Celebrating St. George’s Day
This evening we were out door-knocking in Long Eaton, speaking to voters on Bridge Street and Bennett Street.
England is by far the largest of the nations of the United Kingdom, but we don’t talk about it very often. Everyone gets a flag out and sings Three Lions when there’s a big football tournament, but that appreciation can lie a little dormant in the off-season. If you go to Scotland or Wales, there’s never any shortage of flags or pride in place and country. After fourteen years of Conservative governments at Westminster, and with politics on the brain, it’s easy to only look around and talk about what’s gone wrong and what doesn’t work anymore. So on St. George’s Day, it’s important to think about England: why we’re proud of it, what makes it special, and what more can be done for it.
England, and to a great extent specifically the Midlands, was the birthplace of the industrial revolution. That heritage is at the heart of Long Eaton, and is clear and present on Bridge Street and Bennett Street, where there are still many active industrial units. Long Eaton can proudly boasts being the centre of quality upholstery manufacturing. In my day job, I teach apprentice engineers in Nottingham, so they contribute to England’s prestigious industrial legacy. Long Eaton also holds a special place in the history of the co-operative movement: we can look back and remember proudly the mill workers and artisan furniture-makers who banded together to ensure that hard work paid better and paid off for everyone.
I was particularly happy this evening to observe progress being made on the former Britannia Mills site on Bennett Street. After many long years as disused brownfield land, and for four years a stalled development left unfinished, work resumed this February. This development is providing vital jobs for local builders, and when finished will result in good quality, affordable new homes, right in the centre of Long Eaton. Thanks to the Long Eaton Town Deal, now thoroughly underway at the initiative of Labour-run Erewash Borough Council, these new homes will be accompanied by a new bridge across the canal. These, too, are an unmissable reminder of our history, etched right into the landscape, all across England.
But there is still lots of work to be done. As many working undustrial units in that part of town as there are, and while new life is coming to Britannia Mills, there are also a number of unused brownfield sites that remain untouched. These were once places where people worked hard and earned their living, doing their part to contribute to a great economy and build a great country. Labour has a plan to power up Britain, so we can make the best use of these former industrial sites, and bring life back to our towns. An important part of that is our commitment to putting power back in the hands of local decision-makers, so choices that affect people’s lives and livelihoods are made closer to home.
I mentioned Scotland and Wales earlier. The last Labour government introduced devolution for those countries, a recognition that one-size-fits-all Westminster processes just didn’t work for everyone. It feels important then that this St. George’s Day we were out door-knocking ahead of next week’s first ever election for Mayor of the East Midlands. Over the past few years, Labour Mayors have done great things for Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, and I know that if we elect Claire Ward on 2nd May, she can do great things for our region too. Labour is committed to extending these kind of devolution settlements to everywhere in England, because nowhere in our country should be denied the opportunity to do more, better, at the local level.
After we’d spoken to more than sixty people this evening, me and my team went for a drink at the Mill & Brook to relax after some hard work and celebrate St. George’s Day. We’ve got a brilliant community here, brimming with opportunity for our towns and villages, their people and their businesses. It’s important to recognise, celebrate, and be proud of that. And while for too long our people, our towns, and our country have been let down by the Conservative government at Westminster, perhaps this time next year we’ll have even more to celebrate.
Cheers! 🍻 🏴
