I cannot recall a government that has lost its sheen so quickly. Let down after let down, disappointment after disappointment. Winter Fuel Payments, keeping the two child benefit cap, kicking social care into the long grass, betraying WASPI women and enough freebies and scandals to match the Tories! Just seven months in and already the resentment towards this Labour government is palpable on the doorstep.

Here in Southwark, where we are now one of the top Liberal Democrat challengers to a held Labour seat in the country, we are used to being let down by Labour. For 15 years they have controlled the council, and they have been mired in housing scandals, delivered poor service for residents, and let crime and anti-social behaviour spiral out of control. Content with blaming us, the Tories, or frankly anyone who isn’t the Labour party, they have finally run out of excuses. 

We’re using our alternative budget to show that politics is about choices, and only Liberal Democrats are making the right calls for our communities. 

The cost of living remains high, and locally and nationally Labour are doing nowhere near enough to support those who are choosing between eating and heating. That’s why we are, once again, offering bespoke support for those who need it most, by effectively freezing council tax for the poorest, and putting more money into our local Cost of Living Fund. 

Meanwhile, our Labour London Mayor has lost control of crime in the nation’s capital. Phone snatching is an epidemic that has grown out of proportion (theft from the person is 42x as higher in our patch than the national average), and our councillors’ inboxes are inundated with anti-social behaviour issues. Our alternative budget follows where Liberal Democrat councils have led – we want to invest in doubling the number of community safety officers, and a programme of community safety infrastructure like late night safe spaces and CCTV. Following the lead of Liberal Democrat councils like Kingston, Watford and Richmond who are taking community safety seriously.   

Our party secured the best result in its history by leading on the health and care agenda, and as expected, this Labour government has kicked the care issue into the long grass with yet another review. We know that one of the solutions is about integrating health and care together – so we’re calling for real resources to be invested into creating proper Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. 

It’s no surprise that a Labour council is swimming in wasteful spending and leaving revenue raising opportunities on the table. We’ve exposed the millions wasted on consultants, spending £40,000 a year just to hold council meetings and the culture of cronyism. We would slash the waste millions spent on consultants and back-office activity to ensure that our communities are getting value for their cash, spent on priorities important to them.  As a top tourist destination, we’d also raise income through an innovative Tourist Tax, a measure that’s already raised millions in other cities. 

Most importantly, as Kemi Badenoch recently helpfully pointed out, our party is about being truly embedded within our communities. Our alternative budget would also look at how we can truly devolve power to local people, so that those with most at stake can decide what, when, and where things happen in their areas. 

Whilst Labour are continuing to let us down nationally and locally, there is a real opportunity for Liberal Democrats to show that we are ones with the ideas and passion to deliver real change for our communities, and our alternative budget does exactly that. 

* Cllr Victor Chamberlain is a Liberal Democrat member of the Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board at the LGA and is the Leader of the Opposition on Southwark Council.