There’s an election brewing and it’s due on May 3. And what’s different about this election is that two of the political parties have published their policies and plans for the future of the Borough.
The Liberal Democrats, led by Lindsay Ferris, published their manifesto back in autumn last year (The Wokingham Paper, October 5, 2017) and have updated it in preparation for May 3rd. While they’ve influenced change, they’ve chosen to present their approach as ‘problems – solutions’.
In a break with tradition the Conservatives, led by Charlotte Haitham Taylor, launched their manifesto last week (The Wokingham Paper, April 5). They’ve chosen to present their approach as ‘a record of action – a promise of more’. However they also include some ‘key facts’ along with statements from front bench members.
While the styles as well as the length of the two manifestos differ, the substance is more important. Stripping away the titles, verbiage, pictures, repetition etc, one has 43 policy statements while the other has 47. What’s fascinating is the points of agreement, as well as the points where they differ.
Download the Conservatives manifesto here (PDF file)
Download the Liberal Democrat manifesto here (PDF file)
So without further ado, here’s a simplified comparison of just the main policies from the two leading local parties, topic by topic.
House Building
Both Reduce government imposed housing numbers; improve local decision making; introduce self-build initiatives.
LD “Homes for local people” – Wokingham Borough Council to own, manage and control things from land through to homes and provide more of what’s needed locally. Also use local builders where possible, to help make homes affordable for the young, suitable for the elderly and putting local residents first.
Con “Rent to Buy” – Wokingham Borough Council to finance those who’ve never owned a home by putting aside part of their council rent towards a deposit on a home. Also – increase house building programme via Council owned companies and fight “land-banking” so that the right homes go in the right places.
Social Housing
Both Differ …
LD Use the council owned housing companies to build council houses.
Con Reduce the numbers of people waiting for social housing and build more specialist homes for our ageing population. Give tenants a strong voice in shaping and designing their community and neighbourhood.
Regeneration
Both Differ …
LD Scale back regeneration proposals for Wokingham itself and spread existing resources to other areas of the Borough. Also – reduce risk and debt for Wokingham Borough Council.
Con Continue the regeneration of Peach Place, Market Place, Elms Field and Carnival Pool. Also – invest in new ways of generating income for Wokingham Borough Council.
Roads & Traffic
Both Make sure civil parking enforcement and parking charges each work properly and in the right places.
LD Develop a new transport and parking strategy and build roads and infrastructure before houses. Better coordination and communication of roadworks to reduce disruption.
Con Spend £124 million to build or improve roads for new residents and existing ones. Develop alternatives to car journeys across the Borough and promote fairer residents’ parking permits.
Environment & Leisure
Both Increase recycling of waste, improving plastics and introducing food recycling.
LD Retain weekly waste collection and introduce kerbside glass and tetrapak recycling. Remove DIY waste charges and fight for quieter & cleaner motorways.
Con Cut the grass better and spend money on greenways and byways. Build and open leisure centres in Ryeish Green, Bulmershe and Carnival Pool. Improve California Country park.
Schools & Education
Both Differ …
LD Lobby government for increased funding for our schools and a revamped education policy. Improve everyone’s lifelong learning opportunities.
Con Improve the offer for 0-5 year olds, help all children achieve their potential, including SEN and help younger people to engage in decision making.
Health & Care
Both Work with NHS, voluntary sector, councils and public to deliver better services and care for the elderly and vulnerable residents in our communities.
LD Help people lead ordinary lives with long term costs met via a reformed National Insurance system with local budgets and introduce cost caps on life savings and assets.
Con Introduce a Recovery College for vulnerable adults and make reducing social isolation, loneliness and homelessness a priority in the provision of adult social care locally.
Finance & Fairness
Both Improve access to Wokingham Borough Council’s staff and services.
LD Cut back Wokingham Town regeneration and reduce financial risks and WBC debt. Consult residents, improve public access to information and communicate honestly and openly. Use council-owned housing companies to provide affordable homes for young residents and build council houses.
Con Maintain a high standard of services, keeping Council Tax and charges as low as possible. Look for investment opportunities that will produce income for WBC and spend £500 million over the next three years on roads, housing, schools and leisure centres.
The Last Word
In contrast to the ‘personality politics’ of past Wokingham Borough elections (aka the mud-slingers match), these manifestos are a long overdue and much welcome development to make local politics easier to understand.
So to respect the parties’ initiatives, The Wokingham Paper is making the originals of each manifesto easy to access in one place: www.wokinghampaper.co.uk/manifestos. If you haven’t got access to a computer, please ask your local candidate for a copy of their manifesto.
So that’s it, Over 24 pages of manifestos with nearly 5,000 words on past, present and future condensed to just one page with 580 words on the main policies alone.
And while the Labour Party, Green Party, and Independent candidates haven’t published manifestos (as of the time of writing), next week you’ll be able to read a comparison of the policies they’ve put forward in whatever they’ve published.
