Imagining if people come before profit

Wirral Council should not be in this situation today. [Budget meeting 1.3.21]

This cruel Conservative government promised local authorities will be fully funded to do "whatever it takes" to deal with Covid. But Wirral Council has little choice but take a £10.9 million [£9m confirmed later] loan from the government just so that it can provide vital support for our residents, in our year of need.

This government has plenty of money when it wants to find it. For example, paying £22 billion for a test and trace service that does not work. That’s more money than the entire Police and Fire Services put together. The National Audit Office found that Serco’s Test & Trace was reaching too few people, too slowly. Contrast that private sector failure with the awesome achievements of our Wirral health care workers vaccinating over a third of all residents within a couple of months.

In another example this government is spending £24 billion, extra, on military defence contracts, over four years. As if bullets and bombs is what we most need to fight a deadly virus.

And wouldn’t we like to know what else has this government wasted public money on? A judge recently ruled that by hiding contracts from public scrutiny, Health Secretary, Matt Hancock had acted unlawfully.

In conclusion, I support the Labour budget for Wirral Council. Going forwards next year, we need to continuously improve, develop and deliver clear policies that improve the life chances of all our sons and daughters:

For instance firstly, to ensure all care home residents are safe, we need bring failing care homes in-house or convert to co-operatives.

Secondly, to ease overcrowding, we need more council, social and community-led housing.

Thirdly, for Fair Employment and zero carbon standards to be baked into all publicly funded regeneration contracts – creating the green apprentices we all need.

Fourthly, Wirral Council is leading by example by paying at least the Real Living Wage for frontline carers. We need to further reduce inequalities within our workforce and in quality of life outcomes for our residents.

Its not difficult, it’s just re-imagining and re-organising our Council and economy as if people come before profit. FOR THE MANY, Not the Few.