The Liberal Democrats say that they are ready to take Lincoln forward with ambitious plans after Labour has ‘run out of ideas’.
Voters in Lincoln will head to the polls on May 5 to pick their choice in the local elections where a third of seats are up for grabs – one in each ward.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked the leaders of each of the main parties a series of questions and gave them a chance to have their say.
For an analysis of the key battlegrounds, including where Conservatives will be looking to make strong advances or where Labour will be keen to defend visit here.
A full list of candidates, along with those in North East Lincolnshire, can be found here.
The Liberal Democrats are ambitious for Lincoln and hope to make historic gains again this May. Speaking with residents, many tell us they are fed up with absent Labour councillors and the poor decisions made at City Hall.
Lincoln is a fantastic city with a proud history and strong communities – but currently our local Labour council isn’t meeting residents’ expectations. In comparison, all over the country, there are hundreds of thousands of people living in areas where Liberal Democrats are running the council and are in charge of public money and budgets of more than £2bn. From Cumbria to Hinckley, from York to Eastbourne, to Bath to Bedford.
In York, Lib Dems have protected every library (they have 16!) and built a new £44m community stadium with a leisure centre and NHS facilities. In Sutton, alongside the local NHS, the Lib Dem-ran council has placed a mental health counsellor in almost every school in the borough, to give young people the emotional resilience they need early on. In Portsmouth, Lib Dems have made lateral flow test free for residents after the Government stopped the national scheme (30,000 kits are set to be provided).
We need to see similar innovative and ambitious ideas for Lincoln – it’s clear that after over a decade in control of our council, Lincoln Labour have run out of ideas for how to make our city an even better place to live. The LiberalDemocrats stand ready to take Lincoln forward.
What calibre of candidates do you have this time round?
Every Lib Dem candidate is a community champion and each would make a proactive and visible ward councillor. From engineers to teachers and former firefighters, our candidates come from all walks of life and are representative of Lincoln.
Martin Christopher, the LiberalDemocrat candidate in Abbey Ward, has built a strong record of action and dealt with hundreds of issues locally, from potholes to graffiti. Alongside Councillor Clare Smalley, Martin has led efforts to improve the Carlton Centre, securing new litter bins, organised litter picks and worked with the neighbourhood policing team to tackle anti-social behaviour locally. It is this active approach to supporting their community that typifies LiberalDemocrat candidates in Lincoln.
The cost of living crisis is a big issue, what will you do to tackle this?
Inflation, energy bills, and food prices are going through the roof, forcing families in our communities to choose between eating and heating. In Lincoln, households have seen energy bills double this April, sky-rocketing by £629 on average. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to step in and tackle the cost of living crisis with a one-off “Robin Hood tax” on the super-profits of big oil and gas firms, to fund extending the warm homes discount and winter fuel allowance.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives are clobbering working people with an unfair tax hike and spreading the pain over the coming years. Nationally, the Liberal Democrats’ cost of living rescue plan would wipe up to £1,000 off the bills of 42,000 struggling families in Lincoln by scrapping April’s tax hike, offering support to the most vulnerable, and insulating homes to slash energy bills in the long term. Further support to residents from City of Lincoln Council would be welcome – such going further on providing greater relief on council tax for low-income households.
It’s not just residents facing financial strain, councils are too. How will you address the funding situation?
Lincoln Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to keep their promises and back councils, like Lincoln, by providing a fair funding deal that will protect services and allow us to enable a sustainable long-term recovery and do our bit in levelling-up the country.
There is no doubt that like many councils, City of Lincoln Council faces financial challenges and these pressures only continue to grow. Years of cuts to local government are all too evident in Lincoln as services have declined.
The absolute priority should be protecting and investing in frontline services. Lincoln could be more innovative in generating income to pay for local services. Other areas of the country have gone further in investing to save, sharing back-office functions with neighbouring councils and slimming down senior staffing.
