By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
All main parties in Nottingham have published their manifestos and key pledges ahead of the local elections on May 4.
Voters will head to the polls next month to select which candidates they want to sit in 20 wards which return a total of 55 seats on Nottingham City Council.
The authority dictates how Nottingham taxpayers’ money is spent on roads, bin collections, parks and leisure, libraries and other services including adults’ and children’s social care.
Currently, the Labour Group has 50 of 55 seats on the council, the Nottingham Independents have three, and the Conservative Group has two.
The Nottingham Labour Group is the only party to have put forward a candidate for all 55 seats.
Meanwhile the Conservatives have put forward 41, the Nottingham Independents 28, the Liberal Democrats 20, the Green Party 17 and UKIP which has put forward two.
Three candidates will be standing independently and one will stand for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition.
While 28 seats are required for a majority, the Conservative Group says it is only seeking to create a “strong opposition”.
In 2019 it had put up 55 candidates in an attempt to gain control of the council.
Similarly the Liberal Democrats said the group hopes to create an “effective opposition”.
The manifestos and pledges are as follows:
Nottingham Labour Group
The Nottingham Labour Group published its 25-page manifesto, which has more than 100 pledges, at an event at Antenna in Nottingham on April 14.
It seeks to address issues such as the former Broadmarsh Centre site, Nottingham Castle and the authority’s financial situation which remains under the continued scrutiny of a Government-appointed improvement board.
Within the manifesto the group has detailed five key pledges.
1. Help Nottingham people cope with the cost of living crisis.
2. Work with housing associations and house builders to provide 1,000 new affordable and social rented homes to rent or buy.
3. Keep streets, neighbourhoods and the city centre clean.
4. Become the first carbon neutral city in the country.
5. Support 3,000 Nottingham people into work.
On top of the five main priorities the group has detailed numerous other pledges which it will seek to meet over the next four years if it retains control of the council.
These include addressing period poverty by providing free sanitary products in libraries, filling 40,000 potholes, aiming to recycle 40 per cent of waste and potentially expanding the NET tram network.
The group has also promised to “safeguard the city’s finances”, restore the Victoria Embankment paddling pool and retain free public toilets in the city.
Further pledges include cutting crime and reducing anti-social behaviour by ten per cent, as well as better working with community groups to promote and
hold annual cultural events for Black History Month, South Asian Heritage Month, Pride, Carnival, Mela, Disability Awareness Month and International Women’s Day.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the manifesto launch event on Friday, group leader David Mellen said it had been developed by hosting numerous consultations with residents in areas such as St Ann’s and at institutions such as Nottingham College.
“We never take anybody’s vote for granted and we work hard even in wards where there is a relatively strong majority,” he said.
“Even in wards where the opposition is putting up relatively few numbers of candidates we will be talking to people, delivering our leaflets and listening to what people say.
“We will take up the problems they bring, our case workers are absolutely overwhelmed from people bringing back issues.
“I think we have a good chance of maintaining control in the city, we will do the best that we can to elect as many Labour councillors as we can, we have got 20 days to continue to talk to the people of Nottingham, but nothing is taken for granted.
“We live in a democracy where the richest person in Nottingham and their vote is worth no more than the poorest person.
“We encourage people to vote. We think the requirement of voter ID could be a difficulty so we are talking to people about that all the time.”
Full manifesto: https://nottinghamlabour.org.uk/2023/04/14/nottingham-labour-manifesto-launch/
Nottingham Green Party
The Nottingham Green Party will be putting up 17 candidates who will appear at the ballot box on May 4.
In 2019 the group put up 14 candidates, but none were elected.
In its pledges the group says it hopes to expand park and ride capacity and create a citizens’ assembly.
It also says it will seek to implement a joint Green Party and Liberal Democrats plan for the former Broadmarsh Centre.
In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a spokesman for the Nottingham Green Party said: “The Green Party strives to create a system based on well-being, community and sustainability, where the heart of government is you, the people.
“The cost of living crisis has left families destitute. The energy crisis has left us unable to heat our homes.
