West Northants Council Election 2021:Labour party campaign issues

‘As a group, we are passionate about change. The change we want to see is based on fairness, equality and justice.

‘We have seen our communities and our life chances damaged by the last 10 years of Tory rule.

‘We have a climate emergency, rising poverty and homelessness, an increase in serious crime, and environmental degradation of our roads and streets.

‘We can choose differently. We can choose to invest:

* in our infrastructure. Green growth will provide more jobs. Well paid jobs will support the regeneration of our local economy.

* in our communities. Community hubs will provide local jobs and ensure healthier, happier outcomes for our residents.

* in our children and in our youth. Ensuring every child has a good start in life will support parents, help prevent family breakdown, reduce the need to bring children into care, improve life chances. Our children and young people must have access to a wide range of opportunities in music, arts and sport. Working in partnership with all the agencies we can do this. We did it before through extended schools. We can do it again.

* in our vulnerable adults. Day centres, respite care, carers with time to spend, will all help social isolation and improve health and well-being.

'The climate emergency is real. We need urgent action to reduce emissions. We need to incentivise the switch to alternative energy sources for vehicles. We need to encourage a switch to green energy suppliers. If we do that together we can also reduce energy prices. We need to encourage people to think local to reduce our carbon footprint.

'The level of poverty we see is a disgrace. We need urgent action to help households reduce debt and maximise income. We need our councils to be Living Wage Foundation employers and contractors. The Living Wage Foundation provides the baseline needed to keep people out of poverty. We need services and support to be local and accessible.

'Prevention is cheaper than neglect. We will invest to save and bring in new money.'