Yahoo News Gloucester MP Richard Graham 'hopes voters won't be let down by a Lib Dem-run council' as he defends Tory colleagues' record
Gloucester voters want change on the City Council says City MP Richard Graham but he "hopes that they’re not disappointed by an Liberal Democrat-led administration". The Conservative MP has defended his colleagues’ record while they were in power at North Warehouse and highlighted their achievements.
But the recent Gloucester City Council election results suggest the next administration will be led by the Liberal Democrats after they took 17 of the 39 seats available. The Tory group lost control of the authority and saw their number seats drop from 21 to 11. Labour saw the largest gain in the number of seats after securing seven - up from two.
And the Community Independents doubled their representation and had four councillors elected. Mr Graham said: “What the local elections here showed is people exercising their democratic right for change, but without agreement on what that change should be - and we must hope that they’re not disappointed by an Liberal Democrat-led administration.
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“What individual MPs have to show is leadership and effective advocacy and challenge for residents to councils and any other local bodies that should be helping them. I’ll continue to provide that.
"Helping about 40 constituents a week, while working on key goals of attracting investment and jobs into our city, enabling great opportunities for our young - whether jobs, sport or culture - and getting rough sleepers off our streets and into accommodation or back to where they come from.”
Mr Graham said the Conservative run City Council has more than doubled the number of play areas, seeing a record number of new houses built, especially on brownfield sites. And they have helped four cultural bodies to win National Portfolio Status, launched the country’s most ambitious city centre regeneration plan led by a second tier council and brought the University of Gloucestershire into the city centre.
He also said they saved and turned around the leisure centre and has been working with the recycling centre on a massive 100,000 tree new wood and green energy project. “My colleagues committed the City Council to expand housing provision, especially temporary housing, for the abused, the homeless, rough sleepers and those when first given asylum - and that balance of making sure everyone in Gloucester has a roof over their head, but that we do not become the rough sleeper destination of choice, is key,” he said.
“I’ve been closely involved in all these projects, especially the two Levelling Up Fund awards and will continue to work with the no overall control but Liberal Democrat-run council to ensure Gloucester moves in the right direction.”
