonshire desperately needs.
To read Labour’s vision in full, go to: www.westnorthantslabour.com/our-vision