This week the Tories launched their General Election campaign in Portsmouth, by accusing the council of prioritising Southsea over Portsmouth North. It's not often I say this, but the Tories were right! The trouble is, Labour have been saying this for years, whereas the Tories only raise it as an issue when a General Election is due and they want to try and win Portsmouth North constituency! They never raise the issue when council seats are the only seats up for grabs, as they are too busy promising more funding to voters in Southsea who they need to win over to take seats off the Lib Dems and run the council. The Tories are part of the problem when it comes to injustice in funding within Portsmouth, not part of the solution. Until they stop promising more funding to voters in Southsea in local election campaigns, they cannot raise this issue in General Election campaigns without being hypocritical in the extreme.

Whether it's been fighting for a desperately needed swimming pool in Paulsgrove, successfully getting the council to do a U-turn on axeing playschemes in Paulsgrove and Drayton (when no playscheme in Portsmouth South was under threat), making sure government grants given to the council are spent equally in Portsmouth North & Portsmouth South, or supporting the rebuild of Hillside Youth Centre (which Tories opposed), I have consistently supported the needs of the North of the city, and will continue doing so until all parts of the City are treated equally.

I’ve lived in Portsmouth long enough to remember the 18 years of Tory government and the misery it caused. Over the past 12 years Labour has achieved so much for ordinary working people - a national minimum wage, a million pensioners lifted out of poverty, 4 weeks paid holiday, free nursery places for 3 and 4 years olds, and operation waiting times halved to name but a few. But I also remember that the Tories consistently voted against all our policies that made these things happen. So whether it’s national or local politics it’s Labour who are on the side of the people of Portsmouth not the Tories.