The state of the roads in Rhoose came up time and again on the doorstep on Saturday. Residents do not feel they’re getting value for money from their council tax. And they’re right to feel that way.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council often pleads poverty, when it comes to hiking council tax at budget time. Yet it finds resources for many projects outside the Council’s remit, such as making the Vale a County of Sanctuary for asylum seekers.
Let’s be clear, I oppose Plaid and Labour’s policy on principle. People should not be encouraged to come to Britain illegally. The Nation and County of Sanctuary are both pull factors, drawing people here when the message we’re sending should be the opposite. It’s not hard to see why the public wants them scrapped.
Residents deserve better. And it’s very possible to deliver it. We need focused leaders, who don’t go down the road of “progressive” politics. Whether it’s in Westminster, the Senedd or the Council, competent representatives should prioritise the task in hand.
Getting the bins collected. Resurfacing the roads. Cutting the verges. Installing new play equipment. Planting trees in our communities. Doing these things right makes our communities much more pleasant places to live.
This is what the Council should focus on. Its leader, Lis Burnett, must rethink her priorities.