Andy Burnham 1
Dear Editor: Burnham’s speech promising to go further and faster on devolution, is perhaps unsurprising given his ‘King of the North’ moniker and his genuine – and not to be underestimated – ability to weave a narrative around his politics. It is also a pretty safe starting point for two reasons.
The first is that it is the definition of a home game for him, nobody even paying the slightest bit of attention would expect Andy Burnham to campaign on a ticket to centralise power further in Westminster. It is, then, unlikely to ruffle feathers within the Parliamentary Labour Party leading to jittery MPs getting cold feet and backing out of his seeming coronation.
Second, it’s actually largely aligned with the current Labour project. It might well be hard to pin down exactly what Starmerism is, if there even is an ‘ism’ to pin down. But one thing we know that about Starmer’s Labour (and importantly which is rooted in the 2024 manifesto) is a recommitment to a) decentralisation and b) localism. So on this, at least, Burnham is not presenting a huge departure from what came before.”
Dr Sam Power
University of Bristol
Andy Burnham 2
Dear Editor: I’m glad to see that devolution is front-and-centre of the national conversation. The West Country has to be at the heart of places getting more powers and more funding. That must be the case as the only expanding combined authority, with North Somerset joining, and as we push towards Established Strategic Authority status.
As the country’s fastest-growing regional economy over the last five years, we can help power a bright future. The foundations for that have already been built, with the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Act now the law of the land. We have seen historic steps forward on devolution over recent months, with commitments to enable mayors to introduce overnight visitor levies and to retain some of the taxes raised from our communities.
In this new chapter, our region now has a proper seat at the table. Our voice is now being heard and, just this spring, we brought together mayors and ministers here for the first time. Already, we have set out our ambitious targets for new jobs and new homes. Through Kids Go Free, more than a million pounds is back in local families’ pockets – ahead of the £100 million national roll-out this August.
But more is needed to give people hope. Over the months ahead, we will be proudly making the case in Westminster and beyond at every opportunity to secure the investment that our region deserves – with a new £17 billion Investment Prospectus – and make a difference for communities. Together, we can deliver change that people across the West of England can really see and feel.”
Helen Godwin
Mayor of the West of England
Astronomy
Dear Editor: This autumn the Herschel Museum of Astronomy in Bath will launch two new exhibitions exploring the connections between photography, astronomy and scientific discovery: Photology: John Herschel, Henry Talbot and Early Photography and The as-yet unseen by contemporary Irish artist Grace Weir.
Together, the exhibitions will reveal the close relationship between astronomy and photography, showing how light, observation and experimentation have driven and influenced both scientific discovery and artistic practice. Through historic objects and contemporary artworks, visitors are invited to consider new connections between the Herschel family’s work and the ways we record, interpret and understand the world around us.
Dr Amy Frost, Senior Curator at Bath Preservation Trust
20mph speed limit
Dear Editor: We have a campaign to get all of Bath down to 20mph.
As Bath commits to 20mph on 95% of roads, could it win the race to be England’s first fully 20mph City? Recent announcements for 20mph around Newbridge School, Oldfield and Kingswood schools, mean that by April 2027 all of Bath north of the River Avon will be 20mph.
Campaigners have launched a petition urging the council to go further and deliver safe speeds around every school, home and business, and in the process secure the crown of England’s first fully 20mph City.
We have concerns about safety that seriously limits transport choice. Humans can and do make mistakes on the roads which lead to collisions, but lower speeds reduce the likelihood of death and serious injury. With half the city now moving to 20mph it is time for all Bathonians, especially our children, to enjoy the benefits of safe speeds. Hundreds of people have already signed our petition, and we urge others to add their voices.
Concerns around dangerous speeds fill councillors’ inboxes on a daily basis. A particular worry is how it impacts on children and their ability to safely navigate the places they live in, where even walking to school can mean interacting with high speed routes. Drivers also report finding it difficult to track limits that can ‘yo-yo’ in the space of a few hundred meters.
As of April 2027 Bath’s remaining 30mph roads will constitute only 8.5 miles of a 159 mile network, all in BA2 and many outside schools such as St Martin’s and Ralph Allen. The Bath 20mph City campaign and petition seeks to banish these by the end of 2027, with a estimated cost of just £15,000.
Guy Hodgson, Bath
https://www.bath20mphcity.org
VAT on fuel
Dear Editor: As an Independent Councillor for Peasedown St John, I have formally requested that the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet write to the Minister of State responsible for VAT to raise concerns about how high fuel costs are placing an unnecessary financial burden on households, small businesses, carers, key workers, and others who rely on private transport.
Residents in rural and semi-rural communities are disproportionately affected due to more limited public transport options and greater dependence on cars.
Reducing or abolishing VAT on motor fuel would provide direct financial relief to motorists and help alleviate wider cost-of-living pressures.
The current system, whereby VAT is charged on top of fuel duty, is unfair and places additional pressure on consumers during periods of sustained economic difficulty.”
Motor fuel in the UK is subject to both fuel duty and Value Added Tax (VAT), with VAT currently charged at the standard rate of 20%. VAT is applied to the total price of fuel including fuel duty, which makes this a further tax levied on top of a prior tax. Recent increases in the base cost of fuel have resulted in a proportionate rise in the amount of VAT levied. Fuel duty and VAT together represent a significant proportion of the price paid at the pump, contributing to overall fuel costs borne by motorists. The British Government retains sole responsibility for setting VAT and fuel duty rates and need to seriously consider cutting it to support local struggling families.”
Cllr Karen Walker
Peasedown St John