Local election leader interviews: Liberal Democrats
In the third of six interviews, Lisa Spivey speaks for the Liberal Democrats on the upcoming Gloucestershire County Council elections
We’re halfway there! Almost a week to go until polling day, well done to those of you who cannot stand politics but are still subscribing to the newsletter!
Non-political pieces are coming soon and I must reiterate that for a democracy to function it is the role of journalists (especially locally) to hold accountable those who would govern us and here in Gloucestershire upcoming county council elections give me the chance to do so.
Five interviewees representing the political parties, plus one representative hoping to form a strong group of independent councillors, have committed a time and place for me to ask questions - I do so on behalf of you, the Gloucestershire public.
This is your local election, your vote. Not every topic will be covered but contained in each interview are questions you the voter would like to have answers to.
Each interview focuses on the services Gloucestershire County Council provides as well as expectations and why you may consider voting either Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Green, Reform UK or an independent.
My third interview representing the Liberal Democrats to speak on Gloucestershire-wide issues is Lisa Spivey.
Lisa first found her determination to get involved in politics via the 2016 EU referendum. 2019 was the year Lisa joined the Liberal Democrats where she was elected as a Cotswold District councillor for The Ampneys ward. 2021 saw Lisa gain South Cerney from the Conservatives to become a county councillor.
The Liberal Democrats have high expectations to be the largest party and possibly run Gloucestershire County Council, can it be done?
28 seats are needed for a party to gain overall control and going into this election the party is on the back of a strong general election performance. Leader Ed Davey oversaw a party reaching 72 elected MPs, the highest total ever for the Lib Dems, including gains against the Conservatives in Cheltenham, the South Cotswolds and the surprise result was victory in Tewkesbury - Cameron Thomas overturning a Tory majority of 22,410 to become the first non-Conservative MP representing the constituency since 1880.
At elections for councils, the Lib Dems currently run a fair amount of district councils including Gloucester City Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Cotswold District Council and Cheltenham Borough Council.
Targets at this election for the Lib Dems are obvious, they’re not only trying to defend their own divisions but also looking to topple the final frontier of Tory-held divisions in Cheltenham, as well as make gains across Tewkesbury, Gloucester and the Cotswolds.
“We have to make sure we resonate with voters, Lisa tells me. We have strength in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Gloucester and the Cotswolds at district council level so an expansion of our representation would be a really good.”
Lisa adds that if the Lib Dems have to work with other parties to form an administration, “we are definately open to options. I expect there to be channels of discussion and we have a good working relationship with Labour and the Greens. If we need to work together we will do so.”
Should these elections even be going ahead?
The Labour government are pushing all areas of England to merge areas where there are currently two tiers of local authority, a brand new ‘unitary’ council is on the cards for the county. It means councils such as Stroud District, Cheltenham Borough and Gloucestershire County Council will not exist for much longer.
One suggestion of splitting Gloucestershire in two saw a backlash, which means there is no agreement politically on a way forward. Gloucestershire Liberal Democrats wanted these elections to go ahead but as one voter tells me, “what is the point in voting if county council won’t exist for much longer?”
Lisa explains that “the election cycle is four years so I think these elections going ahead are very important. What I'm hearing on the doorstep is voters are ready for change so giving a voice to the electorate matters especially as we move towards local government reorganisation. We know that the Labour government have a huge majority but we don't know what a new unitary will mean. I don't think it is definite that we'll have new elections in 2027 so I didn't feel delaying the elections made sense. We need this election and we need a fresh start at Shire Hall.”
Ready to face tough financial decisions?
If Lisa is to become the next leader of Gloucestershire County Council, tough financial decisions will need to be made, something which she feels she is ready to take on.
There is a question though as to why should voters change an administration which unlike other councils across the country, is financially solvent.
The Conservatives, as Stephen Davies said in the previous leader interview, are proud to stand on a track record of being a financially solvent council - do the Tories deserve some credit?
“Yes but when you have highways falling apart and in the worst state they have ever been, adult social care requiring improvement and SEND education needing to be more transparent, I do not think things are really that great,” Lisa says.
