You and I and the other 95,000 Hastings inhabitants have no vote in the election that will happen tomorrow (17/2/20). Just 23 Labour councillors will choose the person who will lead our town for the next few years. Will we see puffs of white smoke coming from Muriel Matters House?!
It bothers me that the character and loyalties of the individual chosen tomorrow will be so important. In reality the impact will be felt in structural terms: the balance of power between councillors and officers, what happens to the discredited ‘regeneration agency’ Seaspace and its progeny, how long the council sticks to its commitment to council tax benefit. But most of all it is about attitude and behaviours, and that does come down to individual leadership. Which of tomorrow’s candidates will shape an environment in which Hastings Borough Council becomes a genuine partner to the incredible range of people who want to help make positive change in the town?
While many have been rightly admiring Preston I have been even more impressed by Wigan. Way back at the start of the austerity decade, the council’s response was to completely rethink what it should be and how it should behave. They introduced ‘the Wigan Deal’ and have transformed themselves as an institution, their relationships with residents, community groups and social enterprises, successfully improving all kinds of ‘outcomes’ from health and education to community pride and satisfaction.
Whoever is elected, I’d be delighted to coordinate a learning visit to Wigan where chief executive Alison McKenzie-Folan has very kindly offered to host a mixed group of councillors, officers and activists from Hastings. As we move towards a Town Deal for Hastings we need to be learning from each other, from the past, and from elsewhere.
Spinning Plates 
Great idea to visit. They even have a pier! 🙂