Standing up for Sutton

Apart from the Euros, the other big event taking place has been the General Election. Six weeks of campaigning from all the political parties means we now have a new government and in Sutton two new MPs. I would like to thank our two former Sutton MPs, Paul Scully and Elliot Colburn, for their service to the borough. I would also like to congratulate their successors, Bobby Dean for Carshalton & Wallington and Luke Taylor for Sutton & Cheam, and wish them all the best in their new roles.

I have ambitions and hopes for this new government. I am looking forward to the King’s Speech next Wednesday where the Prime Minister will share his priorities for the coming months and years ahead. Sutton as a local authority has one big ask: that local government is funded fairly. I am keen to see the plan for how adult and child social care is paid for and how, as a council, we can look after those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without a roof over their heads. 

I firmly believe that councils are best placed to look after our residents, but increasing costs and rising demand mean that our budgets are stretched. This makes it harder to provide those services which we all use, including emptying our bins, looking after our parks and our streets, and managing our libraries and leisure facilities. 

One of my priorities, when I took over as Leader of the Council, was to write to the Mayor of London to invite him to Sutton to see some of the challenges our residents face getting around the borough.  I wrote to him earlier this week and I look forward to receiving his response.

Back to the Euros. I want to wish England good luck on Sunday. I hope that it’s a great game and that everyone has a fun and safe time watching the match whatever the result, but…COME ON YOU LIONS!

Leader of the Council,
Councillor Barry Lewis