“To me it's like your landlord saying they're not going to put your rent up for ten years, everything is fine, but actually the bathroom is falling apart or the kitchen oven does not work. We need to start investing more and managing the council's money better. Making a difference to people's lives is what we should be going.”
A mountain of financial decisions does involve taxpayers money. Gloucestershire taxpayers are already coughing up more in household bills. The county council debated and approved the Conservatives’ budget proposals for 2025/26 at a meeting earlier this year. Bills for the general public on top of a cost of living crisis involving high energy prices and the price of food - no wonder so many of you are feeling the pinch.
Can voters trust they will get value for money from the Lib Dems when the tax burden is high? There is an argument that austerity imposed by the 2010-15 coalition government is another factor why council tax has risen over the years to keep services going. Lisa and the Liberal Democrats are going to be quite cross when they find out which party joined the Conservatives in coalition for five years?
"I will never lie to people and say this is going to be easy, Lisa tells me. It is going to be really tough because costs are high and I don't feel central government are going to suddenly give Gloucestershire extra to deal with the pressures we have. We will need to work a lot smarter with our money. It does not mean we can have lower council tax but in future years we would hope to freeze it.”
On austerity, Lisa adds: “It would have been much worse if the Lib Dems were not around and let's face it, austerity has been imposed on people longer than five years. We are looking at austerity right now with the current government and it has been a death by a thousands cuts. I understand people are feeling the pinch and I know that so many are crying out for help. What we would like to do as Lib Dems is manage money better but it would be disingenuous and untrue to say we can make things better overnight.”
Another issue could be on what voters want priotising as much-needed spending on vital services. The Lib Dems have come in for criticism for spending money on changing Cotswold District Council logo colours and spending £250,000 a year on public relations roles.
"The logo changes were a rolling programme and because we often hear the electorate say they don't know what a district council does, this is why the authority spent more money on communications, Lisa says. Expressing what we do as a council was why we spent that amount of money, especially to show how we support low income families with their council tax bill. We do care where money is spent.”
Potholes and road safety
Moving onto policy and council services, Lisa says the Liberal Democrats have proposals on a number of topics.
Potholes
The Lib Dem group have criticised the £100m extension of a contract to fix Gloucestershire’s potholes. Ringway have a contract which will run to 2030, rather than 2026, subject to performance-related targets - not something Lisa says the Lib Dems would have done.
“I do not think Ringway have delivered good value for residents and the last seven years, so I certainly wouldn't have been renewing the contract for a further four. This is our group's position and I would like to see much more of our services in-house such as our partners Ubico who are already doing the county’s waste services and are owned by the county council.
County council can be doing the repairs to our roads and I think the way we mend potholes and resurface roads needs a comprehensive review because there should be a programme of resurfacing all throughout a year.”
Lisa adds: “We would not wait for a new tax year or an election, we as Lib Dems would just get on with it. We are a big rural county, nothing can change overnight but we do need to manage what I feel is a state of decline with our roads. The quality of repairs have not been good enough, so we need better contract management.”
Road safety
Voters have told me they will cast their ballot on whether candidates can guarantee concrete support for helping their community solve speeding issues. A Cotswold villager has told me they would like the next administration to help their community implement a 20mph limit.
There was a record number of road casualties in Gloucestershire in 2023, despite numbers falling across Britain. Provisional figures from the Department for Transport suggested there were 1,463 road casualties in Gloucestershire in 2023 – a 19% rise from 1,230 the year before. This was the highest figure recorded in the last 10 years. No matter the year, one casualty is one too many, so what would the Lib Dems do differently?
Lisa says the Lib Dems “will not be bringing in a blanket 20mph” limit through communities but argues that speeding and road safety needs serious thought. “We are commited to go out and consult with communities about speed limits. Where communities want 20mph we will have open dialogue. Communities know what exactly goes on in their area but of course it is a tricky conversation to have. There will be no blanket enforcement of 20mph limits, all we need to do is work with communities to embrace safer roads.”
Infrastructure and environment
Lisa says the Lib Dems will be committed to making sure the county council continues with plans to upgrade Junctions 9 and 10 of the M5.
