I’ve been wandering round visiting voters at home. I remain amazed at – and grateful for – the tolerance of most of them in accepting the intrusion.
Most people don’t want to talk. Those that do have concerns – or interests – in the following areas:
- Local Government: a lot mention they didn’t want a regional authority or one unitary council, but now have both.
- National issues: Labour is not popular: they are seen to have failed, particularly on the economy.
- Local spending priorities, specifically the state of the roads and cutbacks in social care.
- Local day to day issues, mainly a lack of responsiveness to people’s concerns. Unless things fit a pre-set format, help won’t be given. Examples were an elderly parent out of area needing housing within it; paying for school transport to Alnwick OR Berwick rather than just one and perhaps most worryingly a lack of a human ear and focus for parents of special needs children. These issues really impact people’s lives. They confirm one of my prejudices: the Council has forgotten why it exists. It exists to serve us. Not the other way around. Changing such a mindset takes time, but it will not happen without a drive from Councillors.
3 comments:
It will be interesting to see how people react in future when you pass them in the street as your face becomes familiar.
They will probable nod and say "hello" as you look familiar whilst furiously wondering whether they've seen you working in the Fish Shop....or was it the library or...I know that face from somewhere?????
Is it really possible to make changes in such a short time? I think we live in the wake of a previous government, for years after they have made their decisions, for good or bad.
I find it difficult to comment, feeling the political world is alien to me, and that most decisions made, that really matter, are beyond my influence.
I find my decisions and concerns mostly begin and end at the garden gate.
EAT: unless I wear a disguise.
Sarah: It may be an alien world but I think your comment is profound. Governments always underestimate the length of time it takes to make a difference. They live off the good things of the previous one, and benefit from their bad choices being discovered much later (like for example tax increases. Or over an even longer period the increase in youth unemployment). This wouldn't be so bad if they knew that but I worry that they convince themselves that they are good when they are not.
So the answer to whether it's possible to make changes in a short time is no. But of course if you don't start to change direction you never do, and in my view that change should start as quickly as possible.
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