Daniel Wilson's Cheltenham Blog
Our streets should be safer
Two weeks ago, an 82-year-old died after being hit by a car in Cheltenham town centre.
This is not an isolated case. There have been several accidents on our roads in the past few years,
with some even happening near schools. Despite this and the public outcry that follows, nothing is
done. We have been promised countless much-needed pedestrian crossings – where are they?
Many of Cheltenham’s routes around the town do not have a pedestrian crossing or have one in the
wrong place. And where crossings do exist, such as by the Brewery, traffic jams are so long that cars
cannot even see the green man.
How many more accidents will it take before the council introduces a 20mph speed limit and more
crossings in the town centre?
Poverty in the UK
According to this year’s poverty report from the Joeseph Rowntree Foundation, it is 20 years and six
prime ministers since there was a sustained fall in poverty.
It makes for grim reading. More than one in five people were living in poverty in 2021/22. That’s
almost 14 and a half million people, with over eight million working-age adults and four million
children.
Successive governments have allowed poverty to become entrenched and for inequality to widen.
The super-rich have seen their incomes soar during a time of increased hardship for millions of
people.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Poverty is a political choice.
There are things that can be done to address it. We support Barnardo’s call for the chancellor in his
Spring Budget to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) beyond the current end date which is set
for the 31st March.
As Labour finalises its manifesto, there’s little indication they will make the right choices to help the
millions enduring grinding poverty. This is why we so desperately need a group of Green MPs in
parliament to put pressure on Labour to do the right thing.
The Green Party would increase Universal Credit by £40 per week and abolish the two-child benefit
cap. A wealth tax on the super-rich, changes to Capital Gains Tax and abolishing “non-dom
status” would pay for these measures to reduce poverty.
Stop taking the p*ss Councillor Wilkinson
I know Max loves his “war on wee” but painting some toxic paint on walls and posing for a photo is
not going to solve the many issues race week creates for the town. What about a war on misogyny, a
war on anti-social behaviour, a war on litter, a war on paying for sex? In your final 3 months as a
councillor, we’d like a little less self-publicity please and a little more action.
If you have any questions about this article or want to raise any issues with me as your Green Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham, you can contact me at directly at daniel.wilson@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk
