This week, President Trump returned to the White House. His slew of executive orders has dominated the news. What to say? The vast majority of those, whether you agree with his stances or not, fall well outside the scope of what it is appropriate for me to comment on. There are, however, a couple of matters on which I will comment. The decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement of 2015, which seeks to limit pollution and mitigate some of the more devastating impacts of climate change, is concerning. The world’s largest economy is naturally a key factor in the effectiveness of the agreement; action on climate change needs to be a global effort, it needs collaboration and is much more than just decarbonisation.
Secondly, whilst nothing definitive has yet happened as I write, I hope that a change of leadership in the world’s most powerful nation might bring a change in direction to the conflict in Ukraine. I know many are fearful that Trump will withdraw support; maybe, just maybe, his unpredictability could be an asset in finding a solution tolerable to both Ukraine and Russia. One which respects democracy and everyone’s inalienable right to live in a free and fair society and achieves peace.
In other news regarding changes to governmental institutions, albeit on a more local scale, the Government’s devolution bill is aiming to make unitary authorities the standard across England. However, on this point, I want to make clear that Solihull is already a unitary authority (as a Metropolitan Borough)
The goal of consistency is probably no bad thing and could lead to easier solutions when considering things like (desperately needed) continuity and longer-term planning and solutions in local authority funding. The key, as ever, will be in the implementation of the proposals. Delivery.
The rest of the bill focuses on giving power to the regions, and regional mayors.
Within the West Midlands, we have always been pretty good at working with other councils, and the Mayor, regardless of political parties – delivering major projects, such as economic ones, but also others like the Commonwealth Games, infrastructure, and collaborating on health for instance during the Covid pandemic.
More generally. I believe that we can stand to benefit from new powers with proper collaboration and provided that sense of communal benefit continues to pervade. Solihull is uniquely positioned within the region, providing beautiful open space between the large cities of Coventry and Birmingham; green lungs of the West Midlands that I hope everyone will continue to recognise.
On the subject of retaining beautiful places, I had a complaint this week regarding graffiti. It is a blight and we do our best to combat it as a council, but our resources are limited. Council officers address issues using a fair and transparent process, just as they do with other services like road repairs, and we simply don’t have the capacity to repair everything instantly.
On Saturday 1 February, Touchwood is hosting a day of traditional celebrations for the whole family to enjoy welcoming in the Lunar New Year. The celebration of music, dance and interactive workshops will include traditional lion dances around the centre between 11am-5pm. More information about the festival can be found here.
I have already mentioned the Solihull Apprenticeship Show which will be taking place next Wednesday 29 January, so this is just a reminder to register if you’re interested in hearing from a wide range of employers about the variety of opportunities available. All the details are available here.
Finally, I want to talk about the excellent work of FastAid, They are a voluntary organisation of Community First Responders, and their Arden team cover much of Solihull borough. Last year they responded to 580 emergency 999 calls, and in 90% of cases they reach the scene ahead of the paramedics and are able to start life-saving treatment. This saves vital minutes in situations where this really can be the difference between life and death. The pressures on ambulance services across the country are no secret, so FastAid’s work has become increasingly important. They are an excellent group and I want to take this chance to thank them publicly. You can find out more about their work and how you can get involved on their website.
Thanks for reading, have a good weekend.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council.