The new Labour Government wants to shift power away from Westminster into the hands of those who know their communities best. A concept I have fought for most of my adult life.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-devolution-white-paper-power-and-partnership-foundations-for-growth/english-devolution-white-paper  Just how much power they are prepared to give up remains to be seen. Just before Christmas (16 December to be precise) the […]

Timely message from the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB)  Communications Team· Whether it’s a sore throat, earache or a UTI, for expert advice speak to your #PharmacyFirst this festive season👩‍⚕️ Your local pharmacy may not be open or may have different opening hours through the bank holiday, so be sure to check before you […]

You are what you are around. These wise words were said to me as I started out on a new career back in the 1980s. Good advice back then. Still true today. In fact, it’s probably even more so today judging by some of the misinformation I see on Nextdoor and other social media on […]

 Change, why is it so difficult to deliver? Especially given that the majority of voters said they wanted change when they went to the polls on Thursday 4th July this year. The resulting size of the Conservative defeat, the biggest in recent history, was there for all to see. So, let me ask, what did […]

The new government is considering a rethink on the Right to But (RTB) as part of its strategy to help resolve the housing crisis. This in my view is a step in the right direction. But more needs to be done, RTB is just one element in a complex issue. It requires a comprehensive housing […]

People who use the bus to commute to work across Willenhall could be hit by the equivalent of a 1p income tax rise due to the government’s decision to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3 which Walsall’s Lib Dems have labelled the ‘bus tax’. Analysis by the Party shows that the average […]

All Councils in England are required by law to set a balanced budget each year. Walsall Council is no different. Over the past 15 years the Council has had to make savings of around £285 million. Partly because of reductions in the grant funding they received off central government. This amounted to £103m. And partly […]

Wednesday saw the first Labour Budget for 14 years and the first by a woman. There was much to commend it in that it began to shift the balance away from favouring the wealthy towards creating a more equal society. The number of millionaires in the UK increased by 41% since 2010, and according to the Equality […]

Less than 24 hours to go until we get to know exactly what the Autumn Budget has in store for us. At around 12.30pm on Wednesday Rachel Reeves will stand at the dispatch box in the House of Commons and deliver the Labour Government’s Budget Statement. It will be the first from a Labour Chancellor […]