There’s a lack of faith in politicians lately, particularly when looking at the national picture. How will you build that trust with your communities?
This country is built on the simple mantra that it doesn’t matter how high and mighty you are, the rules are the rules. If you break the rules, you get punished. Yet Boris Johnson and many Conservative MPs think the rules don’t apply to them. We need an independent, statutory public inquiry, with the powers and resources to get to the bottom of this Conservative sleaze scandal.
Polling in December 2021 showed that just 5% of the public believe politicians work for the good of the country. That is a tragedy for our democracy.
Trust in politics is vital, from City Hall to Westminster. With the Conservative sleaze scandal in Westminster, Lincoln’s ruling Labour Group have a poor track record on standards too. Just last October, a Lincoln Labour councillor was found after an investigation to have behaved in a manner which “constitutes bullying behaviour”. Yet Lincoln Labour have selected this same councillor to stand this May, for Boultham Ward. Lincoln residents deserve better than this.
What do the people on the doorstep care about?
Liberal Democrats have been out speaking to residents to understand and act on what matters to them. Our community campaigners have been reporting potholes, poor pavements, taking note of damaged street signs – they have even been getting rid of graffiti themselves using removal wipes.
Many residents have raised the poor state of Lincoln’s bus shelters, the lack of youth provision and the lack of affordable and quality housing. In Abbey Ward, we’ve heard from council tenants that have waited months for basic repairs to be made to their homes – we need to see appropriate investment to make sure City of Lincoln Council starts to get the basics right.
However, a good council is more than collecting the rubbish, cutting the grass, or fixing the broken street signs. It’s about bringing jobs and prosperities to the area. It’s about creating exciting town centres that people want to visit. It’s about bringing people and organisations together to tackle the climate emergency.
Finally, tell us in ten words why readers should vote for you.
A strong voice for you, with community action at heart.
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The 2024 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are now open for nominations, seeking to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Greater Lincolnshire area.
Hosted by Stonebow Media, the publisher behind The Lincolnite and the MyLocal platform, this prestigious event is designed to honour the achievements of the regional business community.
Thanks to the headline sponsorship from the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department, the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of local enterprises.
The awards are also sponsored by Ringrose Law, Duncan & Toplis, Sills & Betteridge and Pearson Hydraulics. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Contact [email protected] to discuss partnerships.
Businesses can nominate themselves across eleven awards categories:
The deadline for nominations is May 24, with the judges’ deliberation lunch set for May 29.The judging panel includes business experts and professionals from Lincolnshire and event sponsors.
The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 gala will take place at the Engine Shed on July 12, 2024.
Enhance profile & credibility: Securing an award or being shortlisted acts as a powerful endorsement, signaling trustworthiness to potential customers and helping to distinguish your business from competitors. Displaying the award on your communications can significantly boost your brand’s perception.
Insightful focus & feedback: The application process encourages deep reflection on your business strategy and direction, offering invaluable feedback and clarity, even for new ventures.
Team confidence boost: Recognition from the awards can significantly uplift your team’s morale, affirming the value and potential of your business in the eyes of industry experts.
Marketing & PR boost: Being associated with the awards, even as a nominee, can enhance brand visibility, providing ample content opportunities for social media and other marketing channels.
Networking opportunities: The awards connect you with local business leaders and experts, offering a platform to seek advice, share ideas, and foster future partnerships. The ceremony itself is an excellent occasion for networking with peers and celebrating mutual successes.
Potential to win: Entering offers a chance to win and gain all the associated benefits, but even without taking home a trophy, the process can yield significant advantages for your business.
A Lady Gaga loving kitten owned by a couple who run a charity for disabled pets featured on Channel 5’s The Pet Psychic.
Pet Psychic Beth Lee-Crowther comes to the aid of pet owners and in Tuesday night’s episode she met Cookie the kitten, a depressed camel, and looked at whether a dog can predict the future.