Its’ all incredibly hectic. A new administration at County and most of the councillors are new. To be fair it all seemed to be a bit stale and complacent so a new start with new people was probably what was needed. There’s a real of excitement and anticipation, tempered with the knowledge that there is so much to do. Even the officers seem quite animated!

Change of Culture – Working in partnership

There needs to be a change of culture at the council. Devon must be more outward looking. For too long, the council has been far too insular. In some cases, unco-operative and at other times downright obstructive, that mentality has got to change. The only way we can deliver the services the public need and deserve is to work with our partners. This means creating productive relationships with other agencies from the NHS to schools, from parish and town councils to community groups. We know money is incredibly tight. Working together we can achieve so much more.

Inclusive Council

People are incredibly frustrated and angry with the body politic. To just continue with the same old ‘Punch and Judy’ politics isn’t an option to my mind. We’ve got to do it differently. So many people tell me on the doorstep they just want us all to work together for the good of our communities. I agree, it’s the right way forward. It doesn’t matter what political tribe you’re from, if your top priority is to do what’s best for your community then we’re on the same side. Too much time and energy can be wasted over petty political squabbles when we should be focused on delivering the services residents expect.

This is the approach we’ve taken at South Hams, and I am convinced we are a better council because of it. Consensus, compromise and co-operation are the order of the day. I want this approach at the county. We have no political whipping. Councillors vote on each issue, putting their communities first. Party politics should not feature. Of course, we’re going to have our disagreements, but robust debate is good for democracy. If our shared goal is to make Devon a better place, we’re going to agree on most things.

Children’s Services

We have been failing our most vulnerable children for far to long. Again, the latest report from OFSTED puts us at the bottom of the pile. As a member of scrutiny, to hear the very human cost of our poor performance has been heart breaking. As leader I will take on the children’s portfolio together with two of my colleagues on the cabinet. We want to send a message to our dedicated staff that we are with you on this journey. Our children need us, and we must deliver. For me, this should be the judge of the success or failure of this administration.

Potholes

And of course, we’ve got to sort out highways maintenance and the plague of potholes on our roads. If we can, we should bring the contract back in-house. As we saw with rubbish collection in the South Hams, if you outsource one of your core services, when things go wrong you’ve lost control. I’ve seen figures banded around. It costs us £180 to fix a pothole in Devon but just across the border in Somerset only £60! If this is the case, then it’s unacceptable. At the very least, any contract must not allow the contractor to take us for a ride.

It's a huge task ahead of us, slightly daunting but we’re all very excited to get on with the job.