Junctions 12 and 14 upgrades are also on the table too Lisa says because “it is going to be part of making sure economic growth happens in Gloucestershire and we do need to make the most of the funds we have already. If there is a business case for improving the M5 then yes we'll support. It does depend on what happens with devolution and who we partner up with.”
The £48 million cycle spine project connecting Bishop’s Cleeve to Stroud via Cheltenham and Gloucester is not something the Lib Dems would have constructed Lisa says but there is an acceptance to make sure it is completed.
“I think there is a time and a place for any of kind of these big infrastructure projects and I hope it is used really well but my fear is the cycle spine being at the detriment to other smaller projects, Lisa explains. I tried to bring a budget amendment to encourage more cycling through smaller routes because I think we should actively encourage more people to ride and make it safer for them. Of course we can't deconstruct the spine so we will have to oversee the project to its end.”
On Net Zero, Lisa says the Lib Dems are committed to cutting carbon emissions after the county council set a net zero target by 2045 and to reduce emissions by 80% by 2030.
"It is about striking a balance and it is incumbent to set the right example, Lisa says. We need to look at topics such as regenerative flooding, making sure our transport contributes to reducing carbon emissions but we have to also accept we are a rural county and lots of people do drive. We can certainly lead on net zero and be leaders here locally.”
A final topic that is asked of all leaders in these interviews, what about the Javelin Park incinerator?
There are claims by the Greens that it has cost taxpayers more than landfill, £42m over its first five years. The council has said the incinerator has generated tens of millions of pounds in income to help fund public services. It may not be clean money but if it generates money to keep council finances afloat, is it really a big problem?
The Lib Dems don't feel it should have been built and Lisa adds: "We have no intention of shutting it down, but we do need a serious look at what is happening at Javelin Park. It may be generating income but at some stage we may have to deal with an emissions tax, so we would have to make sure that what is happening at the incinerator can reduce the amount of emissions it emits."
What to do about two serious topics voters really care about?
Voters have told me there is currently little to no support for parents navigating the process of getting their child into a special school. Many families are struggling and burnt out after years of advocating, fighting and trying to figure out a system which feels impossible to navigate.
A new 200-capacity school for pupils in Gloucestershire with special educational needs in Abbeymead has been approved, but as parents point out, what can political parties or independent candidates do to support families in what is not just a Gloucestershire issue but a national one?
"I have huge sympathy with voters on this topic and what we have to do is work with families on the SEND process,” Lisa explains.
“I am somebody who believes we should be communicating better with parents and as the question says parents really don't know what is going on with their local authority. We're proposing that we simply tell parents the truth about the process of getting their child into a special school. We need to keep parents up to speed otherwise they are completely lost.”
Lisa adds that the Lib Dems would invest in educational psychologists and would like to see earlier intervention.
"If we do run the council we will be lobbying central government for help and support so we can identify the problem and stop it before SEND education becomes even more of a crisis. Open and honest dialogue is what we need. It's not going to be fixed overnight, it will take time but I will say to voters that we're willing roll up our sleeves and get to work in solving this big issue. We do not feel taking parents to tribunal is the answer and we really need to dissect what is a national issue impacting us at local level.”
Adult social care is a huge topic of interest. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), rated Gloucestershire County Council as requires improvement, in how well they are meeting their responsibilities to ensure people have access to adult social care and support.
So what would Gloucestershire Lib Dems do to raise the quality of care?
"I think we need to disrupt the market here and we're relying too much on the private sector, Lisa says. I would like to see us reach a level where council delivers more social care because then we're in control of it. Making sure profits come to us at county council to reinvest in our services is what we would like to see. Very similar to SEND we need to communicate to the public what is happening with social care and again we know it will not be a quick fix but we are determined to provide vital social care services and get the CQC rating back to a good level."
Why should voters consider the Liberal Democrats?
"It is time for change. There have been 20 years of Conservatives running the county council and we do not feel they have delivered the best for residents. If voters want to see something different, vote for the Liberal Democrats because we feel we are the party that has got the energy, the experience and determination to deliver good services for Gloucestershire. Things are broken and we're ready to fix it. There will be big challenges ahead, but do get out there and vote for change.”
A full list of all candidates can be found here.