Labour Hull City Councillor Shane McMurray analyses the recent debate among UK political leaders, highlighting the impact of national policies on local communities like Hull and emphasising the lack of discussion on local government funding and devolution.
Councillor Shane McMurray
Labour Councillor for Hull City CouncilAs a Labour Councillor for one of the most deprived wards in the country, in a city with some of the lowest disposable income and life expectancy, what happens in government can have a real impact on the lives of Hullensians.
LIBDEMS: The Nice Man Who Believes What He Was Told
Ed wasted no time targeting corporations and banks, subtly reminding the country that it was the banks that broke Britain well before Liz Truss. He also swiped at social media firms, ironically his former leader now headis up Facebook UK, he drew a link between social media use among the young and mental health.
Ed had to justify taking part in the coalition government, admitting he wasn’t proud of some votes, particularly on tuition fees, which damaged the Lib Dem brand.
He attempted to set himself apart from Starmer by stating he’d overturn the two-child benefit cap and highlighting his plans to increase taxes on billionaires and millionaires. He touched on the cost of living and affordable homes but was criticised for his publicity stunts, which was clearly about gaining attention for his parties policies.
His response to the Horizon scandal was telling: he claimed he didn’t see through the lies told by his officials and Royal Mail, which should raise concerns about his ability to hold high office. While the crowd liked him, whether they’ll vote for Mr. Nice Guy remains uncertain.
SNP: Reducing Polarisation While Pushing for Independence
After deflecting questions about party turmoil, the Scottish leader quickly discussed a child payment introduced to help with the cost of living, providing the mostly English audience a glimpse into Scottish politics. He emphasised the need to prevent polarisation by working cross-party but faced immediate questions about Scottish independence, clearly showing his unwavering commitment to this cause and to rejoining the EU.
He proposed supporting tech investment to bridge the present and a tech-driven future for Scotland, though this failed to impress the questioner. He associated Labour with the Conservatives on economic policy, attempting to distance his party from the government that caused economic damage and a cautious Keir Starmer, pressing for more action to undo austerity’s harm.
LABOUR: Legislation on Rent and Better Pay for NHS Staff
Starmer appeared increasingly confident, with polls suggesting he has good reason. He quickly distanced his current position from Corbyn’s manifesto while reminding the audience of the damage caused by Liz Truss. Despite being interrupted he said Corbyn would have been a better prime minister than…… it was clear he was about to say the Torys.
Starmer promised a cash injection for the NHS to address backlogs and legislating to prevent rent bidding wars, pledging lower deposits and 1.5 million new homes. He vowed to upskill Brits to reduce reliance on foreign workers. On a potentially tricky trans question, he quoted Tony Blair, stating a man has a penis and a woman has a vagina but affirmed respect for those who feel born with the wrong gender, satisfying the questioner.
CONSERVATIVES: All His Eggs in the Migration Basket
Sunak appeared surprisingly upbeat despite the polls. He drew laughs referencing his National Service policy and defended Brexit by touting Free-ports offering apprenticeships. He proposed extending pharmacy services to ease NHS burdens and consistently emphasised tax cuts as his primary policy.
His stance on Rwanda and readiness to walk away from the European Court of Human Rights elicited cheers and shouts of shame! He was visibly angry with the young female questioner who asked the question. When another young person asked about hope for his generation, he replied, “when you get a job you’ll pay less taxes,” a response that seemed to indicate they were not his priority and in contrast to the other leaders who all mentioned children and young people several times each.
Final Thought: Where Was the Local Government Focus?
While each leader presented their vision, sadly there was no questions to them around funding local government and devolution—key issues for Hull. Hull is desperate for housing, desperate for better health and social care and in dire need of real investment to give people security and hope now and for years to come.
For more electoral analysis from a local council perspective, please click here.