BEN SEBASTIAN COX UCKFIELD NEW TOWN SUSSEX LABOUR PARTY POLICIES WORKERS SOCIALIST MEMBERS WEALDEN DISTRICT COUNCILLORS A TO Z POLITICS INDEX

MAY 2023 - The votes are in and the Conservatives are out. Now the victors need to take their seats out for a spin, and try to come up with reforms that might make a difference. Affordable homes and a rolling stock of land to be able to supply to self builds and flat packs. No services are required in the modern world. It is cheaper to stay off the grid, with water treatment units and boreholes for water supplies. Solar panels can supply all the energy you'll need off-grid. But renewable hydrogen could be a game changer. Supplied as green methanol, to pass through a fuel cell, via a reformer. The world is your oyster.

The failures of the Tories, are evidenced by the skyrocketing National Debt and proliferation of pothole policies, that has seen global warming increase unchecked under Cameron, May and Boris Johnson. Nor have these politicians tackled the lack of affordable housing, a leftover from Margaret Thatcher's sell off of social housing. The failure to perform, has opened up opportunities to give the lead to any other political party, or alliance, who may have the solution, or more correctly implements the policies that are needed to get the UK on track for a sustainable future. This could very well fall to Labour as the traditional opposition, but not at local level in Wealden, where they are scarcely represented.

WEALDEN IS NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY THE CONSERVATIVES

In the May 2023 local elections, the Liberal Democrats were the overall winners with 13 seats, with the Green Party coming in second with 11. The Conservative Party saw the biggest drop, going from 28 seats to eight. There are only 8 Conservative members and now an incredible 9 Independents. Sadly, Wealden may be trading insolvent in May 2023, at hand over, making it nearly impossible for ethical Councillors to claw back from irresponsible over-borrowing to balance the books. So, make a point to find out how much has been borrowed, from who and for what.

Council officers will seek to train incoming candidates and brainwash them to the Pothole Party way of thinking - hoping to batter your grey matter - to keep on giving them high salaries and perks such as enhanced retirement pension - for let's face it; piss poor performance in the last 20 years - other than raping the land and overloading the limiting infrastructure, and of course, keeping the gravy-train rolling. In revealing their dirty laundry to fresh candidates, they will be asked to sign a Confidentiality Agreement. That is to protect them from you when it is revealed how unlawfully/illegally the Conservative led council was conducting themselves in days gone by. Be careful not to be brainwashed. Look at what is presented against Statute, Common Law, and common sense morality. Check out the facts for yourselves. Do not let the council officers put spin on the true story. Have they acted with integrity in the past? Doubtful. There are several outstanding issues from 1997. Or why the need for a Non-Disclosure Agreement : ) It is so that you don't spill the beans about what you find out during your membership. In effect, you could become party to the crimes that you discover, for failing to report them.

INHERITED QUAGMIRE - The biggest fiscal problem for those newly elected, is the inequitable mess the outgoing members have left you to clear up. And it is a huge pile of poop make no mistake. A mountain of poop. Potential cures to these ails might be:

PASSING THE BUCK - President Biden said a US default on its $31.4tn (£25tn) debt by Monday's deadline (5th June 2003) would have been "catastrophic". The ceiling was justified by a theoretical $1.5 trillion in savings. But what happens if spending creeps up again, or those savings cannot be made?

Suspending the debt limit through early 2025 takes the threat of default off the table until after next year’s presidential election. In addition to addressing the debt limit, the law caps non-defense spending, expands work requirements for some food stamp recipients and claws back some Covid-19 relief funds, among other policy provisions. The US Treasury Department had warned it would no longer be able to pay all of the nation’s obligations in full and on time – a scenario that could have triggered global economic catastrophe. What a state for any nation to get into. They are only "hoping" for fiscal stability. It is not guaranteed by any means - because they should have acted before $5.0 trillion. A Circular Economy, is where no borrowing is required. Not a country hanging out to dry.

Where councils are not providing land for low cost housing (just about all of them), Wealden might prevent consents for executive housing, until developers provide low cost housing up front. Requiring statutory reform, maybe, except that the 2021 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) provides that there should be "Entry Level Exception Sites" (Section 65 (d)). And at Section 68 (a), where Wealden have to identify Specific Deliverable Sites - for a five year period - but have failed to do so, let alone get their Local Plan in order. Wealden District is just one geographical location taking advice from Local Government Association advisers, on how to avoid meeting their obligations. How to skirt around the law.

