Just recently Bath’s MP Wera Hobhouse went on social media to urge her constituents to let her know their views on priorities for the city.
As l live here too, l thought l would raise a few ‘local issues’ in a face-to-face meeting at the Lib-Dem office.
We talked about everything from house prices to buses and from the cost of living to CAZ.
I even asked her whether the adverse publicity the Lib-Dem-controlled local authority seemed to be getting just recently was embarrassing her.
Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and see what you think of our MP’s views on some of our local ‘hot potatoes’ and find out whether she is keen to win a third term of office in the next General Election – currently due in 2024.
Well Richard, the interview was far better than my mug of tea.
I was pleased you relayed my concerns about the police station refurbishment as mere ‘window dressing’, although it was heartening to hear Wera acknowledge that more ‘bobbies on the beat’ was Bath’s real need, and that Central Government extra funding would make that happen imminently. Yes, yes, greater ‘visibility’ of the Enquiry Desk probably was her achievement, despite the lack of the ‘Blue Lantern’ outside.
Cleveland Bridge – “if I had been a Tory MP I wouldn’t have fought so vigorously or vociforously”.. “..politically difficult because of a Tory council in Wiltshire…”. Whilst I believe she’s on the right track pursuing the de-trunking of the A36 and A46 Primary Routes, I don’t think political mud-slinging & blame is the collaborative spirit needed to bring Wiltshire’ County Council on-side. Wera was told in the HoC to collaborate with her Wiltshire neighbours in order to get them to agree to making the A350 the South-West’s through-traffic corridor. And that is also the advice in the DfT Guidelines on how to manage Primary Routes, which I thought she’d have familiarised herself with. Why is she relying on the Highways England study – that could take another decade, or even two. Kicking the ball into the long grass again rather than playing ball with WCC?
As for Tourism – some of the problem can be attributed to staff shortages, but those shortages are not the fault of Brexit, although Wera would like to argue that they are. We have a home-grown generation of young people who just will not work in the UK hospitality industry. No, the Pandemic is the main reason Bath’s tourism has been has severely curtailed. But it will return. But when it does, let’s hope we’ve cleared the city of those dreadful eScooters, because if we haven’t, then our pedestrian lives really will be in jeopardy.
Good interview, I enjoyed listening to it, thanks.