Today, on the first anniversary of the Conservatives taking the reins of North East Lincolnshire Council, here is a message from Steve Holland, the chairman of the Great Grimsby Conservative Association.
During the General Election campaign last year, I got into a doorstep conversation with a Grimsby resident in the East Marsh. What he said was very true – that what most people want out of life are straightforward asks: jobs that pay a reasonable wage, safe streets and decent schools for their kids. I asked him which party he thought was best able to provide that. He thought for a second and then said, “Probably the Conservatives”.
To me, that conversation sums up what having a Conservative-led council in North East Lincolnshire is all about. Being trusted to provide people across all parts of the borough with good services at a reasonable cost that gives a decent quality of life and working to bring investment and jobs to our area.
I am pleased to see that this has been the focus of the council over the last year. Even during the chaos caused nationally by the coronavirus pandemic, the council has performed extremely well and just quietly got on with the job in hand. Bins have been emptied, streets cleaned, and parks maintained, thanks to the dedication of council staff and contractors.
What happened in the Town Hall at a full council meeting on 18th July 2019 is a good example of the difference between a Conservative and Labour approach to local government. At that meeting, the Labour group of councillors used up much valuable council time to debate whether or not the council leader should call for the Home Secretary to hold a public inquiry into the behaviour of the police at the Orgreave Colliery during the miners’ strike in 1984.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of what happened 35 years ago, party political posturing on subjects that have nothing to do with the challenges our area faces are not what we need, or people want.
A first year in office shows that our Conservative councillors are up to the job and determined to make this a better place to live for all residents. They will go from strength to strength, their numbers will hopefully be added to in the next local elections, and we will see a huge difference here in just a few years’ time.
To join the association, visit www.grimsbyconservatives.org.uk
Follow the association on Facebook at @GrimsbyConservatives and Twitter @GrimsbyCA
About the author