Our MP Mims Davies acts more like a backbencher rather than a minister at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government, however she cannot escape the fact that she presents as fully supporting a Prime Minister whose least misdemeanor is lying about partying at Number 10 whilst the country was in lock-down.  Boris Johnston led us into a Brexit that has proved to be an utter disaster, the country is now facing a cost of living catastrophe as inflation soars, and April’s national insurance increase will hit working people the hardest whilst letting the rich off the hook.  These are not isolated incidents but a series of policies promoted and agreed by a Conservative Party which has lost touch with ordinary people, that is the real problem.

Similarly on the District Council, the Conservative Party last month put forward proposals to massively increase local housing sites, giving Councillors a week to consider the proposals, and only withdrew them after it was clear opposition spearheaded by the Liberal Democrats was picking up support even from their own Conservative members.  As it was the Conservatives tried to close down scrutiny of the proposals, the meeting called to review them ended without any discussion of the plans, and it was only after Liberal Democrats proposed a working party to review them was passed by the committee with the help of renegade Conservative Councillors, that any proper scrutiny was agreed.

Rather than defending their policies, as the last Mid Sussex Council meeting highlighted, the Conservatives spent more time attacking the Liberal Democrats than defending their own policies.  At every meeting it seems Conservatives point out with glee that the Liberal Democrat policy is to build more houses than their own party.  However they miss the point, unlike the Conservatives, these targets would not be forced onto local authorities, which as their own leader acknowledged, gives developers too much power to pick and choose sites when there are already a million planning approvals which have not been used.   Too often the Government sides with developers, and no wonder when they have provided a fifth of the funding for the Conservative Party.

Attended today’s Holocaust Memorial Day event at Haywards Heath organised by Amnesty International so that we all come together to remember, to learn about the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, in the hope that there may be One Day in the future with no genocide. Good to see members of all faiths and political outlook attending, organised by the Haywards Heath branch of Amnesty International and included representatives from Oathall Community College, Great Walstead School, Mid Sussex Islamic Centre and Masjid, St Wilfrid’s Church in Haywards Heath, Mid Sussex District Council, Burgess Hill Town Council and other members of the community. Poignant to hear the readings and consider how important it is that we learn from history particularly given events around the world that too often show a lack of respect for human life and human rights.

Tonight’s scrutiny meeting on the District Council was meant to kickstart the process of updating the District Plan which determines new housing and other planning policies yet turned into farce when the Conservative leader referred back his own council’s proposals.  The Chairman got totally confused on the voting and the meeting was closed without any substantive debate (cue this Conservative councillor’s head in hands)!  Bemused Liberal Democrat councillors were pleased to get their own proposal on ensuring the Council used this delay constructively by conducting proper scrutiny of the proposals. 

The real issue is how much new housing is needed and is it what local people need, too many expensive “executive houses” and not enough affordable starter homes for single people and couples.  The government too often dictates what is required without taking account of local needs and favouring the housing developers who coincidentally or not make large donations to the Conservative Party.

Liberal Democrats had earlier proposed their own amendment to temporarily put the plan on hold so were happy to support this having already highlighted the huge number of new houses required in the plan, over and above those currently approved (including an additional 1,400 houses west of Jane Murray Way).   An additional Liberal Democrat amendment asking for a working party to ensure proper scrutiny of the proposals was also agreed as it important that any delay is used constructively to review the proposals. 

Councillors surgeries are now on at the Town Council offices, 10-12am every second and fourth Saturday of the month – come and see us!

Christmas lights in the ward raising funds for charity: the Christmas Wishes toy appeal on Maple Drive (take a tag off the Christmas tree to buy a present for a child in need) and the usual excellent display in St Peters Road raising funds for Friends of Woodlands Meed. Also possibly the best of other local displays such as Chestnut Close and Dumbrills Close.

Last night’s Liberal Democrat parliamentary win in North Shropshire highlights a growing disgust with Boris Johnson and the current Conservative government, too often they have been found breaking their own rules, whether on Covid restrictions, or sleaze.  Only this week 99 Conservative MP’s voted against their own health advisors recommendations on tightening Covid restrictions in the face of the current Omicron wave, whilst at the same time putting forward proposals to weaken human rights legislation. 

The Conservative Party is dominated by Brexit headbangers who are isolating us from Europe, the planned rise in national insurance contributions means ordinary workers will pay more, whilst the Conservative’s business chums are let off the hook.  The government is dragging its heels on meaningful action to meet its climate change pledges and has failed to provide the resources that social care desperately needs.  On so many fronts this government is lacking, the byelection victory in North Shropshire on top of recent local success and a previous win in Chesham and Amersham shows Liberal Democrats offer a real alternative to Conservative omnishambles.