By Andrew Gray
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives in so many ways; the way students learn, our relationship with local green spaces, and our innate sense of community in a crisis.
We have all learnt so much from the past year and I believe that we’ve got to use those small rays of hope to develop a brighter future for everyone. We simply can’t go back to business as usual.
As a teacher, I have seen first-hand the challenges young people have faced in this pandemic.
The abrupt move to online learning suddenly exposed the digital divide faced by students of all years.
I know how hard schools have worked to support students, but we need long term action from our Conservative-run council and government to make sure all students are well equipped with suitable technology to prepare them for a 21st-century education- this has to be non-negotiable.
At the forefront of concerns in the pandemic has been mental health support for young people.
There is a growing crisis with mental health referrals and the threshold to receive counselling is too high.
This has been seen all the way from primary school students to school leavers.
Too little is done too late: these are complex problems with complex solutions and only adequate funding will allow these solutions to be achieved.
It is therefore vital that investment is made in this area, to ensure earlier intervention is possible and to protect our children from falling victim to a decade of underfunding from the Conservatives.
I want to see a brighter future for our community, but unless we deal with the urgent issue of the Climate Emergency this won’t be possible.
The restrictions over this last year have allowed me to rediscover the green spaces on my doorstep (Maiden Erlegh and Whiteknights Lake to name a few).
As we emerge from the pandemic we must ensure these spaces are protected and we need to take radical steps to cut our Borough’s carbon footprint for good and do our part to save these beautiful areas that have provided a welcome change of scenery during lockdown!
The Climate Emergency affects everyone, which is why I want to see a Citizens’ Assembly created to give the power back to the people of Wokingham.
The Conservatives’ Climate Emergency plan does not go nearly far enough to address the crisis we are facing.
The Labour group are committed to carrying out the recommendations of any Citizens’ Assembly; it takes courage to propose big changes to the way we lead our lives, but Labour are the only party willing to step up and take action.
I have been overwhelmed by the amazing community efforts across Earley in some of the trickiest times this year.
As a volunteer, I saw the community hub in action, delivering thousands of food packages to elderly and vulnerable people.
This strong sense of community shouldn’t just appear in a crisis but should be sustained well into the future.
Councillors have such a key part to play in supporting a cohesive community.
I am proud to be standing to represent Maiden Erlegh, and am delighted that my fellow Labour candidates are committed to putting their residents before party politics.
We understand that some local issues cross-party political lines, and that is why I am promising that my loyalty to my area will always come first.
I feel strongly that a council should be representative of the people it seeks to represent; we need more voices from a range of ages, backgrounds and professions.
Despite currently only having four councillors, Labour are currently the only effective opposition to the Conservatives on Wokingham Borough Council.
The current stale, tired council that we are used to isn’t working.
We need to learn lessons from the pandemic and there is no better way to put that into practice than at the ballot box in May.
Andrew Gray is the Labour candidate in Maiden Erlegh Ward. Also standing are: Norman Jorgensen, Conservative, Russell Seymour, Green, and Mike Smith, Lib Dem
