This city is facing a series of huge challenges over the coming years. To protect the most crucial roles of the NHS and the council, while facing £100 million of Tory funding cuts, we have to update the delivery of all 700 council services to make them fit for the 21st century.
Global climate change is a recognised threat to the future of our city and the whole planet and needs decisive action.
Tackling the rough sleeping and housing crisis to ensure decent homes are available for all is a prime responsibility for the city.
When faced with austerity and cuts to policing, we must come together to strengthen and protect our communities.
We have developed our six top pledges to the city to meet these challenges
- We will take all action required to make our city carbon neutral by 2030, including delivering a park and ride scheme.
- We will continue to focus on the causes of homelessness and work towards eliminating the need for rough sleeping.
- We will provide a minimum of 800 new council homes over the next four years, bringing the total to over 1,000.
- We will independently audit all outsourced services and bring services in-house if it will achieve a higher level of social value.
- We will establish a fund to enhance the provision of neighbourhood services and community policing across the city.
- We will defend the NHS and work to create a joined up health and social care system locally to provide the best seamless care for residents. However, we will oppose any proposal for merger which further privatises our NHS, fails to provide for democratic oversight, or is not in the best interests of the people of our city.
In the days to come we will be unveiling our detailed plans to deliver our vision for the city.
We will continue to fight for the very best services that our city deserves.
We are ambitious for the future of our great city. We know that through working together we can achieve more than we achieve alone.
We are ready to take the action required of us and to continue to deliver – for the many, not the few.
Councillor Daniel Yates is the Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
