By Cllr Laura Blumenthal
I was surprised to read the column last month by Cllr Clive Jones (Inclusivity is in our DNA).
He must be supressing his DNA, as since they took office the Liberal/Labour Coalition has ignored residents’ wishes in the consultation for all out elections, at huge financial expense, failed to consult residents on scrapping caddy liners, and again, without consultation, imposed huge increases in the cost of parking which has worried many of our local businesses.
Despite what he claims, previous administrations have for many years approached working with the voluntary sector in partnership.
Earlier this year, the Council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy, which Cllr John Halsall and I led, launched.
This was on the back of our experience of working to help residents during the Covid pandemic. Part of this strategy was a new partnership with the voluntary sector to prevent poverty in the Borough – the very Hardship Alliance which the Lib Dems are now claiming as a new idea.
The Hardship Alliance brought together the Council and Age UK, First Days, Wokingham United Charities and Citizen’s Advice.
A huge amount of work was undertaken by officers and councillors. We consulted widely, including on the language used to both make it accessible to all and to preserve the dignity of residents.
Some of the aims of the Alliance are to look at reducing the short-term effects of poverty, but it also focuses on poverty prevention and takes a longer-term approach to “ensure fairer and more equal opportunities for all”.
He also omitted to mention that the Government gave the Council a new lump sum of over half a million pounds in October to help residents financially struggling this winter. This is in the form of the Household Support Fund.
The Lib Dems are exploring cutting the majority of Borough News issues which go to every single household in the Borough.
It’s filled with useful information, including services for people struggling and can prevent people falling into crisis.
Cutting these seems to go against the ‘inclusivity in our DNA’ mantra considering the portion of residents who are not online in our Borough. The move could save £30,000 a year.
A drop in the ocean when considering the millions the Council spends on helping people who find themselves in crisis and could potentially be prevented by better communication of lifelines by the Council.
The Residents Equality Forum was also launched by the Conservative administration and is going from strength-to-strength, being led by groups and organisations representing diverse communities across the Borough.
The Lib Dems have highlighted in their leaflets how they are continuing to provide free school meals during holidays, as the previous Conservative administration did during the pandemic. I’m glad that the Lib Dems are continuing this during the current economic challenges, and I am pleased that the money to pay for the lunches has been provided by the Government’s Household Support Fund.
The Autumn Statement pledged another year’s extension to the Household Support Fund, so I hope the Lib Dems commit to using part of this to extend free school meals in the holidays for eligible families after May 2023, which is the limit to the coalition’s current commitment.
Cllr Conway may also not remember previous Conservative administration’s effort to reshape the Council Plan to embed a ‘one community’ approach, bringing together the public, private and voluntary sectors.
In fact, I am sure the Council working in partnership with charities, volunteers, central government, and others, predates both my time on the Council and his.
None of us should seek to take credit for what came before us.
We’re happy to support the Council when they get things right, but it was disappointing that Cllr Jones forgot the contributions of others.
Cllr Laura Blumenthal is the Shadow Executive member for Levelling up, Equalities and Social Housing and ward member for South Lake
