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Over recent weeks the pace of politics has been difficult to follow, with huge questions hanging over the UK’s political and economic direction. Throughout this period councils have been getting on with the delivering on the ground, including seeking the South East’s first devolution deal. Devolution is a pretty wide concept. In the UK it…
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Next year is the seventieth anniversary Crawley New Town. The town motto ‘I grow and I rejoice’ and the acorns on the town’s crest—symbolising future growth—bear testament to the post-war optimism that we could build a better future for all. Of course, the thing about New Towns is that, barring few exceptions, residents’ ancestral roots…
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It won’t have escaped anyone’s notice that last week the UK voted to leave the EU, with Crawley voting decisively for Leave. As I set out in my last column, this presents a number of risks for Crawley and what is needed now is decisive national leadership to tackle the major issues which must be…
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Tomorrow is the EU Referendum, while various points have been made locally about the national impact of either outcome, as the Leader of Crawley Borough Council I’ve spent my time considering how the vote stands to affect the town. Crawley’s economy is more tied into mainland Europe than most, with big European-owned companies such as…
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There has been considerable talk over the last year about devolution, particularly in the context of England and what it means for local government. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most centralised democracies. Even with an English Parliament—something which would probably lead to the breakup of the UK—England would still be one of…
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Last week was the Annual Meeting of the council. While the meeting itself is largely ceremonial, less so where authorities are hung, it’s important because it assigns various roles for the forthcoming year. Councils previously operated a committee system, where decisions were taken by committees of members appointed by their respective parties at the Annual…
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Last week saw the State Opening of Parliament, culminating in the Queen’s Speech. Twelve months into the first majority Conservative Government for 18 years, this was the chance for the Tory Party to set out not only their legislative programme for the next year but their vision for what Britain is and what it will…
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The cost of housing is one of the biggest concerns in Crawley and the passage of the Housing and Planning Act last week will only make the problem worse as Government continues to fail to understand the nature of the problem. House prices are determined by supply and demand. While the UK’s birth rate has…
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With all the attention in the national news over recent weeks, there must be few residents left unaware that local elections took place last Thursday and that Crawley Borough Council was the most marginal authority in the UK. Could I take this opportunity to thank all those who took the time to vote, whoever they…
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One of local councillors’ biggest responsibilities is passing the annual budget. The budget sets out what the council will spend on local services, where the money comes from and any plans for new investment. Despite big cuts to the council’s grant from the government, the budget passed by the council last week involving no borrowing,…
Peter Lamb for Crawley 