Public Sector Anxiety Disorder
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is the order of the decade for civic institutions in Liverpool City Region.
2020 and 2021 took a unique toll on me through losing - no, in fact, walking away from ‘perfect on paper’ relationships. 2019 was okay. 2017 and 2018 took their toll on me through bereavement and grief. 2014, 2015 and 2016 took their toll on me through abundant distraction.
Perhaps 2022, then, will be the year where I can finally rest? The city had other ideas…
I looked on in horror as Lena Simic, Councillor for Anfield, declared “Let's be clear, nobody wants airport expansion.” at a council meeting in January.
Let’s be clear, Lena - you do not speak for me, nor the huge swathes of people who want to see a brighter future for our region and better accountability from the incumbent Labour administration. Particularly within business and economy, the lack of a detailed and differentiated vision is apparent, as Liverpool struggles to maintain economic growth and external investment against a backdrop of stalled residential developments, crumbling roads and anti-business rhetoric from the current establishment. What appear as poor ‘GVA’ and ‘FDI’ figures in economic analyses, manifest as deprivation in our wards and misery in family homes.
The short sightedness is staggering, as we move into an era of electrically-powered transport. Meanwhile, Manchester presses on with a £1Billion airport expansion programme. What is particularly shocking, though, is the complete wall of silence about the matter beyond what was said in January’s council meeting. Instead, we have seen the Mayor tweet petitions about stopping a Hooters bar opening in town, and to rename “St James’ Station” to “St Jane’s Station” [This could be construed as quite offensive to Christians, Joanne - you can’t just go round canonising people who you like; we have a clergy that decides who gets those titles]. Do I see the good intentions behind these gestures? Maybe. But, it feels like a smokescreen considering the timing - and it seems to be focusing on the micro when our problems, such as the airport situation, are macro.
I could go on, but you can just follow some of the interactions between councillors on Twitter and concerned local people to see the state of affairs yourself. I see no real impactful opposition from the Lib Dems, either, which is a shame considering they traditionally champion a more market-friendly agenda than Labour. Then again, they’re led by somebody who was keen to ban the Coca Cola truck from coming to Liverpool - which doesn’t feel very ‘liberal’ to me.
People look to Labour to, understandably, champion the needs of the person who has not been born into privilege. To do that effectively, however, requires pragmatism, vision, integrity and capability to execute. I cannot say whether the people wearing Labour colours in our region don’t have those qualities - but they do seem to be notably absent from many of the goings-on in recent years.
I feel moved to make one last stand to try and show people in this city that they deserve so much better than what is being offered to them; that there are alternatives to the status quo and that prosperity is only ever one good set of leaders away. Look at Miami, for God’s sake.
That said, I find myself spending more and more time thinking “Why am I bothering? Why do I not just take my money and my business and move to somewhere that doesn’t have these problems?”
I’m sure I’m not the only one…