“Climate change threatens the world we love so much. The Green Party believes the time to act is now.”
The group says its main pledges are based on “three pillars of sustainability”.
The first pillar is ‘social’, within which a focus to build healthier, happier, holistic communities.
The second is ‘economic’, and aims to deliver sustainable prosperity and support for those in need.
The third is ‘environmental’, and aims to protect “our one and only world”.
“Through these 3 key goals, we will launch our city into the future, and make Nottingham one of the most desirable places to live in the entire country,” the Nottingham Green Party adds.
It also published nine pledges ahead of the election, with a complete manifesto expected on April 19.
They are as follows;
1. Housing:
“Ensure there are enough bed spaces in safe and monitored shelters so no one has to sleep rough.”
2. Transport:
“Expand the park and ride scheme capacity, reducing traffic and air pollution.”
3. Economy:
“Work with job centres and the DWP to create new volunteer positions that can support local charities to drastically expand support to local residents that are in food and energy poverty.”
4. Health:
“Collaborate with Nottingham NHS Trust to raise awareness for women’s health issues such as endometriosis.”
5. Planning:
“Implement the joint Green Party-Liberal Democrat plan for a new, regenerated, thriving Broadmarsh centre based around access to green spaces, growth and jobs.”
6. Waste:
“Seek to eliminate litter around the city by creating new jobs in waste collection and organising community-led efforts to clean up our streets.”
7. Energy:
“Implement an ‘Insulate Nottingham’ scheme to subsidise costs for upgrading insulation in low-income homes with low energy efficiency.”
8. Education:
“Extend the free school meals programme to the school holidays to ensure no child goes hungry during the holidays, expanding the summer voucher programme to Easter and Christmas.”
9. Democracy:
“Create a citizens’ assembly as an improved forum for people to be consulted on local developments and policy, and allowing residents to hold their politicians to account.”
Nottingham Independents
Following success in 2019, when the relatively small group secured all three seats in Clifton East and became the second largest party on the council, the Nottingham Independents have put up dozens more candidates to stand on May 4.
The group has put up 28 candidates, compared to seven in 2019.
Kevin Clarke, the group leader, says one of the group’s main priorities is to help seek out a new location for Victoria Centre Market traders.
The pledge comes as the current Labour administration at the council proposed to end the lease on the market, with traders having faced uncertainty for over 18 months with a final decision yet to be made.
“Rather than having a manifesto, we have encouraged all candidates to concentrate on what is needed in the wards they are representing,” Mr Clarke said.
“These candidates all live in their respective wards and know the issues that are related to that ward.”
The Nottingham Independents have published 10 main pledges.
1. Youth centres, youth provision: We will do all we can to save services and centres for local children to use, reducing anti-social behaviour within wards.
2. To ensure there are no more library or community centre closures.
3. Environmental issues, fly-tipping, discarded litter areas and demand more enforcement.
4. Repair of roads, paths and potholes within one month of reporting.
5. More social housing is desperately needed. We will seek to look at all options to request more family homes to be built if possible.
6. Work alongside the police to reduce knife crime, raise awareness of the devastation caused to families.
7. Support and encourage local jobs fairs for residents.
8. We will again petition the Government for more financial aid to help people through the cost of living crisis.
9. We would look to stop successive rate increases for businesses across the city.
10. To seek out a new local for the city market traders, a much love market for the people of Nottingham.
Nottingham Conservative Group
The Nottingham Conservative Group, which has put up 41 candidates for the upcoming election, has released a two-page manifesto ahead of May 4.
In 2019 it had put forward a candidate for all 55 seats, when it sought to take control of the council.
Two former members of the group, Andrew Rule and Roger Steel, left to stand as independents on May 4.
On May 4 the group says it will only be seeking to create a strong opposition, with eight pledges published ahead of the election.
It’s pledges are as follows;
1. A strong opposition to Nottingham Labour:
“Nottingham Conservatives will bring a strong and much-needed opposition to the financially incompetent, secretive and dogmatic Labour controlled City Council.
