One year ago today, the Conservatives took the reins of North East Lincolnshire Council. Here, Peter Sutherland, who recently stepped down as chairman of the Cleethorpes Conservatives Association, reflects on the last twelve months.
Chou En-Lai was once asked whether he thought the French Revolution was a success. He famously replied that “it was too early to tell”. I have no such reticence in stating that, during their first twelve months in office, our Conservative-led council has been successfully laying the foundations for restoring pride and standards in North East Lincolnshire.
A year ago, we had a Labour-led Council and a Labour MP in Grimsby. Now, for the first time ever, we have a Conservative administration running the council and, for the first time in eight decades, a Conservative MP in Grimsby. So well done Lia Nici, and my warmest wishes for her new calling in Westminster. And well done to Martin Vickers for yet another big increase in his majority, which is a just reward for his persistent advocacy in Parliament on behalf of the people of North East Lincolnshire.
Voters throughout the borough decided to put their faith in a Conservative-led council to lift the local economy out of years of persistent stagnation under Labour. We promised that a Conservative council would be better at delivering value for money for ratepayers, better at reducing wasteful expenditure, better at enforcing fines, better at delivering cleaner and safer streets and better at attracting businesses and jobs to the area upon which we all depend to fund our vital local services.
This Conservative administration has managed to make progress with most of these manifesto commitments – prioritising waste services and recycling, litter picking and grass verge cutting, and retaining the Toll Bar Roundabout; and, at the same time, a lot of work has been done behind the scenes to advance the longer term projects for regeneration of the entire area, including the Great Grimsby Town Deal and the long-delayed redevelopment of Garth Lane and our waterfront assets.
When Harold MacMillan was asked what was most likely to throw a government off course, he reportedly replied “events, dear boy, events”. The Covid-19 pandemic certainly qualifies as an event. Difficult choices and challenges now lie ahead, but I am confident that this Conservative administration will navigate through the difficulties with common sense and discipline under the able leadership of Councillors Philip Jackson and John Fenty, and their excellent colleagues. I know that all of them will do their utmost to restore hope and opportunity for families and businesses throughout North East Lincolnshire.
About the author