By Councillor Steve Ricketts, Independent, Drake Ward
After nearly two decades serving the great people of Drake Ward in the Community I live in, I feel now is the time to express my thoughts. Plymouth has underachieved. The system under Labour for large chunks of time over the last 26 years has brought our great city into slow decline, and it’s time for change. A Directly Elected Mayor will I’m sure be the end of Labour. it’s a way to end Labour’s miserable rule over our city.
That’s why I’m now expressing my views on the issue of a directly elected Mayor. I’m backing YES on July 17th because I believe Plymouth deserves to choose their leader. To have elected City Leader would be a real step forward for Plymouth.
The reality about Plymouth’s Decline is all in the numbers. Plymouth Council’s debt is spiralling toward £1 billion by next year, with total debt predicted to reach £1.133 billion in 2026/27 when you include Private Finance Initiative and leases. This is financial recklessness on an industrial scale.
But the debt crisis is just the tip of the iceberg. Plymouth’s employment rate of 72.9% lags behind the South West average of 78.8%, and unemployment claimants have risen to 5,985 in March 2024, up from 5,500 the previous year. Approximately 9,990 children - that’s 18.6% - currently live in poverty in our city. In some areas, over half of our children are trapped in poverty. We must fight for better future.
I’ve been serving this city as a councillor since 2006 to 2018, then returning in 2023. Under Labour control both locally and nationally we have become a diminished version of what we can be.
The promises Labour made to Plymouth have been systematically broken. Where is the prosperity they promised? Where are the jobs? Where is the investment? Instead, we’ve got council tax increases of 4.99% and cuts to essential services while debt continues to mount.
But it’s not just local Labour that has failed Plymouth - the national Labour government has betrayed working people. Our Country is living through the small boats crisis. This highly dangerous national security shambles demonstrates that we have a Labour Government that has no desire to defend our borders and take control over who comes in and out. They are failing to keep us safe and protect us from people we know nothing about.
A directly elected mayor would be chosen by tens of thousands of Plymouth voters, This creates genuine accountability. If the Mayor is perceived to have failed then voters can remove them.
I’ve been sharing this message throughout Drake Ward, and the response has been overwhelming. People are fed up. They’re tired of broken promises, tired of being ignored, tired of watching Plymouth fall behind while our city has so much potential to thrive.
The message is simple: Mayor In, Labour Out.
The future of Plymouth is in your hands. Use your vote. Make it count.
Vote YES for a Directly Elected Mayor on July 17th.
Councillor Steve Ricketts has represented Drake Ward since 2006. He currently serves as Chair of the Natural Infrastructure and Growth Scrutiny Panel and sits as an Independent member of Plymouth City Council.
Sign up for free below to get notified with all the latest breaking news from Plymouth Plus.
