There is a great deal in the list of Green achievements (The Argus, September 14) that either had cross-party support, as with the Rugby World Cup, or which Brighton and Hove City Council should be doing under any party’s leadership, such as bringing empty homes back into use.
The Greens’ “bedroom tax” pledge does not stack up well next to the actions of Labour councils, and many of their environmental projects, such as communal waste collections, are continuations of things which began under Labour and carried on under the Tories.
Their backing for the Living Wage is to be applauded, although, in practice, it applies to a relatively small number of council staff and, again, is no different to the work of dozens of Labour-led authorities across the country in boosting the income of low-paid workers.
Work under way on financial inclusion and a community banking partnership is worryingly late given that many cuts to welfare support have already kicked in.
The jury is out on whether their implementation of self-enforcing 20mph zones at a cost of £1.2 million is a success in terms of reducing speeds and road casualties. A year on from the start of neighbourhood council pilots, there is little to show in terms of actual achievements.
Protecting children’s centres, funding for the voluntary sector and libraries from the cuts are also welcome steps, though we are disappointed they could not support Labour in protecting the mobile library service from closure.
With 40% of the council’s budget being cut by the Government in the coming years, it’s hard to see how this will continue. All in all, a good deal of spin but little substance.
Warren Morgan, leader of the Labour and Co-operative Group, Brighton and Hove City Council
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