Our vision for a fairer Portsmouth

All our residents deserve the chance to live rewarding and meaningful lives. They should be able to share in the benefits a thriving economy brings, feel safe in vibrant communities and be given support when they need it.

Too many Portsmouth people have been left behind and seen profits go to just a few. That has to change. We want a better life for everyone, so it’s time those benefits were spread around.

We’ll build community wealth by boosting wages, supporting small businesses and not-for-profits and ensuring land is developed for everyone’s benefit, not just property developers.

Parts of Portsmouth have flourished while others have been neglected. We need green, safe, vibrant communities in every part of our city and we want residents to have a greater say in how our city is run.

After years of austerity, many of the services people used to rely on have either been lost or are struggling to survive on drastically reduced budgets. This needs to be put right, so we will put tackling poverty and discrimination at the top of the agenda, ensure vulnerable people are protected, support young people and families, and make sports, arts and leisure accessible for all.

We’ve talked to the people of Portsmouth, residents, community organisations, workers and listened to their views and ideas for our city. Our manifesto has grown out of this consultation and we’re extremely grateful to everyone who has been involved.

Lots of residents tell us they are frustrated with the ‘Punch and Judy’ style of local politics in Portsmouth and feel their voices aren’t heard. We want to improve local democracy by: engaging residents in meaningful consultation about the big issues facing our city; devolving power and resources down to the local level; and moving to all out elections every 4 years to encourage long term strategic policy instead of just fighting the next election.

We are the only party locally to pledge to work towards a 50:50 gender split among candidates as part of our commitment to ensuring women’s voices are better represented on the council. With just 12 of the 42 councillors on Portsmouth City Council being women and just three women standing for the Tories and four standing for the Lib Dems we’re proud to have shown our commitment to equal representation.

We want a fairer Portsmouth for all and together we can build it.

Our Key Pledges 

• Carers and other outsourced council workers to be paid the living wage by April 2022.

• Bring over £30m of council contracts for services, such as housing repairs and refuse collection, back in-house. 

• Work with residents to develop Living Streets where people play, plant and engage in community activities.

• Organise a citizen’s assembly on climate change to develop a consensus on how we achieve net-zero carbon by 2030. 

• Rethink the Tipner regeneration project to avoid destroying the environment, increase the levels of social housing and improve the connections to the city. 

• Continue to strongly oppose the Aquind proposals and fight the judicial review.

• Extend landlord licensing for all HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) and private rented accommodation across the city to enforce higher housing standards.

• Reinstate a hate crime unit where anyone can get support if they’ve been victims of prejudice.

• Reverse cuts to council care homes to protect capacity and decent jobs, including reopening the closed floor at Shearwater.

• Revive high streets as welcoming community hubs where residents shop, work and play.