However, the simple act of retaining a register, with the get-out that they cannot provide land with services, is not a valid excuse for failing to provide the five year rolling stock of land - and we'd settle for a one-year supply. Simply because, once land is identified and made available by earmarking for low cost housing, flatpacks and other mobile units can be installed Stand-Alone, and Off-Grid. With the latest technology, water, waste, electricity and Wifi can all be provided without connecting to conventional services. Further reducing the cost of living, and pushing sustainability.

Low income earners are forced to rent at market levels, pushing vulnerable families into unaffordable debt - the rents going to overseas investors. Once again, this is a loophole that needs to be closed, and the council has compulsory purchase powers to obtain land, once it has been identified in a local plan, to be used for affordable homes, that locals can afford to buy. Making them more productive.

Council officers have been suggesting to those in dire straits, to consider a Debt Relief Order, when it is Wealden that put them into that condition.

Money that goes to rental companies and wealthy landlords, frequently finds its way offshore, so that generated wealth (typically part housing benefits) is removed from the UK economy. Creating a loss of income, that would otherwise be spent on taxable goods in the UK. Wealthy foreign landlords are bleeding Britain's economy dry.

The council have purchased land, but not for affordable housing. Ask to see details of land purchases. And, while you are at it, ask where all the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments are going if not to provide an Infrastructure - as in Road Repairs, widening, sewage improvements, and EV charging, etc.

In Wealden, it is alleged that at least one senior councillor has registered property offshore. It is unclear if this was to avoid registering conflicts of interest, or for tax advantage. Either way, it bears looking at.

To make better use of the free energy from offshore wind turbines, perhaps by generating hydrogen for fuel as gas for homes, and to generate electricity for fuel cell vehicles, and hydrogen for IC engines like that produced by JCB, or produce green methanol for other road cars, such as to use the existing service station infrastructure. Unfortunately, that presumes members are up to speed with such developments. It also presumes that funding development grants do not go to those already in fossil fuel businesses, with conflicts if interest. Such as investors in oil companies, or their subsidiaries.

There is no reason why Wealden might not endorse such technology, and even encourage the transition, with the right policies in place. To make it happen.

The UK could become a net exporter of energy and renewable technology. The energy cost 'crisis' would be averted. Energy companies that do not invest in renewables, could be fined, and/or lose their franchise. This might mean the enactment of urgent legislation, which the Conservative party might not support, due to their investments in fossil fuels.

We need to encourage entrepreneurs in music, films and publishing in the Wealden area. One thing we are good at is creating original scripts and songs and producing very exportable actors, music is a valuable export. The pop group Abba, was once Sweden's second largest export, after Saab vehicles. Creative people should be encouraged, to write books and illustrate comics.

We are reliant on the import of cheap goods, and much of our food. We should encourage sustainable fishing along our coasts, and the home growing of vegetables and grain, to reduce as much as possible, imports. Wealden has a number of vineyards, for example. So drink local wines and beers, not foreign imports. Eat local apples, pears and berries. Think about how to change attitudes and incentivise local production.

BEN COX

UCKFIELD NEW TOWN

DANIEL MANVELL

UCKFIELD NORTH

The United Kingdom has many political parties, some of which are represented in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Below are links to the websites of the political parties that were represented in the House of Commons after the 2015 General Election:

We are concerned with how the make up of the above parties and (reasonably) popular policies affects the Wealden district, because we are all brothers on two islands in the Atlantic Ocean and what we do or fail to do is likely to rebound on ourselves and our fellow man in other nations around the world. How we act today influences policies in other countries in our global community. It is not just about us and our patch.

East Sussex has five District and Borough Councils, each with a border on the coast. From west to east they are:

As near neighbours and with councils now sharing facilities and working together, these area of Sussex are included in our remit and an area where climate change and affordable housing are issues that need urgent attention. Where the coastline is a feature in every Council, Blue Growth is a food security issue, especially where this side of of our local economy is under-exploited.