Judy Terry is a marketing professional and a former local councillor in Suffolk.
Having dominated Suffolk for decades, the Conservatives lost local council and parliamentary seats to Labour, the Lib Dems, and the Greens, in this year’s elections. Despite that dominance, the county was neglected by successive governments, generally regarded as affluent with hardship in many locations ignored.
Under Labour, nothing has changed!
The new government has scrapped Suffolk’s proposed devolution deal which would have brought more than £500 million to the county over 30 years.
The additional funding would have come with powers over a range of areas including housing, transport, adult education and regeneration, enabling local people who understand local issues to make key decisions on the county’s future instead of always having to bow to Whitehall diktats.
The deal included:
Most people who responded to an independent survey, run by Ipsos, were in favour of the proposals. 63 per cent supported or strongly supported it, while seven per cent disagreed. 21 per cent were unsure.
County councillors were expected to vote on the deal after July’s General Election, but the latest news ‘feels like a real slap in the face for Suffolk from a government that won’t listen to what local people are saying,’ says SCC Leader, Cllr. Matthew Hicks:
“First, they waved through the Sunnica application to install solar panels, affecting acres of prime agricultural land, showing little regard for communities impacted. Then, they scrapped the winter fuel payments, which adversely affect thousands of older people living in rural areas, many of whom make an enormous contribution to their communities through volunteering.
“Now, our proposed devolution deal, which has widespread public support, is in the bin.
“Governments of any colour should be pro devolution because councils know how best to serve local people. Our councillors have now been stripped of the opportunity to support or reject the proposed deal which is a sad day for democracy by any measure.”
Suffolk, and all East Anglia, has considerable potential for further development, with some prime businesses across a range of specialisms, from Felixstowe and Ipswich ports, recognised as amongst Europe’s most important – in the areas of hospitality, technology and insurance, as well as agriculture and horseracing/breeding. With its strong history, fine buildings and landscape, the county is also a popular tourist destination, with visitors drawn from across the world to its excellent sailing communities and culture, with theatre productions, museums, and a range of famous artists.
Attracting further investment requires improving skills to meet demands including for new housing, addressing a crumbling coastline, and essential infrastructure – all now threatened by the decision. Labour may be keen on the ‘green’ agenda, but one of the first victims of the government’s decision is plans for a new recycling facility in Newmarket. Closed since 2018 when the permit holders ceased operations, citing it was no longer financially viable, SCC has been working with West Suffolk council to find a solution. ‘However, we have now lost the opportunity to use funds from the Suffolk County deal,’ explains Cabinet member, Cllr. Chris Chambers:
“This is a big setback, despite all the progress which has been made, but we will continue to look at feasible options to provide Newmarket with a new recycling centre, as part of our successful programme to upgrade facilities across the county in the last couple of years.”
During a TV interview prior to Labour’s annual conference, the Prime Minister praised the 35 MPs newly elected in the Eastern region. He admitted they ‘have a lot to prove’, claiming to have ambitious plans for more homes, ‘including on the greenbelt’, 114 miles of pylons ‘to reduce energy bills’, although plans for new hospitals are on hold. ‘I want to make promises we can meet,’ he said.
When asked about cancelling Suffolk’s devolution deal, he professed a commitment to devolution, because it is ‘better to make local decisions’.
It is, however, apparent, that, having promised change and ‘service’, the new government has no vision or workable joined-up strategies to deliver what local people need and want; because it ignores – and overrules – them.
As taxpayers and Labour donors spend many thousands of pounds to fund politicians’ luxury lifestyles, paying their energy bills, buying designer clothes and glasses, tickets for sport events and shows which few ‘ordinary’ people could ever afford, accommodation and travel, the government chooses to penalise those ‘ordinary’ people. Yet again, evidence of one rule for them and another for the rest of us, especially those in rural areas like Suffolk, where salaries and benefits are a fraction of what is available in Westminster.
Taxpayers have a right to expect integrity, but this is hypocrisy on an extraordinary scale. Hardly surprising that people have lost trust – and confidence – in politicians!