Opinion

A fortnight ago I wrote about the pandemic seeing the city’s biggest force for good – and communities have sprung into action across our city with an outstanding, heart-warming effort. The dedication and commitment of workers facing the coronavirus – from council staff to healthcare...

The covid-19 crisis we are facing is unprecedented and I am sure everyone wants to help those who are in need. As a council, we’re committed to preventing homelessness and supporting residents who may be struggling to pay their rent to keep their homes at this difficult time and beyond. We very...

The Conservative government is helping to support Brighton and Hove’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic with an £8.1 million grant. It comes as our country faces an unprecedented challenge – and shielding our most vulnerable people is one of the most important steps that...

Monday’s announcement on the covid-19 lockdown was a necessary measure and there’s no doubt it’s going to be an extremely tough time. My primary concern is to protect people living and working in our city but most of all our more vulnerable residents. By taking the actions below, you can help...

Can covid-19 knock a planning appeal off track? The short answer is that of course it can. We already have a plethora of relaxed planning rules as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We have also heard from the Planning Inspectorate’s head of operations that it is cancelling all forthcoming...

The coronavirus has made one thing clear: our inability as a country to cope with this crisis is no accident. It is through government failure. A decade of cuts, deregulation and the dismantling of social security has left the vulnerable, public services and local businesses exposed to the...

Obviously, the issue at the forefront of everybody’s minds at the moment is covid-19. This is a fast-moving situation, so please keep abreast of the government and Public Health England advice in relation to isolation, working and gatherings because it is regularly being updated. What we must...

This is an open letter to Councillor Pete West, the Green opposition spokesman on the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee. The Amex Area Neighbourhood Action Forum is a resident group made up of a good many Green and Labour party and “independent” ward voters. It is...

The Conservative government’s budget last week was the first of this decade, the first outside the EU in 50 years and the first of this government. It was delivered in challenging times by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. It prepares the way for security today and lays the foundations for...

Fairtrade Fortnight has just ended, where we celebrate the impact that Fairtrade has in the global community and call for further support and action. Fairtrade is all about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the...

The council policy to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is not fit for purpose. It redacts the names and addresses of those posting objections or comments (including comments of support) from its planning register. This makes it impossible to know who is objecting or commenting,...

For 18 months we have tried to encourage the Labour administration to rethink their plans for Valley Gardens phase 3. All of us want to see the Old Steine area regenerated and sustainable travel enhanced but most have grave concerns about the negative economic and environmental impacts of the...

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak sets out his first budget on Wednesday (11 March). I would suggest that there are three tests for this budget which will also give us a clear idea about what sort of government Boris Johnson intends to lead. My three priorities are the climate...

It’s International Women’s Day today – a call to action but also an opportunity to reflect on achievements of women worldwide: the many females fighting climate change, the crew of NASA’s first ever all-female spacewalk, the appointment of the first female president of the European Central Bank...

It turns out, after all, that the climate emergency in Brighton and Hove, according to the Greens, is hot air! On Thursday 4 March, two of the three representatives of the Green Party on Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee voted in favour of the Moda development on the Sackville...

This week I want to talk about loneliness and Martlets’ new Compassionate Neighbours national community-led project that is coming to Brighton and Hove. Loneliness is a growing concern in our society, from public health to mental wellbeing and social connectivity. There are around 200,000 older...

Last week Professor Michael Marmot reported that life expectancy itself is the latest thing up for grabs in Tory austerity Britain. Life expectancy for the country’s poorest residents has stalled for the first time in more than 100 years and even reversed for the most deprived women in society....

Last night Brighton and Hove City Council was due to set its budget for the coming year. Taxpayers’ priorities are apparent to my party and the budget quite rightly addresses some of these issues – homelessness and rough sleeping, adult social care, education and health. But residents inundate...

I love our city and chose to make it my home because of its reputation and its values. A city of fun and freedom. A city of radicalism and rebelliousness. A city of culture and history. A city that is inclusive and welcoming to all. It is a great honour to be able to represent Brighton and Hove...

Today, councillors of all parties meet to set Brighton and Hove City Council’s budget. Our meeting happens as councils around the country have had 60p of every £1 axed as a direct result of central government cuts. Against this backdrop, this year the Labour council are proposing to make ove...