Today, local residents across Solihull will take to the polls to cast their vote in support of their chosen candidate for local council and the role of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
Here in Solihull, I believe that we are lucky to benefit from a council which has succeeded in maintaining the lowest council tax increases in the region, whilst guaranteeing weekly refuse collections, free garden waste collections, care for the elderly and quality, value for money services. Furthermore, that we have a hard-working and dedicated local Police officers serving in the interests of our community.
I am sure local residents would agree with me that it is important that the local services we have access to, as well as the quality of local policing, is of the highest standard.
That is why I am pleased to welcome the progress made through the Government’s reform to policing,and the hard work undertaken by the local police, which has led to a 13% reduction in crime across the West Midlands since 2010. Through these measures, we have been able to make the police more accountable by and have made a commitment to enhance police funding; increasing spending on frontline services by an extra £900 million per year by the end of the Parliament and investing more on tackling cybercrime. Whilst separately, the new powers we have devolved to local authorities will see more of the taxes they collect locally being retained and spend on high quality local services rather than being snapped up by Whitehall.
As residents head to the polls, it is important to remember that this election is not about national issues like the NHS or the EU – it is an election with our community at its heart. The role of local councillors and the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner exists to provide residents with a champion that will work in the interests of their community, and alongside national government, to deliver real accountability and ensure that local residents have access to a strong, efficient and competitive local services.