Labour Leader of Cheshire East Council Nick Mannion's abiding memory of 2020 is people standing on the doorsteps to applaud the NHS and clap for carers. There was a recognition that we rely on shop workers, refuse collectors and many others for our society to function.
In recent winters the NHS has been under pressure and this year with the added pressure of covid-19, it will struggle to cope. Going into the pandemic the NHS was already short of nurses and doctors due to a creeping underfunding and privatisation. We already have the highest death toll in Europe. Now we are entering a third wave with a £20bn Test-Trace system that is still not working properly and infection rates that are higher than ever. This winter will be difficult.
However, the roll out of the new AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine brings hope that by the Spring things will begin to improve and by the Summer most restrictions will, hopefully, have been lifted. The economic fallout from covid-19 will continue to be felt for many years; there will be tax rises and funding cuts, and hopefully investigations into the way billions have been mis-spent and diverted to Tory 'friends'. Those who have benefited from covid-19 should help to pay for the costs incurred.
The Brexit deal allows for trade in goods without tariffs, but as we are outside the Customs Union there will be inspections and paperwork on all goods going between UK & EU. There is a massive shortage of customs officers in UK and we have no control over the checks on the other side of the border, so there could be delays in transport. What is worse is that there is no deal yet on the service sector; the UK is a net importer of goods and a net exporter of services, so it is easy to see who has gained most out of the deal.
The changes to border restrictions have already seen Gibraltar join the Schengen area, so now EU citizens won’t need a passport to visit Gibraltar, but UK residents will! Northern Ireland's links with the Republic of Ireland will strengthen, and its links with UK will weaken. The 'Conservative and Unionist Party' should change its name as it will be responsible for the break-up of the Union of the United Kingdom.
The greatest challenge facing our generation remains Climate Change. The impacts of climate change are unpredictable, but we will see more extreme weather events. We need to take action now to reduce our carbon footprints.
Cheshire East Council has adopted a Carbon Action Plan to make the council carbon neutral by 2025 and commits to assisting others to reduce their carbon emissions. We should insulate our homes, use less energy, use our cars less, walk and cycle more and change our diets to eat less red meat. If we do these things we can be happier and healthier as well as helping to save the planet. In 2021 I hope to see more community energy projects like the Dane River micro hydro-electric scheme in Congleton and community wind turbines. I also hope to see more local produce, with lower ‘food miles’ and a buy local approach.
The Council’s new draft Corporate Plan, that is currently under consultation, aims to make the council more open, fairer and greener over the next 4 years. The council remains under acute financial pressure due to the impact of the pandemic. In Cheshire East most of our funding goes on social care and with an ageing population the amount spent on adult social care is increasing year on year, whilst government funding for councils is cut.
We remain dedicated to minimising the impact on the most vulnerable. The latest budget consultation can be found at the consultations page at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk
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