A response to the UK's Labour Budget 2024

The world of politics can appear complex or even (dare I say it) boring.

But strip it back to what it’s really all about and that’s humanity taking care of humanity, the planet and its nature, wildlife and resources.

To make it more accessible, it’s easier to think in terms of what we’re familiar with - our village, neighbourhood, town or city.

Intrinsically the smaller it is, the more people care. The larger the city, the less people are bothered about whether someone down the road is okay or not.

Put another way, if someone in the village has fallen on hard times, it’s likely compassionate people will band together to help them out.

What we need is smaller, local councils with more power to act on the issues that matter most.

Our government has grown to large, too out of touch with the crucial issues to see what is important.

And what is important? Ensuring no one falls below a poverty threshold and ends up on the street while billionaires wield too much power and pay back too little into the system they now partly control.

Roads that aren’t full of potholes, public services that actually serve the public.

The deficit in finance needs to be filled by the super rich who have more money than they would ever need to spend in their own or their great grandchildren’s lifetime.

Wealth redistribution is key. Clawing it back by charging bus users an extra £1 per journey is pitiful and shameful.

Farms need to remain in farmers’ hands – the Government should never be in control of a country’s farmland. The mere thought is dystopian and terrifying.

Local, small and independent is what keeps the world strong and resilient to any shocks that can and will arise.

More power, care and compassion at a local level can only contribute to a kinder society.

The rich are not here to rule the world, they have a duty to help rebalance it.

It’s time to stop printing more money, to consolidate, redistribute what exists and create a fairer, kinder, more compassionate society.