In the first of a regular column for Rye News, Helena Dollimore, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Hastings and Rye, considers some political options.
I know everyone across Hastings and Rye will be worried about the recent economic crisis. We have watched with horror as Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng have recklessly crashed our economy by handing huge, unfunded tax cuts to the richest, and trashed the UK’s reputation on the global stage. We should be in no doubt - this is a Tory crisis; made in Downing Street and one paid for by working people.
What the Chancellor called a "little financial disturbance" will have a huge impact on many of us. People are concerned about their pensions, their mortgages, and their savings. And this is on top of problems with rising energy bills and higher prices in the shops that have left us all feeling the pinch. The small businesses that keep our high streets and villages thriving are closing their doors in worrying numbers, and with it the jobs they create.
Last week I attended Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, and the contrast with the shambolic Tory government is like day and night. While the Tories gambled with all our futures, Keir Starmer set out an alternative economic plan – one based on fiscal discipline, certainty for families and businesses, and investment in a fairer, greener future. Working people have been left counting the cost of twelve years of Tory government; their failure to grow the economy has resulted in stagnant wages and broken public services. Labour has a serious plan for growth that recognises growth comes from the talents and efforts of teachers, nurses, farmers, and small businesses. In contrast, this Conservative government believes in the failed trickle-down ideology of the past that has locked Britain out of growth and will never deliver.
In Liverpool, it was great to meet former Undertones frontman turned environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey and thank him for his work to expose the sewage dumping scandal. With Feargal’s help, we set out how a Labour government will put an end to this disgraceful practice and clean up our water system. You can read it here.
I know many in our community are concerned about the impact that twelve years of Tory cuts has had for our public services. I was very alarmed to hear from our local firefighters of plans to reduce the number of fire engines and crews at Rye Fire Station and will be working alongside campaigners to fight any reduction in services that makes our community less safe.
Instead of doubling down on the failed policies of the past like austerity and trickle down economics, it is time for a change of course. Times are tough right now, but Labour has a serious plan to fix our broken economy and public services.
The bigger gamble is not change with Labour but continuity with the Conservatives.
