A LibDem Perspective - Beware of Politicians Bearing Gifts!

A LibDem Perspective

Beware of Politicians Bearing Gifts!

In my combined total of over 50 years as a County and District Councillor I’ve learned one or two facts of political life. I’ve learned that whatever you want to achieve for those who elected you, it is always slower, more expensive and more difficult than you hoped. I’ve learned that it’s very easy to promise things that will attract votes, but the more eye- catching (and vote catching) your promises, the less likely they are to be delivered. And most importantly, I’ve learned that with each passing year there are fewer and fewer easy wins on finance. Big promises can generally only be financed by big tax increases or by big service cuts – and virtually all the services now offered by local authorities are legal obligations.

It has been estimated that the recent Reform goody bag of financial give-aways would cost between £56-87 bn every year (the wide range reflects the lack of detail in their pledges). And how is this to be paid for? Apparently, largely by winding back the clock, cancelling environmental programmes and removing DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion) initiatives that help ensure fair treatment and equal rights for all. Electric vehicles, that are doing so much already to improve urban air quality are under threat. Diagnosis of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ) is deemed to be excessive. Renewable energy appears to be another target. Yes, our energy costs are among the highest in the world but that has much to do with a crazy pricing system that links all energy costs including renewables to expensive gas, an inadequate transmission system that can result in renewable energy going unused, and our island status making cross-border energy transmission more difficult and expensive. Migrants without whom so many services would fall apart, are inevitably major target - patriotic British women, apparently, should have more babies. I worry about so much else that brings pleasure and quality to life.

These are the same people who sold us Brexit on promises of reducing net migration which in the year to June 2016 was 311,000 and in the year to June 2024 was 728,000 (of which, incidentally, just 5% came via the illegal and highly dangerous rubber boats). These are the people who promised businesses a bonfire of red tape, ignoring the fact that walking away from the EU’s tariff and hassle free cross border movement would inevitably involve more procedural paperwork. These are the people who want freedom from European standards but appear happy to kowtow to Donald Trump, especially on food standards and creeping NHS privatisation.

The early focus appears to be on removing Ukrainian flags from Council buildings, challenging Council officers’ pension schemes, and issuing unnecessarily threatening letters to the staff on whom they will be relying. The ‘DOGE’ cost cutting initiative in the USA is widely considered to be failing. We now wait with interest to see whether our own mini Trump does better than his hero.

Cllr Kathryn Field