Time for the East to be at the front of the queue

Since the launch of the manifesto across East Anglia last week we have been inundated with people supporting the demands to ensure this region is ready for lift-off post-Covid.

The campaign will lobby our politicians and leaders to do everything within their power to push the East to the front of the queue.

For too long Norfolk, Suffolk and Waveney have been overlooked by central government. And for too long we have accepted our lot and quietly go on with it.

That must end now.

But Fightback East will do more than just issue demands. This newspaper will also hold those in power to account. The buck has to stop with them.

The Fightback East manifesto (Image: Archant)

We are giving a voice to the people and businesses of this region. The grafters. The innovators. Those who go above and beyond day in, day out.

And the appetite for the fight burns red-hot in the region’s c-suites. In the coming weeks they will get the opportunity to make their point vociferously to government in these pages. And we will take their demands right to the steps of 10 Downing Street.

And already Fightback East has garnered political support.

Waveney MP Peter Aldous, also the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the East of England, has thrown his weight behind the campaign which he said he backed “entirely”.

“Quite frankly you have to bang on as much as possible and shout as much as possible,” he said. “One of the largest infrastructure projects in the world is due to take place at Sizewell. The key there is to harness as much of those opportunities as possible for local people and local businesses.”

The Fightback East manifesto (Image: Archant)

Other infrastructure projects included the Lake Lothing third crossing in Lowestoft and new offshore wind turbine farms but opportunities to retrain oil and gas workers for the new “green” jobs was key, he added.

“The third crossing in Lowestoft is probably a very good example of the sort of project that ‘red wall’ seats are interested in,” he said. “The fact it has not been delivered for a long, long time does make people in Lowestoft feel they have been neglected. These types of schemes you don’t do overnight – you have to prepare and go through the planning stages.”

But it was true that the government per capita spend in East Anglia was lower than in other regions, he added, and he hoped that this anomaly would be redressed by government soon.

And Norwich South Labour MP Clive Lewis shares the manifesto’s view that austerity will do more harm than good if deployed to get the UK’s finances back in order.

“There is absolutely no justification for returning to sink or swim, sticking plaster, penny-pinching approaches to jobs and investment in our region,” he said.

“We’ve seen during this pandemic that it is absolutely possible for a government to find the resources necessary to make vital changes happen very quickly. Quite simply, there are no excuses for inaction any more.”

And Mr Lewis also added that now was the time to address the climate crisis: “Our region is at the sharp end of the likely consequences of climate breakdown and the environmental emergency. From sustainable energy to world-class life science and biotechnological expertise, we also have the wherewithal here to remake our economy so it works for both people and planet.

“This isn’t just a fightback for our region but should also signal the beginnings of a real sustained fight for a sustainable future.”

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt added: “I largely support the manifesto that the campaign is putting forward in terms of upgrading our infrastructure, attracting businesses and retaining them in Ipswich and the East of England generally.

“I also want to ensure that the East bounces back after the pandemic and this is why I have paid particular attention to the needs of our hospitality industry and lobbied the government to provide further support throughout the pandemic and extend the tax breaks for these businesses well into the future.

“It is important to recognise that we share a common vision for the East and I have repeatedly made the point in parliament that the levelling up agenda should not just apply to Northern towns and the Midlands but must also include the East.”