As part of our 2018 Local Election coverage, we have contacted each candidate standing in 16 wards across South West Birmingham, asking them to contribute to this election’s ’500 Words’ series.
Each candidate has been invited to describe themselves and their campaigns in their own words. Their submissions will be published – without editing – in the order that they are received. Should they be longer than 500 words, they will be cropped.
With the formation of new wards across the city, this is an all-out election, with every seat up for grabs. Some wards have one seat and some have two. Learn more about the ward changes and your candidates.
Our latest submission comes from the two Liberal Democrat candidates for Bartley Green ward, where two seats are being decided: David and Maureen Osborne
Over the next four years Birmingham Liberal Democrats – a strong and diverse team of campaigners of all ages, working across the city – want to take the opportunity to create a clean, green, safe and caring environment for you; one that will be appreciated by the international community as well.
Liberal Democrats work hard for our neighbourhoods all year round and will create a council that supports our communities rather than wastes money on “updating” already functional facilities like Centenary Square. To that end, our manifesto identifies “14 to fix” key policy areas to make necessary changes to the City Council to rectify the the current breakdown in public services.
Liberal Democrats have strong, practical and fully costed ideas to keep the city clean, green, to improve local services and empower local communities. Our proposals include :
- Clean up the city and reform refuse collection, maintaining weekly household waste collections;
- Serious investment in tackling fly-tipping which includes purchase of surveillance cameras and prosecuting for offences on all open land whether owned by the council or not;
- Because of the disgraceful state of our roads, we have proposals to revamp the road maintenance contract with Amey;
- Support for child health through measures such as holiday meals clubs, encouraging walking and cycling to school and parents delivering children to uncongested points with children taken to school by “walking bus”;
- Proposals for a “Brummie bus ticket” to mirror those in other parts of the region;
- Councillors and private developers investing in youth facilities;
- Proposals to empower communities based on the new smaller wards through area committees who would be responsible for spending their own budgets;
- Reverse cuts to budgets for local parks and place libraries at the heart of communities;
- Tackling the problem of rogue and exploitative landlords and helping those facing homelessness;
At the moment the present Labour council has no credible plan to sort out these problems and continues to reject any ideas for improvement that are not their own.
Liberal Democrats want a city that is happier, healthier and genuinely proud of itself and the image it projects to the rest of the world – bring on the Commonwealth Games!
Dave Osborne was a teacher of English and Communications and a Birmingham City Councillor for 15 years (1996-2011) the last six being Chair of the Licensing Committee.
Maureen Osborne spent 24 years managing an accommodation unit for students from overseas.
Both are now retired with plenty of time to be there for you. But they’ll need your vote on May 3rd.
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