COVENTRY Labour Party is defending its hefty majority in next month’s council elections with a pledge to fight for jobs and growth while opposing government ‘austerity’ cuts.
With Labour having 39 of the council’s 54 councillors, the Tories and other candidates would need to win most of the 18 seats contested on May 3 to return the council to ‘no overall control’.
The Labour group pledges to Coventry people are:
1. Oppose Government austerity measures whilst maintaining a balanced budget
2. Maintain the Godiva Festival and maximise the benefits from City of Culture 2021
3. Support 5000 jobs being created in the city between 2018 and 2022
4. Provide extra funding for street cleaning and to combat fly-tipping
5. Continue to take forward the Coventry South and Friargate developments
Council leader George Duggins and deputy leader Abdul Khan said in a statement: “As always the Labour Party in Coventry will be offering Coventry people 18 first class candidates in the local elections.
“This election is fought against a background of the people of Coventry having had circa £120 million per year taken away from them as part and parcel of the Government’s austerity measures.
“Austerity has not worked, it is unjust and needs to be jettisoned as soon as possible. Austerity has stifled economic development to such an extent that the UK is now being talked about as the sixth largest economy in the World as opposed to the fifth.
“Having said that we will maintain a balanced budget.
“In spite of all of our financial challenges, we will ensure that we get the maximum benefits from the City of Culture 2021. This is a massive opportunity for this City to showcase itself in its best light.
“Our aim is for a bigger City of Culture than was the case in Hull in 2017, that means a worth to the local economy of over £300 million.
“We want to better that and as part of that we will maintain the Godiva Festival going forward and try to ensure that other partners in Coventry take on some of the costs of the Festival.
“We are about seeking opportunity for the people of this City and in that respect we will be supporting 5000 jobs being created in Coventry between 2018 and 2022.
“Our Jobs Strategy which has seen various iterations since 2011 has already supported the creation of over 7000 jobs in that time. The Job Shop is a fantastic example of a Labour run Council trying to offer opportunities to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“During the coming year we will be providing extra funding for street cleaning and try to combat fly-tipping. Allied to this there will be a zero tolerance of people who are caught littering our streets and fly-tipping. They can be certain that fines will be issued on the basis of evidence in such circumstances.
“Coventry, like all authorities, will have a major challenge in respect to future funding. We are committed to using our resources to enable us to generate the income that we need to provide for the services the people of Coventry need, want and deserve.
“We are committed to taking forward major developments in Coventry. That includes Coventry City Centre South and the Friargate development.
“We will also work to ensure that the Station Masterplan is taken forward at the same time as Coventry is the second fastest growing station in this country and we commit ourselves to continuing to argue for the three express trains and hour between Coventry and London which is so important to our economic wellbeing.
“Coventry is going forward at a pace under the Labour administration of the City and we will continue to work to ensure that people in Coventry have every opportunity that we can provide for them and we are proud to say that we are for the many and not the few.”
