Opinion

Let me paint two pictures of universal basic income: one dystopian and one utopian. But which is which? The first scenario – everyone receives £1,200 a month (can you live on anything less in Brighton?) on top of their current benefits. Everyone can then negotiate confidently with their boss...

The immediate shockwaves of the coronavirus pandemic were profound, with the government locking down the country and putting together an unprecedented package of economic and financial support. But even though millions of people received support, millions of others have been excluded from help...

The council has taken its eye off the ball on crime and anti-social behaviour. Make no mistake – crime and antisocial behaviour is a big issue for the residents of this city and one which we are contacted regularly about by our constituents. Whether it is graffiti, housing, the tents in public...

As we approach the last week of this latest lockdown, I want to thank everyone in our city. A few weeks ago I wrote about how we can pull together and stick together. Thanks to the fantastic local efforts, the figures shows some real improvement and tell us the number of confirmed covid-19...

One of the most positive aspects I noticed about lockdown the first time around was how active and engaged people were getting with how their city is run and how decisions are made. I’m a big believer in participatory democracy. I want people to be as involved as possible in the decision-making...

I am a resident of Tivoli Crescent and I attended and spoke at the licensing panel hearing for Tivoli Food and Wine on Monday 9 November. Eight days later the panel published its decision to revoke the license banning Awarah Shikha from selling alcohol and tobacco on grounds that he used the...

When drawing from academic work that traces forgotten histories, we can learn much about Brighton’s past. But as we build a picture of the town 200 years ago we should strive for accuracy – and remember the extraordinary part played by its people. Brighton was an abolition town. Archive copies...

Brighton and Hove is a seaside tourism-based economy and the jobs of many rely on the city projecting a tourist-friendly image. Direct tourism accounts for around 14 per cent of all employment, equivalent to 21,000 direct jobs in the local economy. It also accounts for a spending injection of...

Money is the cause of much worry and stress for people and businesses, particularly now. And money-saving experts advise us to regularly review your suppliers of gas, electricity, mobile phone and TV packages but how many of us actually make the time to do that? Take a look at USwitch and...

A massive £2.4 million of government money has been awarded to Brighton and Hove to make walking and cycling easier and safer. According to a recent YouGov poll, many Brits intend to use their car more after the pandemic than before, so it’s more important than ever that people have alternative...

It seems like a lifetime ago when we were in Hove Town Hall for council meetings, with the local press and residents watching on from the gallery. Unfortunately, the last full council meeting was marred by a nasty personal attack made by the Conservatives on our mayor. What makes the attack...

Off the back of a rushed announcement last Saturday, the nation is now entering a second lockdown. The impact of this cannot be underestimated and I share the feelings of frustration and concern that I know so many have expressed in the last week. However, I do know this: our fantastic...

The council is running out of time to prevent an all-out strike that could potentially hit several important services during lockdown. The ongoing dispute between Brighton and Hove City Council and the GMB union is linked to the insourcing of the housing repairs and maintenance service. It has...

While the need for a “circuit-breaker” has never been clearer, the decision by Conservative government ministers to hand over management of testing in our community to private, for-profit providers has been disastrous. To give a sense of the scale of the argument, while profit-making companies...

The long-awaited report into antisemitism in our party was published yesterday by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Its contents didn’t surprise me but I was shocked. Like Keir, I was also pained by the stark failures revealed at every level of our party. In three areas our party...

As of Sunday 1 November, young people across Sussex who have come to the attention of the police will be given the opportunity to join the Army Cadet Force (ACF) as part of the unique early intervention programme, Reboot. I launched in April 2019 and it is now a Sussex Police-led programme that...

I feel quite sorry for our dear chief executive having to write letters of complaint to some Secretary of State on behalf of the Green Party after every full council meeting so I have decided to help … Dear Matt, I hope you don’t mind my using your first name but I feel I know you quite...

An important consultation on school places has been started by Brighton and Hove City Council and I would like as many people as possible to have their say. It ends on Friday 27 November and decisions about school numbers for September 2022 will be agreed by the end of February 2021. No one...

Communities on the outskirts of our city and their elected representatives are quite right to campaign to protect our urban fringe sites from rampant overdevelopment. However, it’s important to understand exactly where the threat comes from. This is not being helped by a mysterious set of...

Media reports regarding the future of BHT’s shipping container homes at Richardson’s Yard say that councillors have expressed concern for the future of the residents once the Council’s planning permission comes to an end in 2023. Firstly, I want to reassure residents that there is no change to...