“Only the Conservatives can provide the necessary opposition to Labour and we were the first to warn of the financial disaster of Robin Hood Energy.
“Labour have run up our city’s debt to £1.175billion through their incompetence, and we are now paying interest and charges of over £1million per week on that debt.”
2. Stopping rises in our Council Tax:
“Labour councils charge more than Conservative councils. Nottingham Conservatives will vote to limit further council tax increases and will pressure the council to focus on delivering our core public services, not throwing millions of our money on their wasteful pet projects.”
3. Fixing our roads:
“The Conservative Government has recently allocated an additional £2million to Nottingham to fix potholes and deliver road improvements.
“Nottingham Conservatives will ensure that this is spent wisely, and we will make the council repair potholes before they become a danger to cars, cyclists and pedestrians.”
4. Opposing charges for Parking Permits:
“On top of our already high council tax, we should not have to pay to park outside of our own homes.
“We will fight to keep residents’ parking permits free.”
5. Keeping Nottingham open for business:
“Nottingham Conservatives will keep Nottingham open for business by developing a proper plan and taking action to get business and opportunities for jobs and leisure back in our city.
“The mess of Broadmarsh, the closed Castle and the new Central Library with no books are all testament to Labour’s failure.”
6. Cleaning up Nottingham:
“We are proud of our city, and we will ensure that the City Council works harder to clean up graffiti and repair the vandalism that spoils our community spaces.”
7. Preventing anti-social behaviour:
“We will work closely with our local police officers and the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner to deal with nuisance anti-social behaviour across every community in our city.”
8. Championing Community Groups:
“Nottingham Conservatives will champion and support local community groups and invite them to take a much more proactive role in shaping the future of our city so that we can build a Nottingham that works for everyone.”
City of Nottingham Liberal Democrats
As with the Conservative Group, the Liberal Democrats are seeking to form an effective opposition.
The group has put up 20 candidates compared to 33 in 2019.
In a statement it says: “Labour have controlled the council since it was formed.
“They have 50 out of 55 seats and it is certain they will be in charge again. What isn’t certain is whether there will be an opposition.
“With the Conservatives in chaos and Labour pushing hard to win marginal seats, there’s a chance that we could be in a one party state from May 5.
“That being the case, every vote for the Liberal Democrats will send the council a message.
“Every Liberal Democrat elected will be an effective opposition. Every vote for the Lib Dems sends the message that our city needs a strong, functioning opposition, that scrutinises the decisions of the council and that fights for a better deal for residents.”
In its manifesto, which is five pages long, the group detailed six main pledges to “fix” Nottingham.
They are as follows;
1. A council that cleans up its finances:
“Sound finances need to be restored to the City Council. Any Lib Dems elected would be an effective opposition to scrutinise their finances.”
2. Building a better Broad Marsh:
“Making sure the Broad Marsh development has a proper green space and that any building on that land is to a decent environmental standard, rather than lowest common denominator.”
3. A sound future for Nottingham Castle:
“A sound future for Nottingham Castle with a public business plan.
“The Castle needs to be reopened with a proper, public business plan, and we will push for the grounds to be open [for free] to all, not just three times a year as Labour are promising.”
4. Protect our libraries:
“We still don’t have a Central Library, several years after the previous one was closed.
“The council has wasted money on storing books while, at the same time, threatening to close three more libraries.
“The Lib Dems fought those closures and will push the council to deliver better provision, including a proper central library again.”
5. Attract jobs and investment:
“Nottingham is an internationally known city, famous for many inventions and for Robin Hood.
“The current administration has presided over its decline. Lib Dems would engage with business plus the creative and science sectors.
“It’s time for the city to be revitalised.”
6. Turn around the city’s ‘inadequate’ Children’s Services:
“It is shameful that the City Council’s provision of Children’s Services has been rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.
“There are Lib Dem councillors in the UK who have turned around failing Children’s Services provision.
“If elected, the Lib Dems would engage with them and push for sharing of best
practice so that the next generation in Nottingham are not let down.”
Full statement of priorities: https://www.nottinghamlibdems.org.uk/local-elections-2023/
