Cllr Lucius Vellacott is a district councillor in East Cambridgeshire
Reaction to the Budget in East Cambridgeshire was akin to an under-rehearsed comedian coming out onto a packed stage and dropping what they thought was a hilarious one-liner, only for absolutely not a soul to laugh. Now East Cambs has a message for Labour and the Lib Dems: we have massively had enough of being pushed to one side.
Plans for a Cambridge congestion charge went down like a snowman at a bonfire. Potholes litter the County. Millions are spent on debt. Continuing the 4-day week on 5 days’ pay in South Cambs is a plainly outrageous waste of residents’ money. Then Labour pushed through the huge Sunnica solar farm on prime agricultural land and then taxed family farms to rip up our rural way of life even further.
Our Lib Dem MP has been weak in her opposition to the harm brought to our local area (and outrageously disrespects her office, constituents and country by remaining a member of Republic). We cannot rely on her. Senior Lib Dem councillors either avoid siding with residents on controversial topics or simply agree that a problem exists without taking any action. That’s the political equivalent of telling a broken clock what time it is, whilst keeping a fresh set of batteries in your pocket. We are left wondering: are they truly too stuck in the loop of believing their own opinions that they feel comfortable treating them as truth?
Mine is just one of many familiar stories, totally distracting from our area’s true priorities. So this is what we should do.
First, we must talk about it on the doorstep. I have seen local Conservatives patronised and laughed at since the General Election, just for existing. We must tell our story, and explain our views from first principles, with the confidence that our perspective is equally valid. Residents buy into the Lib Dem ‘community champions’ rhetoric and then wonder why things often go wrong when they win. I find it ironic that constantly accusing the Conservatives of political posturing is a beautiful example of… political posturing. But they will keep being re-elected if we don’t call them out and present a more convincing and enthusiastic vision, over a long period of time, to our neighbours.
It is only by doing this that I increased our vote share in Soham South and Wicken in a horrid year for Conservative Local Government – and we held our Council by a single seat. We remain one of the best value-for-money councils in the country.
I am also confident that the novelty of Reform will pass. After all, populist rhetoric without planning does not achieve positive results or greater freedoms. Their candidates’ most important priority will be to get elected, not to achieve meaningful results. Only Conservatives have the experience and ambition to do a few things really well for our local area, empowering residents to control their own lives as much as possible. We should make this point clearly.
Second, nobody deserves a free pass to public office. Conservatives will never be elected if we dismiss their chances. We must give them the tools and motivation to stand up and fight effectively. We need CCHQ to oversee a campaign manager in every constituency, select candidates for all elections much earlier, resource a local Conservative presence over the long term, and be much more stringent with their expectations. Just look at our recent by-election results; this approach works. I am hoping to replicate it in May, where I am standing to replace the Lib Dem Deputy Leader, who has the largest majority in Cambridgeshire.
But this doesn’t just apply at election time. I know a councillor who represents a solid Lib Dem ward alongside two solid Lib Dem councillors in a solid Lib Dem District. How? Because he is deeply involved in local community life and has been for many years. His election and his voice has shaped the entire District, just because local people knew and trusted him long before he stood. And now they trust him even more still.
And finally, remember this. It is when Conservatives steadfastly play the hand we are dealt that good things are still achieved for local people. In conjunction with an otherwise disastrous Labour Mayor of our Combined Authority, I successfully campaigned for a bus service to run via the village of Wicken. I had no support from the Lib Dem County Council – I suspect because a Young Conservative brought the fight in their place. It will revolutionise my residents’ lives. It made being elected worth it. Others need to see that too.
I confess to wondering why we waited so long to install a new Leader, until the moment Rishi Sunak stood up to respond to the Budget. That speech, even though it was made from Opposition, will be his legacy. We in Local Government must not be afraid to use the same energy. Whilst our views are often more subtle and nuanced, they reflect what our residents are saying. We should remember, as we are looked down upon by our opposition, that if we continue on the path we know is right, the people will speak for themselves and send the teams in Red, Orange and even Light Blue home to think again.