Welcome to my weekly update no.357
Temperatures are falling (thankfully) but starting to rise again in Westminster with Andy Burnham’s plans to "rewire Britain" this morning. Closer to home a major breakthrough in the campaign against unfair householder CIL charges, the latest on Cranleigh Leisure Centre and the sad loss of national treasure (and cherished Milford resident) Dame Penelope Keith.
WESTMINSTER WHISPERS
ANOTHER MATERNITY SCANDAL Last week an independent review of maternity services in Nottingham was published and the findings were stomach churning. I commissioned three similar inquiries when I was Health Sec and the question we have to ask is why aren’t things improving? It is clearly not a localised issue as it keeps cropping up. And too many of the solutions duck the fundamental reform the system needs. I told Times Radio that too often the NHS turns patients into numbers. The heart of the problem is that we don’t have proper accountability with a named doctor and midwife team responsible for every birth. As I explained on Channel 4 News that means mums don’t know who to turn to if they are worried about the safety of their baby. With the increase in midwife numbers we are now seeing (up nearly 40% per child born) that should now be possible. Tomorrow we see the Amos Review published on the same topic. Many are calling for a public inquiry but we have already had too many reports, what we need now is action.
ARE WE TURNING ITALIAN? On 20th July we are likely to have our fifth Prime Minister in less than five years. How can we avoid British politics going Italian (just as Italy, incidentally, has its most stable leadership for decades)? I’ve worked closely with four Prime Ministers and think – whichever party – there are three key qualities you need to succeed in that job. I set them out in my next Substack essay, the new fortnightly email on national topics that I send out on Wednesdays. Lots of you have signed up (it’s totally free) so don't forget to subscribe! For those who haven’t yet discovered Substack it’s actually a brilliant platform for getting thoughtful articles from people of interest.
No.10 NORTH Earlier today, Andy Burnham outlined his plans to drive economic growth across the regions by giving more powers to local mayors. I know some people are suspicious of this but I agree with him. If we allowed our great Northern cities to stand on their own two feet, it would mean faster economic growth and lower subsidies needing to flow from South to North. Manchester’s GDP per head is around half that of London, about double the gap between Lyon and Paris, which is bad for the economy and bad for social cohesion. I devote a whole chapter to the topic in Can We Be Rich Again? We didn’t hear much detail today but the key is a vision that gives civic leaders the power to solve their own problems rather than get in a Whitehall queue.
LOCAL LIFE
RIP DAME PENELOPE KEITH Incredibly sad to hear today of the passing of Dame Penelope Keith CBE. She was a neighbour and friend, and as well as a ‘national treasure’, someone who was dearly loved in Milford. Many of us grew up with Margot from the Good Life or Audrey from To the Manor Born and there are not many who brought such happiness to millions. Most importantly she helped Britain laugh at itself, one of our best national qualities. Check out this lovely tribute in the Times.
CIL BREAKTHROUGH Last week, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed that the Government WILL consult on changes to the CIL regulations, recognising that the current system has resulted in outrageously unfair charges (as we know) for some people putting up home extensions. Just as importantly, he made clear that councils already have discretion in how they deal with historic cases. I hope Waverley was listening because they have been saying the opposite for several years. Frustratingly more than a year after agreeing a discretionary review, no refunds have been announced. We were also promised an independent investigation which is being stalled. Local Waverley Conservative leader Jane Austin will keep pressing the case.
LEISURELY PROGRESS Tomorrow night Cllr Michael Goodridge is bringing a motion to Waverley Borough Council asking for a much delayed update on the construction timetable and costs of the new Cranleigh Leisure Centre. For some reason the Council is sitting on the details – we know it is massively over original budget and appears now to be delayed as well. Most importantly local shops need to know what the plan is to deal with loss of parking spaces during construction. Get a move on Waverley!
AND HOW WILL WE GET THERE? We also know residents across the Cranleigh Villages area (including Alfold, Cranleigh and Dunsfold) face significant transport and communication challenges so the brilliant Cranleigh Villages Group has been working on a range of initiatives to improve things. I am working with them but we need good data to make our case. So if you can please fill in this short survey to help us - many thanks!
