In the May local elections the Labour group gained nine seats on Milton Keynes council. We had our best result in local elections since 1999, have more councillors since 1996 and won the city-wide vote on the key parliamentary seat of Milton Keynes South. We narrowly missed an outright majority but have taken control of the council for the first time since 2002.
Why is this important? Mainly because it shows that with a good campaign, the right messages and hard work, we can win seats that matter in the south-east.
There is an image of Milton Keynes that most people who have never been to the city seem to hold: roundabouts, low-rise and concrete. However, a few quick facts show the true nature of our dynamic city. We build nearly 2,000 houses a year, in the next few years we will be the largest city in the south-east outside London. We have a growing economy and rank consistently in the top ten places in the United Kingdom to invest, for new business start-ups and for growth.
With so much positive news, it is hard to see how the previous Conservative administration could lose?
As nationally, even those benefiting from our city success story understand there are huge problems. For a city built mainly since the 1960s, it is shocking that we have a 13 year life expectancy gap between some estates separated by only a grid road. We build 2,000 houses a year, yet for most young people the housing ladder is further away than ever. Older people worry about their own future and that of their grandchildren. Families simply cannot afford the cost of childcare and most of all people feel disconnected from decision-making.
Our answer was not to tell the citizens of Milton Keynes what we would do, but ask them what we should we do? Like all councils we face huge issues. We need to make £54m of savings over the next three years and find a shortfall of around £70m in the infrastructure costs of building those new houses. Yet we remain positive. We will introduce the living wage, not just for our employees, but as part of our contracts as they come up for renewal. We will ban the use of zero-hours contracts in vital services. We have promised to introduce a childcare voucher for parents returning to work. Vitally, we will start building new council houses and ensure a minimum number of affordable homes in new developments. We will also devolve decision making and real power to local communities.
Our reaction to the issues and anxieties of our citizens was ‘Ambitious for MK’. I believe a Labour-led Milton Keynes can show how we can win the general election, not by simply holding a mirror to concerns, but really listening and addressing the issues in a way voters believe and respect.
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Peter Marland is leader of Milton Keynes council
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Photo: Ian